RTE Radio 1 on 252!

Digifriendly · 23-07-2011 9:12pm #1

Just returned from holiday in Scotland and was amazed how good RTE Radio 1 signal on 252 LW was even at foot of a mountain in the Scottish borders. Struggled to pick up Radio Ulster MW in parts of Scotland that were not low down but 252 was clear as a bell.

Poly · 24-07-2011 7:30am

Yeah, 252 comes in loud and clear in London too

im invisible · 24-07-2011 7:39am

atlantic 252 used to be THE station, before spin, and whatever, took over...

padd b1975 · 24-07-2011 8:10am

I can pick up 252 in my truck in Holland and Belgium, overhead high voltage power lines play havoc with it that far away.

Greenman · 24-07-2011 8:34am

padd b1975 wrote: »

I can pick up 252 in my truck in Holland and Belgium, overhead high voltage power lines play havoc with it that far away.

I listen in my truck here in Belgium on my breaks, it comes in well.

Just wish a certain station in Algeria would cease, but I suppose they were there first. Maybe RTE might move up one channel.

I just hope they don't turn it off like the Tory's turned off 648khz.

:mad:

dell1211 · 24-07-2011 9:06am

what type of stereos have ye got? I havent seen LW frequency in a radio in years

padd b1975 · 24-07-2011 10:25am

dell1211 wrote: »

what type of stereos have ye got? I havent seen LW frequency in a radio in years

Most car stereos have it.

padd b1975 · 24-07-2011 10:26am

Greenman wrote: »

I listen in my truck here in Belgium on my breaks, it comes in well.

Just wish a certain station in Algeria would cease, but I suppose they were there first. Maybe RTE might move up one channel.

I just hope they don't turn it off like the Tory's turned off 648khz.:mad:

Yeah I notice reception is way better when parked.

Digifriendly · 25-07-2011 9:28am

dell1211 wrote: »

what type of stereos have ye got? I havent seen LW frequency in a radio in years

Some car radios have LW turned off in the menu when you get them. This was the case with the radio I had when I bought my car recently. It wasn't until I read the car radio booklet that I realised I could pick up LW. You can even disable MW in the menu if you want to.

shaunandelly · 15-04-2012 7:53pm

252lw is can be received in most of the UK,apart from at dark when in the south it gets overpowered by French stations.

Welsh Megaman · 16-04-2012 7:48am

dell1211 wrote: »

what type of stereos have ye got? I havent seen LW frequency in a radio in years

Roberts radios and systems all have LW frequencies.

neris · 16-04-2012 10:57am

managed to pick it up one time in lithuania on 252 a few years ago. quality wasnt great but could hear what was being said but any time weve been back since havent been able to get it

shaunandelly · 18-04-2012 9:02am

A whole chunk of the diaspora will be cut off when they go digital.

Technocentral · 18-04-2012 6:18pm

shaunandelly wrote: »

A whole chunk of the diaspora will be cut off when they go digital.

I disagree, net is so cheap and available worldwide now (with some exceptions of course) that inferior technology like am/mw/lw is no longer needed and you can't expect broadcasters to put money into it to benefit a tiny few, people can just listen on computers, phones etc now, I listen to NPR and Radio4 on my wifi radio or if I'm out on my phone in quality far superior to am etc.

shaunandelly · 18-04-2012 7:14pm

Technocentral wrote: »

shaunandelly wrote: »

A whole chunk of the diaspora will be cut off when they go digital.

I disagree, net is so cheap and available worldwide now (with some exceptions of course) that inferior technology like am/mw/lw is no longer needed and you can't expect broadcasters to put money into it to benefit a tiny few, people can just listen on computers, phones etc now, I listen to NPR and Radio4 on my wifi radio or if I'm out on my phone in quality far superior to am etc.

How tiny is this number? On what do you base your assertion? Not that cheap if you don't already have the gear is it?

