Virgin Media analog radio query

Dacia1300

Is anyone in Limerick using VM's analog radio service for BBC stations, or know if it is available here? I know that it's still on in Dublin, just not sure about Limerick...

LiveRadio.ie

Dacia1300 wrote: »

Is anyone in Limerick using VM's analog radio service for BBC stations, or know if it is available here? I know that it's still on in Dublin, just not sure about Limerick...

Limerick is to far west. No BBC analog radio available there. Listen on digital.

StreetLight

LiveRadio.ie wrote: »

Limerick is to far west. No BBC analog radio available there. Listen on digital.

VM are perfectly capable of picking up BBC radio from a digital feed and converting it to analogue on their cable network, if they want.

Dacia1300

LiveRadio.ie wrote: »

Limerick is to far west. No BBC analog radio available there. Listen on digital.

Yes I am well aware that Limerick is too far west to pick up BBC radio on FM (meaning that digital radio/DAB which has a much shorter range than FM won't work either).

In Dublin VM offer a service where you can plug one end of a coax cable into the FM side of an incoming wall socket for cable TV & the other into the VHF aerial socket of a radio/tuner. This is something which has been available since the days of CableLink/NTL. That is what I was referring to

I was asking if anyone knew whether or not something similar was available on the VM cable network here in Limerick.

Wise Old Elf

I asked Virgin Media the same question shortly after I moved to Limerick from Dublin (a good few years ago now) and they claimed the service is unavailable here. I'd never been able to get it to work.

ford fiesta

Dacia1300 wrote: »

Yes I am well aware that Limerick is too far west to pick up BBC radio on FM (meaning that digital radio/DAB which has a much shorter range than FM won't work either).

In Dublin VM offer a service where you can plug one end of a coax cable into the FM side of an incoming wall socket for cable TV & the other into the VHF aerial socket of a radio/tuner. This is something which has been available since the days of CableLink/NTL. That is what I was referring to

I was asking if anyone knew whether or not something similar was available on the VM cable network here in Limerick.

The one connection should work. Just get an old UPC decoder and go to the Radio menu on your TV, that's what I do in Dublin. I've never used the FM output on the wall.

L1011

The radio stations are unencrypted on DVBC should your TV support this. Most recent TVs from proper brands (not zombie brands or supermarket own brands) do

Dacia1300

Tried hooking a tuner to the FM socket, no luck. Took out the filter box & connected the coax directly, still nothing. On an old radio I can get R4 on LW with a good strong signal & R5 Live on MW with a reasonably okay signal, so that’ll do for now

ford fiesta

Dacia1300 wrote: »

Tried hooking a tuner to the FM socket, no luck. Took out the filter box & connected the coax directly, still nothing. On an old radio I can get R4 on LW with a good strong signal & R5 Live on MW with a reasonably okay signal, so that’ll do for now

as above just get a upc decoder with no subscription, if one is going spare on the selling websites

Dacia1300

ford fiesta wrote: »

as above just get a upc decoder with no subscription, if one is going spare on the selling websites

I thought that they don’t work at a different location though? At this stage I’ll probably just get Freesat if I want more stations than I can get on AM

Former Former

Dacia1300 wrote: »

I thought that they don’t work at a different location though? At this stage I’ll probably just get Freesat if I want more stations than I can get on AM

Surely internet radio is a better solution here?

Dacia1300

Former Former wrote: »

Surely internet radio is a better solution here?

Not really as some live content is blocked outside of the UK

ford fiesta

Just pick up an old UPC/Virgin media box in your city/area ???

L1011

Dacia1300 wrote: »

I thought that they don’t work at a different location though? At this stage I’ll probably just get Freesat if I want more stations than I can get on AM

They have an area code you put in after a factory reset, there are only three or four of them.

The radio stations are unencrypted, DVB-C capable TVs turn up in sales for €99 frequently, Black Friday in two weeks will likely have loads of them. Probably less cost and less hassle than getting a dish and a DVB-S box.

Dacia1300

Okay, I picked up a cheap DVB-S tuner & hooked it up to the Sky dish left behind by the previous occupants. It is working away very well so far & I'm happy enough with the setup. Thanks for all of your help everyone