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Child Item

The Future of Longwave 252kHz (RTE Radio 1)

andym1

A friend working in RTE tells me the LW service based in Co Meath will cease this year. With the internet and smartphones its days are numbered plus I hear it is expensive to run power etc.
I usually go to France in the summer and always got a half decent signal on LW

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Welsh Megaman

Heads up...

Due to essential maintenance on the transmitter, RTE Radio 1 will be unavailable on LW252 from 10am next Tuesday (10th.), till 5pm on Thursday 17th. October.

Harry Palmr

Saw that, a very long time out for a new glorified valve

225LongWave

original Varian valve transmitter was scrapped in July 2007
Are you thinking of the BBC radio4 1930s 3ft 'glass valve' ?
RTE 252 are installing new component from Canada, NAUTEL
recently updated their website newsletter to reveal a mystery ?

30 years after launch of Atlantic252 @ 500,000watts
I understand RTE have disposed of their Nemesis by
selling back to RTL, former 80% owner of Radio Tara

Doblin

RTE ceased broadcasting on longwave at 9am this morning and nobody has died as a result #justsayinglike

my3cents

Doblin wrote: »

RTE ceased broadcasting on longwave at 9am this morning and nobody has died as a result #justsayinglike

Glad someone posted this as it saved me looking for this old thread, however does seem strange that someone with just 4 posts went looking for it to revive it :pac:

No it is a pain won't be listening to as much RTE instead will stick to BBC Radio 4 on Long Wave until I have BBC Radio 4 FM sorted out via satellite.

Previously if BBC Radio 4 had stuff we didn't want to listen to like England loosing the cricket we'd return to RTE, now we won't be listening to RTE at all.

end of the road

Doblin wrote: »

RTE ceased broadcasting on longwave at 9am this morning and nobody has died as a result #justsayinglike

down for maintenance and was well advertised in advance.

Doblin

The way people were going on, you'd swear every Irish pensioner in Britain would have died of loneliness by 10am as a result of going a morning without Tubridy on longwave ðŸ˜†ðŸ˜†ðŸ˜†ðŸ˜†

Ursus Horribilis

my3cents wrote: »

Previously if BBC Radio 4 had stuff we didn't want to listen to like England LOSING the cricket we'd return to RTE, now we won't be listening to RTE at all.

If you've got internet access, surely you don't need to be depending on LW to listen to RTE?

my3cents

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

If you've got internet access, surely you don't need to be depending on LW to listen to RTE?

Convenience, all you need to listen to Radio 4 and RTE on long wave is a simple radio. Don't need to pay for the internet to listen to free radio or have a smart phone or a computer. Do have poor quality 4G nearby but none at the house and no broadband in the area. Now I do have a mobile phone and several computers but I don't need to run a 100W plus computer to listen to a LW radio transmission when I can listen to it on a radio consuming a couple of watts of power.

withless

A common complaint.

Ursus Horribilis

It's still not convincing me that they should keep the transmitter going. You'll always disaffect some people, no matter what happens.

Doblin

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

It's still not convincing me that they should keep the transmitter going. You'll always disaffect some people, no matter what happens.

5 years ago when RTE wanted to close longwave, every village idiot politician came out calling it an attack on the elderly and RTE quickly backed down. It's going to be very challenging for RTE to implement any cuts.

0lddog

my3cents wrote: »

The UK! I listen to BBC Radio 4 on LW in Ireland most of the time.

Me2

Ursus Horribilis

If they close anything, be it RNaG, Lyric FM, 2FM, even News Now, there will be unhappy inconvenienced people.

Doblin

I wonder will RTE announce as part of their cutbacks next month that LW isn't coming back because nobody noticed it was off?

end of the road

Doblin wrote: »

I wonder will RTE announce as part of their cutbacks next month that LW isn't coming back because nobody noticed it was off?

no as it's listeners were aware that it was being shut down for maintenence. it was well warned in advance that it would be happening.
so that explains listeners not complaining and thus, apparently not noticing, which obviously they would have.

Technocentral

How are the vulnerable getting on?

Dan Jaman

Technocentral wrote: »

How are the vulnerable getting on?

Feeling it, probably.

Doblin

Technocentral wrote: »

How are the vulnerable getting on?

They have gone without RTE on longwave for almost 2 weeks now

Doblin

RTE announced plans to close the longwave service in 2012 but were forced to back down after an number of TDs called it an attack on the elderly, they are now spending 1.8 million on refurbishment of the mast to stop it from tipping over with rust http://www.hildegarde.ie/works-to-maintain-longwave-radio-service-to-begin-tomorrow-naughton/

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

What a waste!

AllForIt

Guess the old people didn't die as soon as expected.

whisky_galore

What next, RTE to reinstate the trans Atlantic telegraph cable?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

AllForIt wrote: »

Guess the old people didn't die as soon as expected.

Just how many 'old ' people in this country still listen to longwave? I'd wager it's a minuscule number.

JupiterKid

RTE are a bloated, over unionised colossal waste of money. Increasingly out of date and out of touch.

Apart from news and some current affairs - what are we getting for the licence fee?

[Deleted User]

Srameen wrote: »

Just how many 'old ' people in this country still listen to longwave? I'd wager it's a minuscule number.

I think the problem is in the UK Srameen. Lots of lads went over there in the 60s and 70s, as you know, and are living in flats in Croydon and a Kilburn still listening to Céilí House and Liveline.

People like that don't stream podcasts. I'd find it hard to begrudge them a longwave service that connects them to home.

Genghis

Srameen wrote: »

Just how many 'old ' people in this country still listen to longwave? I'd wager it's a minuscule number.

It's old Irish people in Britain, who can only access RTE this way.

Yes, it's on satellite, internet radio and in some places is / was on DAB but older folk don't use these platforms.

colm_mcm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I think the problem is in the UK Srameen. Lots of lads went over there in the 60s and 70s, as you know, and are living in flats in Croydon and a Kilburn still listening to Céilí House and Liveline.

People like that don't stream podcasts. I'd find it hard to begrudge them a longwave service that connects them to home.

Meh. They’re not paying a licence fee. They could listen to it on satellite if they’re that pushed.

[Deleted User]

colm_mcm wrote: »

Meh. They’re not paying a licence fee. They could listen to it on satellite if they’re that pushed.

Radio doesn't require a licence fee, even in Ireland. They belong to the same community as we do, only they were unlucky enough to be born in the wrong time phase and had to leave.

Frankly I'd rather the (relatively small) investment went into LW than some zany radio project for Abie Philbin Bowman or whoever.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I think the problem is in the UK Srameen. Lots of lads went over there in the 60s and 70s, as you know, and are living in flats in Croydon and a Kilburn still listening to Céilí House and Liveline.

People like that don't stream podcasts. I'd find it hard to begrudge them a longwave service that connects them to home.

I know full well it's pressure from those in the UK. Hence I said 'in this country'.
They pay neither taxes or Licence Fee towards the cost. So, tough. Tune in elsewhere or use other means to get your fix of the old country..