Technocentral · 18-04-2012 7:47pm

shaunandelly wrote: »

How tiny is this number? On what do you base your assertion? Not that cheap if you don't already have the gear is it?

I'm just giving my 2 cents boss, vast majority of people have computers and smart phones, there's parallels with the analogue tv signal being cut off soon as everything is going over to digital if the remaining few dont upgrade no more tv for them, anyways don't shoot the messenger its the way of the world, just like when tv went over from B&W to Colour, you snooze you loose.

Antenna · 18-04-2012 8:19pm

Technocentral wrote: »

tv went over from B&W to Colour, you snooze you loose.

Colour was added to the existing B&W TV system, it wasn't one system replaced by another.
People with existing B&W TVs did not have to buy a convertor (or a new TV) after colour was introduced, their sets continued to work as before.

Technocentral · 18-04-2012 8:22pm

Antenna wrote: »

Colour was added to the existing B&W TV system, it wasn't one system replaced by another.
People with existing B&W TVs did not have to buy a convertor (or a new TV) after colour was introduced, their sets continued to work as before.

Thats true, but the rest of what I said stands especially digital change over and outdated technology doesn't hang around forever its just the way it is, I personnaly couldnt care less if am/lw hung around for ever but I'm not running a large broadcasting network.

Trick of the Tail · 18-04-2012 8:24pm

That was only the case if the sets were already 625 line. Anyone (lots) that had 405-line sets had to buy new ones when the 405 transmitters were switched off.

However there were many years of crossover, depending on where you were.

The switchover to digital TV here is a rush job because everyone procrastinated for so long.

And its analogue TV that's being phased out, not radio.

A.

shaunandelly · 18-04-2012 11:29pm

Technocentral wrote: »

I'm just giving my 2 cents boss, vast majority of people have computers and smart phones, there's parallels with the analogue tv signal being cut off soon as everything is going over to digital if the remaining few dont upgrade no more tv for them, anyways don't shoot the messenger its the way of the world, just like when tv went over from B&W to Colour, you snooze you loose.

Like the great dab radio success. Anybody care to list formats and new technology that has failed and people have reverted to a more simple useable technology. Desktops to Laptops,laptops to ipads to phones. New doesn't always mean better. Just saying that's all. What is the analysis of AM in the UK market. AM gets the distance that FM won't. Are you cutting yourself off from a Market? If so then surely it's RTE that snoozes and loses as the Government found out in the household charge debacle assuming that all the elderly could pay online.

Max largo · 21-04-2012 7:32pm

Www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-04-18.2957.0&s=longwave+segment%3A5106379#g2958.0.q

shaunandelly · 22-04-2012 12:38pm

Mmm..... Doesn't answer the question though does it? In the answer from the "White Rabbitte" he refers to "longwave content". That is not the same thing as longwave propagation..........anyway ad infinitum...I do not regard this as a technology competition,more a case of disenfranchising a group.

rikki2 · 24-04-2012 7:11am

I am picking up interference on LW and MW on all my radios in my apartment. I wonder if it is something to do with the launch of saorview?

Antenna · 24-04-2012 9:17am

rikki2 wrote: »

I am picking up interference on LW and MW on all my radios in my apartment. I wonder if it is something to do with the launch of saorview?

The Saorview transmissions itself (all above 470MHz) will not of course have any affect, however the switch-mode powersupplies with Set-Top Boxes for Saorview can certainly interfere with LW on radios in close proximity. There are countless other things that could interfere. Try plugging things out (not just put in standby) one by one and see if you can find anything causing the interference.

munchkin_utd · 23-09-2014 10:53am

I couldnt see another thread for this, so just posting it here:

TÉ Radio 1’s Longwave 252 service (LW252) will close down on 27 October 2014.
The vast majority (98%) of Radio 1 listeners are not affected and no change is necessary.
However, you will need to retune your radio if you listen to RTÉ Radio 1 on LW252.

