The closing down of am transmitters
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2023 2:52 pm
Greatest hits closing down their am transmitters, it was not long after Absolute announced they were closing down, it is something that has happened quite quickly. I’ve noticed it on the greatest hits 1530 transmitter over the past day they are relaying a short message saying that it is nolonger avaible, absolute have also started, which is a much stronger transmitter on 1215, the message was alot longer more crytic, “there are a number of reasons why were making the changes” they didn’t say why. The 1530 went off, there was a kind of atmospheric noise on the frequency, it is quite sad it wasn’t something I listened to, there was one I found on 1278, it went quiet too, i’m guessing they must be near the Leeds area, they were telling people to retune to 96.3. 1305 and 990 which are to the south are still playing gta, I think it might be staying around there for a little longer. I think this is the last migatation from am to fm, most am stations moved from am years ago.
Its sort of weird the 1530 signal listening to on car radio a mile away, the fact it would tune to it in 1khz steps sound clear was something I admired, was something that made me interested made me go out and get my own am transmitter. I started with 0.1w transmitter, I found it didn’t go far at all, then I got 4w with the wire aerial I found I could get a signal now and again weakly, I ran at 12v because of the annoying fan so it would be more like 3w. I was able to improve it abit hear abit farer away by n loading using the mains as the aerial, I was never alble to get the same clarity. Now the 1530 signal has gone i’ve considered moving it further up the band I don’t think it will make a difference, it would funny to have in on the same frequency, I don’t suppose anyone would have their radio still tuned to it, it is nice to hear something. Last night I heard something coming throught on the frequency, which sounded english from another part of the country it had the judders, dosen’t seem like anything interesting will come throught. I suppose most of these signals come in at night are intemient in nature, when I started testing with the little 4w I thought I had a clear frequency, then other stations seemed to jump on the frequency, I thought it might bounce off the skywave at night but then I realized the powers other stations are using!. I’ve also considered having the am/fm going at the same time, trying to listen to the am signal on a pocket radio a mile away might be asking a lot, my fm 1w I can hear clearly, I may have to move for a ramadan station.
I think Absolute and greatest hits are owned by the same company, its quite interesting, gta has got lots of transmitters going on fm which are the old local radio transmitters, with it been a kind of national network by the back door, here 3 transmitters come in at the same strenght, heart and capital come from Emley are much stronger, I suppose its too late to go rejiging the band. I think greatest hits don’t have as many transmitters to the south, I don’t think there was any local radio station in Sheffield, there maybe a problem with fm coverage there, maybe why the mw transmitters are been kept on, they have a anorak quailtiy here, it is again interesting they seem to be interested in fm coverage when other stations are not. There are afew commercial stations around viking, pulse, they seem to get a bad rep, I don’t know how long they’ll beable to keep going. The frequencies aren’t there to have absolute as national station on fm, they converted the absolute fm transmitter in London to greatest hits, to bring inline with the rest of the transmitters, like with the individual local radio stations having one fm transmitter going is not viable.
Virgin/absolute are not on fm anywhere, I read virgin wanted to close the am transmitters afew years ago when it was still virgin on mw, virgin are quoted as been the most sucessful, maybe themselfs saying that, they don’t broadcast an anlogue signal, it is food for thought. It is sad even thought they weren’t too my taste, its the idea signals you thought would be around forever won’t be there anymore, like after the bildsdale fire i’m nothing hearing any interesting on the old frequencies.
Its sort of weird the 1530 signal listening to on car radio a mile away, the fact it would tune to it in 1khz steps sound clear was something I admired, was something that made me interested made me go out and get my own am transmitter. I started with 0.1w transmitter, I found it didn’t go far at all, then I got 4w with the wire aerial I found I could get a signal now and again weakly, I ran at 12v because of the annoying fan so it would be more like 3w. I was able to improve it abit hear abit farer away by n loading using the mains as the aerial, I was never alble to get the same clarity. Now the 1530 signal has gone i’ve considered moving it further up the band I don’t think it will make a difference, it would funny to have in on the same frequency, I don’t suppose anyone would have their radio still tuned to it, it is nice to hear something. Last night I heard something coming throught on the frequency, which sounded english from another part of the country it had the judders, dosen’t seem like anything interesting will come throught. I suppose most of these signals come in at night are intemient in nature, when I started testing with the little 4w I thought I had a clear frequency, then other stations seemed to jump on the frequency, I thought it might bounce off the skywave at night but then I realized the powers other stations are using!. I’ve also considered having the am/fm going at the same time, trying to listen to the am signal on a pocket radio a mile away might be asking a lot, my fm 1w I can hear clearly, I may have to move for a ramadan station.
I think Absolute and greatest hits are owned by the same company, its quite interesting, gta has got lots of transmitters going on fm which are the old local radio transmitters, with it been a kind of national network by the back door, here 3 transmitters come in at the same strenght, heart and capital come from Emley are much stronger, I suppose its too late to go rejiging the band. I think greatest hits don’t have as many transmitters to the south, I don’t think there was any local radio station in Sheffield, there maybe a problem with fm coverage there, maybe why the mw transmitters are been kept on, they have a anorak quailtiy here, it is again interesting they seem to be interested in fm coverage when other stations are not. There are afew commercial stations around viking, pulse, they seem to get a bad rep, I don’t know how long they’ll beable to keep going. The frequencies aren’t there to have absolute as national station on fm, they converted the absolute fm transmitter in London to greatest hits, to bring inline with the rest of the transmitters, like with the individual local radio stations having one fm transmitter going is not viable.
Virgin/absolute are not on fm anywhere, I read virgin wanted to close the am transmitters afew years ago when it was still virgin on mw, virgin are quoted as been the most sucessful, maybe themselfs saying that, they don’t broadcast an anlogue signal, it is food for thought. It is sad even thought they weren’t too my taste, its the idea signals you thought would be around forever won’t be there anymore, like after the bildsdale fire i’m nothing hearing any interesting on the old frequencies.