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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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23rd Mar 2017, 4:55 am | #1 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Posts: 59
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BBC radio dial stickers
Hi everyone,
Not too long ago, I learned about how the BBC went through a frequency allocation change in the late 70s, which caused a lot of the markings on radio dials to become obsolete. To make up for this, stickers were sent out with markings designed to stick on the radio dial to show the correct location for the updated frequencies. I can't help but be interested because I'm not aware of anything like that happening over on this side of the pond. Does anyone have a radio or radios in their collections that might have the stickers still in place? Or even better, have the stickers themselves as they were distributed? I'm fortunate to own a couple of Roberts radios and a couple of Soviet multi-bands. There is something evocative about reading the place names on the dials. We didn't have such over here because our broadcast industry got off to a different start. Perhaps one day I'll be able to pick up another Roberts or similar that still has the stickers in place. Just seems an interesting part of broadcast history. Thank you, -William |
23rd Mar 2017, 9:12 am | #2 |
Hexode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Box End, Beds. UK.
Posts: 271
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
I remember the event well; was quite a shake up at the time
About 15 years ago I acquired a Bush radio cassette recorder from the estate of my wife's great uncle just before my father in law chucked it in the skip (I literally took it out of his hands just before he threw it) which has the remains of these labels. The point is that the glue on them doesn't come off easily. I will take a look at it and see how much of the labels is there. The radio itself must be early 70s, or possibly late 60s by the style of it, is Japanese rather than British, and still works absolutely fine; the top of the VHF band is missing by modern standards |
23rd Mar 2017, 9:42 am | #3 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Manchester, UK.
Posts: 1,874
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
They're funny little red or blue diamond-shaped things about 1/4" across the diagonal with numbers 1-4 in the middle of the diamond. There was also a larger rectangular label with more info on it which the enthusiastic could plaster onto their receiver.
Everyone must have been sent them, and because I was under 10 at the time I took great pleasure, as kids still do, in using stickers - so our kitchen radio ended up with a series of slightly squiffy stickers on it, as did most people's. They're still not unusual to find on a radio of the right age - our went on a 'Pye' radio-cassette which was actually something Japanese, as far as I can now tell. I wish I still had it, but my little sister 'had a stomach upset' all over it, as my mother will have euphemistically said... |
23rd Mar 2017, 9:54 am | #4 |
Hexode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Box End, Beds. UK.
Posts: 271
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
As I remember it, the a packet of stickers together with a leaflet stating what was to happen was delivered to each house by hand, not posted.
At the same time all but 200KHz Radio 4 also moved frequency if necessary to be a multiple of 9KHz, for example Radio 1 1214KHz became Radio 3 1215KHz Presumably the local radio stations had their frequencies adjusted at the same time if necessary, but possibly it wasn't necessary for them because they were all on multiples of 9KHz already Radio 4 moved from 200KHz to 198KHz some years later Eventually, Radios 1, 2, & 3 were moved off MW and most of the changes became irrelevant, only Radio 4 remaining as changed |
23rd Mar 2017, 10:27 am | #5 |
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Exeter, Devon and Poole, Dorset UK.
Posts: 6,863
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
I spend all my time trying to scrape them off!
Anyway this is a snip straight off the net Cheers Mike T
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Invisible airwaves crackle with life or at least they used to Mike T BVWS member. www.cossor.co.uk |
23rd Mar 2017, 11:15 am | #6 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,936
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
As you see from the photo, they look pretty horrible, and most restorers do remove them - not easy, as they were intended to be permanent. They are very common indeed. Older people in particular were a lot more deferential to authority in those days, and if the BBC told you to do something then you did it. It may have been something to do with the wartime and immediate postwar experience, which was not history but memory to everyone over 40 at that time.
Occasionally restorers do leave the stickers in place, being part of the radio's history. |
23rd Mar 2017, 8:45 pm | #7 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Barnstaple, N.Devon, UK.
Posts: 557
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
I remember them well and recently found this one in my collection. They were sent to my Gran's house and only the Radio 4 stickers were used.
Enjoy. David. |
23rd Mar 2017, 9:07 pm | #8 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
What a wonderful item from the beeb, now all you get is a thing on your telly or DAB radio (which I like) saying "This service is no longer available".