Why is the service closing?
• The audience for the LW252 service is very small
• The vast majority of the RTÉ Radio 1 audience listens to the superior sound of FM
• Longwave broadcasting is out of date, has poor audio quality and provides unreliable reception
• LW is inconsistent with environmental best practice and represents poor value for money

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/static/2014/0821/638554-stay-tuned/
also,
http://static.rasset.ie/documents/radio1/rte-radio-1-staytuned.pdf

Its sad to see it go as it was a useful service for those outside of Ireland in Britain and even the near parts of the continent.
Obviously if youre at home then you'd be better off listen online, but in the car even LW is better than mobile broadband.

Welsh Megaman · 23-09-2014 11:22am

All those Roberts Radios purchased specially for nothing!

Welsh Megaman is sad now.

Kensington · 23-09-2014 11:29am

Didn't they recently spend a fortune installing a brand new transmitter and audio processing chain into Clarkstown? And now closing it down?

munchkin_utd · 23-09-2014 1:15pm

just for reference, the LW service cost €1,113,019 back in 2006 to give an idea of how expensive the service is to provide.
http://www.rte.ie/documents/about/rtenlwebsitetariffschedule290806.pdf

I'm annoyed its going, but considering its high cost and that its mainly benefiting non licence payers who have other options for listening at home its hard to justify keeping going.

pajor · 23-09-2014 1:37pm

Just heard this on Radio 1 now. I thought the whole point of re-introducing Radio 1 to LW was to benefit those living on the Aran Islands etc. Where there might not be reliable FM or internet. Guessing all that has changed now.

I was amazed last year staying in a guesthouse in the Netherlands, that tuning to old Philips radio in the bathroom to LW252 picked up a very clear Radio 1.

Will the frequency go unused now?

L1011 · 23-09-2014 1:46pm

pajor wrote: »

Just heard this on Radio 1 now. I thought the whole point of re-introducing Radio 1 to LW was to benefit those living on the Aran Islands etc. Where there might not be reliable FM or internet. Guessing all that has changed now.

I was amazed last year staying in a guesthouse in the Netherlands, that tuning to old Philips radio in the bathroom to LW252 picked up a very clear Radio 1.

Will the frequency go unused now?

The Aran Islands have perfect FM. It was pretty much entirely for the expat market and to allow occasional opt-outs.

marno21 · 23-09-2014 1:47pm

pajor wrote: »

Just heard this on Radio 1 now. I thought the whole point of re-introducing Radio 1 to LW was to benefit those living on the Aran Islands etc. Where there might not be reliable FM or internet. Guessing all that has changed now.

I was amazed last year staying in a guesthouse in the Netherlands, that tuning to old Philips radio in the bathroom to LW252 picked up a very clear Radio 1.

Will the frequency go unused now?

Bad example, the Aran Islands has good coverage of Radio 1 from Casla on 88.4

A lot of places in south Munster/south Ireland would have been a good example, unfortunately for most of the time that 252 was on air it suffered heavy interference from the Algerian service on 252.

The Algerian service was off air earlier this year, not sure if it's still off, so now 252 will be quiet on the south coast when not too long ago there was 2 services audible on 252 at the same time

pajor · 23-09-2014 2:56pm

marno21 wrote: »

Bad example, the Aran Islands has good coverage of Radio 1 from Casla on 88.4

A lot of places in south Munster/south Ireland would have been a good example, unfortunately for most of the time that 252 was on air it suffered heavy interference from the Algerian service on 252.

Right. That's just what I remember from the time anyway. Hookum obviously.

end of the road · 23-09-2014 3:10pm

Kensington wrote: »

Didn't they recently spend a fortune installing a brand new transmitter and audio processing chain into Clarkstown? And now closing it down?

i don't know. i hope not anyway

pajor · 23-09-2014 3:22pm

Kensington wrote: »

Didn't they recently spend a fortune installing a brand new transmitter and audio processing chain into Clarkstown? And now closing it down?

2007 by the looks of it.

These were replaced in 2007 by a single 300 kilowatt Transradio TRAM 300L transmitter.[1] The ground around the mast and the entire transmission site bed are lined with copper for conductivity.

Cork_chick_94 · 23-09-2014 4:28pm

So are they going to take down the mast ?

AwaitYourReply · 23-09-2014 7:02pm

Given the significant financial investment made by RTÉ in relatively recent times (i.e.) 2007 surely it is imperative that they will use the closure of RTÉ Radio One LW252 kHz as an opportunity to find a new business partner to run a whole new service in another market like they did in the past when they were involved in the ownership of former Atlantic 252 service which was primarily targeted at the UK market. Somehow I would imagine that a speech/news/sports type service would be best suited on LW as music is no longer best transmitted via AM LW or MW bands these days with the advances in other technologies. I wonder will they be indicating what they propose to do with the transmitter & equipment not to mention the site in Clarkstown, Trim, Co. Meath ? Time will tell...

pajor · 23-09-2014 8:21pm

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I wonder will they be indicating what they propose to do with the transmitter & equipment not to mention the site in Clarkstown, Trim, Co. Meath ? Time will tell...

The wiki article I was looking at earlier, mentioned that previously it was also used for digital radio testing as well as LW transmitting. Could be used for digital again.

L1011 · 23-09-2014 8:29pm

Its likely that the costs of keeping the 1989 era transmitter on air, due to its power consumption compared to a modern unit, mean that the 2007 replacement has covered its costs.

The site is not really suitable for anything else other than returning to farmland so I suspect it'll be retained in case of future use rather like Athlone, Jacobs Island and Tullamore.

Fuzzy Clam · 23-09-2014 8:40pm

pajor wrote: »

The wiki article I was looking at earlier, mentioned that previously it was also used for digital radio testing as well as LW transmitting. Could be used for digital again.

I haven't seen the article you refer to but I presume the digital radio it mentions were the DRM tests. These were on LW so unlikely to resurrected.

weary1 · 23-09-2014 10:00pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

just for reference, the LW service cost €1,113,019 back in 2006 to give an idea of how expensive the service is to provide.

I'm annoyed its going, but considering its high cost and that its mainly benefiting non licence payers who have other options for listening at home its hard to justify keeping going.

I don't know how to pay for a radio licence in my car and I've never been asked for it by any garda road check. Can you tell me how car radio licences are enforced ?

23-09-2014 11:18pm

Sounds to me like the semi-states need a lesson in asset management and wastage. If they mothball this site it was an absolute waste and they should have just left 567 on. The transmitter is only 7 years old.

AwaitYourReply · 24-09-2014 12:38am

I would say that many more decisions will be made by RTÉ as they cut more & more legacy costs as they have been told by Government that the Taxpayer cannot keep funding all and sundry at the national broadcaster and let's also remember they are up against it versus so many new legally operated services from Radio - TV - Online - Satellite - Cable - Mobile.

They could once rely on the former cash-cows of Radio 2FM (mainly through the Gerry Ryan Show) and the RTÉ Guide for advertising but competition soon changed these easy revenue streams. UTV Ireland and TV3 have already forced them into revamping RTÉ TWO (now RTÉ 2) and RTÉ ONE will also rebrand it's image shortly.

Expect more & more light touch gimmicks like the Newsroom new look launched a few months ago not to mention The Late Late Show studio sets due to be revamped in January amid a blaze of publicity. Pity they do not accompany these revamps with more substantial changes in anchor presenters line-up/delivery/more changes to editorial style along with the graphic design/studio set changes.

Rock Solid · 24-09-2014 12:46am

252 should be kept on air, there are parts of the country that Fm and Dab cant cover due to mountains and the coast, not everyone has broadband or smartphones, and elderly people are not familiar with new media, Lw252 is the only one nationwide signal that can be received in the country, whats the point in paying a licence if you cant receive RTE!