I think it was a lyric from Joe Jackson "We've got HBO, 200 channels and nothing to watch", four was enough (TV and radio). |
23rd Mar 2017, 9:09 pm | #9 |
Triode
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 31
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
Despite searching online, I'm still not overly sure why Radio 4 and Radio 2 swapped bands in 1978 since both had nationwide coverage - is there a definitive reason?
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23rd Mar 2017, 9:27 pm | #10 | |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,936
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
Quote:
On topic please |
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23rd Mar 2017, 10:32 pm | #11 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Penrith, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 3,687
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
Quote:
Geneva frequency plan, increase in MF transmitters and focussed local coverage may have had something to do with it too.
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Regds, Russell W. B. G4YLI. |
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23rd Mar 2017, 10:46 pm | #12 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Penrith, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 3,687
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
The BBC Yearbook of '78 mentions the Geneva plan, and just says that with the addition of 227kHz and a new LF station at Burghead on 200kHz, by allocating both these frequencies to Radio 4 it will be possible, for the first time, to achieve almost complete coverage of the UK for this important network...'
Whether it was the Government of the day or the BBC who decided on the importance of 'this important network', I don't know. Radios and spare batteries in biscuit tins buried in the fall-out shelter, perhaps?
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Regds, Russell W. B. G4YLI. |
23rd Mar 2017, 11:50 pm | #13 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Papamoa Beach, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Posts: 2,944
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
The background to the 1978 BBC LF and MF frequency changes was provided in an article “The UK Wavelength Changes” in Wireless World 1978 November, page 44ff, available here: http://www.americanradiohistory.com/...d_Magazine.htm.
This table, excerpted from that article, provides a summary of the before and after coverage situation: Apparently a “do nothing” choice (other than alignment with the new MF multiples-of-nine channelling) would have, in the face of the pan-European changes in the wake of the Geneva Plan, resulted in a general deterioration of coverage. Cheers, |
23rd Mar 2017, 11:55 pm | #14 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Papamoa Beach, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Posts: 2,944
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
Additional comment on the 1978 changes is available in this document:
http://www.bbceng.info/Technical%20R...m_tx_nw_6a.pdf Cheers, |
24th Mar 2017, 12:45 am | #15 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Papamoa Beach, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Posts: 2,944
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
As part of the memorabilia from that 1978 change, I kept a copy of the “Radio Times” pullout supplement that covered the frequency changes as they affected the southeast, scan attached.
Radio Times Supplement 197811.pdf I don’t have the exact date of issue, as I did not keep the whole magazine, but it would have been late October or early November. I recall tuning around quite early on the morning of November 23; Brookmans Park 909 kHz was not yet up, so other 909 kHz transmitters were coming in at lowish level, more than one by the phasiness of the sound. It was up though on a second check just before L left for the office. Cheers, |
24th Mar 2017, 1:50 am | #16 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 539
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
I remember the ILR Radio Stations had a field day at the expense at the BBC. With loads of jokes by the score!
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24th Mar 2017, 8:17 am | #17 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bracknell, Berkshire,UK.
Posts: 1,172
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
Note that Droitwich remained on 200kHz at this stage and did not move to 198kHz under the Geneva plan until February 1988. Many of you on here will presumably have already seen this but there is a fascinating story about Droitwich at http://www.bbceng.info/Operations/tr...ch_calling.htm
Dave |
24th Mar 2017, 8:56 am | #18 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Basildon, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,100
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
Radio dial vandalism, hell of a job to get them off, they seemed to weld to the plastic dial.
Mike |
24th Mar 2017, 10:00 am | #19 |
Pentode
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Dorset, UK.
Posts: 240
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
There was a record as well, by the Kings Singers, (at least you don't have to scrape a record of the dial glass!)
Edit: Found it on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbSMMNVOT0o Last edited by Rubberfingers; 24th Mar 2017 at 10:07 am. Reason: To add Youtube link |
24th Mar 2017, 10:20 am | #20 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,037
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Re: BBC radio dial stickers
I still come across them, stuck to the dials of transistor radios in house-clearance shops. They are the very devil to remove, they seem almost to have 'become one' with the perspex dial material!
But should they be removed? They are after all part & parcel of the radio's history and form a record of the shifts in broadcasting at the time. Re the record. How simply spiffing! Those were the *proper* King's Singers as I remember them. Didn't they set several of their novelty offerings to the same tune?
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Andy G1HBE. Last edited by Andrew2; 24th Mar 2017 at 10:27 am. |