Rock Solid · 24-09-2014 12:47am

252 should be kept on air, there are parts of the country that Fm and Dab cant cover due to mountains and the coast, not everyone has broadband or smartphones, and elderly people are not familiar with new media, Lw252 is the only one nationwide signal that can be received in the country, whats the point in paying a licence if you cant receive RTE!

Redlake · 24-09-2014 1:03am

The decision to close 252 Longwave is sad news. This provides coverage of RTE Radio 1 in Great Britain and also the far north east of Ireland. It is also ironic that when 252 is a relatively clear channel with the Algerian station off air, allowing RTE Radio 1 on 252 to be received clearly in southern England, that it is now that RTE decide to close Long Wave. Adding insult to injury, to close long wave with barely a months notice is gravely unjust particularly to a generation of older listeners in the UK. Obviously RTE do not care about you if you are old.

AwaitYourReply · 24-09-2014 1:32am

They began by switching off RTÉ Radio 2FM on 1278kHz MW and later moved older generations of listeners off RTÉ Radio One MW on both 567kHz and 729kHz on Medium Wave across to Long Wave 252 kHz in relatively recent times. I recall when the BBC tried to switch off BBC Radio 4 Long Wave 198kHz signal a number of years ago there was such an outcry that they eventually pulled back from it at the time. Previously, they had managed to switch off the BBC Radio 1 and 2 on MW wavelengths as it was intended to make way for other new radio services such as: "TalkSport" and launch of the then new BBC Radio 5 Live news & sport channel at that time.

I'm not sure if BBC Radio 4 Long Wave 198kHz has a long bright future though as the BBC is making plenty of cuts across the board and if they are not closing transmitters they are saving power by not boosting signals as strong to save power for cheaper operating outcomes.

munchkin_utd · 24-09-2014 8:10am

weary1 wrote: »

I don't know how to pay for a radio licence in my car and I've never been asked for it by any garda road check. Can you tell me how car radio licences are enforced ?

When I said "non licence payers" - I meant folks in UK and near mainland europe.

Its difficult to justify spending 1million+ per year from the proceeds of a 26county licence fee, to provice a service to a small number of folks outside the 26counties who nowadays have multiple ways of receiving RTE.

And regarding old folks in the UK, they've already made the switch from Analogue TV to a Freeview or Satelite solution so switching from analogue RTE to digital (via sat or internet) RTE Radio is just a similar move they'll have to make.

Antenna · 24-09-2014 9:24am

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I recall when the BBC tried to switch off BBC Radio 4 Long Wave 198kHz signal a number of years ago

The BBC plan back then wasn't to switch off LW, but to replace BBC R4 on it with a rolling news service.

munchkin_utd wrote: »

And regarding old folks in the UK, they've already made the switch from Analogue TV to a Freeview or Satelite solution so switching from analogue RTE to digital (via sat or internet) RTE Radio is just a similar move they'll have to make.

A lot of radio listening is in cars, most for many people. There is no easy solution (if any) for car listening for these people

Granted the 'cause' of RTE's LW 252 has not been helped to a big extent by (many/most?) car manufacturers leaving out LW in new cars in recent years. Listeners are not going to complain about the impending loss of something they can no longer receive anyway since the last time they replaced their car.

Mearings · 24-09-2014 11:08am

Look at the bright side, perfect sounding Radio Algeria.

Skid X · 24-09-2014 11:46am

Shame to see it go. Hard to know if the cost of running the service justified it's existence, but it will be missed by a decent number of listeners.

And the shutdown timetable seems hasty, it doesn't give listeners much time to make alternative arrangements.

I wonder if RTE will get Brendan Balfe in to do a farewell show (like he did for Medium Wave). Hopefully it will be more dignified than the hasty exit of TeamTalk 252 (on the same transmitter!)

http://www.swldxer.co.uk/jhr_final.rm

Redlake · 24-09-2014 12:14pm

Algerian station is off air, so nothing on 252 when RTE pulls the plug. Ironic when 252 is a clear channel that RTE decides to close down Long Wave.

RTE Radio 1 on 252!

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