Select UK's new FM frequency??

[mpx]

I think 0.2 spacing is possible in some instances if there is enough distance between coverage areas.

Low power relays such as Caterham (15W) would only really be an issue if you were close by, they're meant just for the valleys anyway. The frequency could be reused say 5 miles from outside the edge of the coverage area if the topography was in favour.

[bravedaveyboy]

I reckon Croydon FM is going to be on 99.6. They're gearing up to make an announcement soon, according to their social medias, and have dropped some subtle hints about dial location. If my theories are correct this leaves the two other "new" South London FM stations with 90.0 and 94.4 between them. We shall find out soon I suspect...

[famefm]

I don't think so radio 1 is on 99.6 near Brighton I think south London is to close?

[bravedaveyboy]

I was wrong: they've just announced 97.8. Seems awfully close to Radio 1 Guildford, but hey, I guess Ofcom know what they're doing.

[teckniqs]

I don't think so radio 1 is on 99.6 near Brighton I think south London is to close?

It's on 99.7 but it doesn't reach into London very well, but the 40kW on 99.7 from Peterborough does.

[famefm]

I saw that I was wrong by. 1 after I posted it's also on 99.7 in Basingstoke and high Wycombe it's on 99.6 so where I used to live 99.6 was very difficult to hear any pirate but 99.7 was quite clear suprissing really as I was only 30 miles from Basingstoke 99.7 radio 1

[famefm]

I was wrong: they've just announced 97.8. Seems awfully close to Radio 1 Guildford, but hey, I guess Ofcom know what they're doing.

That won't get out very far then. I wonder if divine the pirate station knew about this. I noticed it wasn't on 97.9 recently and why they took 95.1 instead?

[teckniqs]

I saw that I was wrong by. 1 after I posted it's also on 99.7 in Basingstoke and high Wycombe it's on 99.6 so where I used to live 99.6 was very difficult to hear any pirate but 99.7 was quite clear suprissing really as I was only 30 miles from Basingstoke 99.7 radio 1

Basingstoke is TX'ing from south of the town using a directional yagi beaming directly north.

[sproggy]

What's going on with this? Didn't Select win a licence about 2 years ago?

[mpx]

May 2020

[famefm]

It seems to take longer than It used to, to get on the air flex took 14 months i don't understand its only a radio studio to get ready not like a TV station any way I prefer the present station on 99.3 to select anyway

[mpx]

It's more than just sticking a few bits of equipment into a room. There's a lot of paperwork and arranging things, especially Tx sites and broadcast code, you have lots of legal hoops to jump through with site owners and Ofcom. If you can do it in under a year, you're very lucky. And what with covid and the electronic chip shortage there are bound to be delays.

[Albert H]

It seems to take longer than It used to, to get on the air flex took 14 months i don't understand its only a radio studio to get ready not like a TV station any way I prefer the present station on 99.3 to select anyway

We've just done a complete installation of two comprehensive studios, processing, link gear, monitoring and transmission site installation in the Czech Republic - licence issued 23/8/21, on air 11/9/21. The people here are completely clueless bozos.... Or they're just lazy!

[WEBB-TECH]

From the recent form of pirates going legal recently I am sure it's going be another let down I don't think I even care what frequency other than I wonder what ofcom give

I don't know, Select has been acting better than 90% of community stations for years, they could probably change absolutely nothing about their presentation style once they go legal. Hope they keep the station like it is now, it's one of the finest stations (licenced or unlicensed) there is.

Select are a great station. The general quality of DJs and presentation is high. I was always really impressed whenever I listened to Select.

[famefm]

The only thing is they have to put learner djs on as part of the commitments to the licence unlike the dab former pirates like pointblank who haven't changed one bit and as for select still not a launch date yet

[mpx]

We've just done a complete installation of two comprehensive studios, processing, link gear, monitoring and transmission site installation in the Czech Republic - licence issued 23/8/21, on air 11/9/21. The people here are completely clueless bozos.... Or they're just lazy!

Well good for you.

I think it's unfair to be labelling people as "clueless bozos". I would imagine there is considerably less 'red tape' and obstructions to broadcast in the Czech Republic.

[sproggy]

You're obviously involved with Select mpx. Why hasn't there been any update about what's happening with the launch? Select are getting left behind with all the dab start-ups. How many listeners will remember to retune from Pointblank/Release/THC/BKR/Shine if and when they do eventually get back on air?

Looking like it would've been better to go dab too instead of all this faff and expense for a low powered FM licence.

[WEBB-TECH]

I'm such a geek!

Nothing wrong with that!

[WEBB-TECH]

It's more than just sticking a few bits of equipment into a room. There's a lot of paperwork and arranging things, especially Tx sites and broadcast code, you have lots of legal hoops to jump through with site owners and Ofcom. If you can do it in under a year, you're very lucky. And what with covid and the electronic chip shortage there are bound to be delays.

That chip shortage has been an absolute fucker. I work in IT and its caused a few issues especially with pricing...

[Albert H]

We've just done a complete installation of two comprehensive studios, processing, link gear, monitoring and transmission site installation in the Czech Republic - licence issued 23/8/21, on air 11/9/21. The people here are completely clueless bozos.... Or they're just lazy!

Well good for you.

I think it's unfair to be labelling people as "clueless bozos". I would imagine there is considerably less 'red tape' and obstructions to broadcast in the Czech Republic.

The fastest we've managed in the UK - from issue of licence to launch day - was just over 3 months. The "red tape" is trivial (and certainly nothing compared to some parts of the EU).

The only thing that takes much time is getting the inspections done by OFCOM's "engineers":

They're truly clueless bozos, and just go around ticking boxes on their hugely complicated inspection forms. I remember one of the "issues" they complained about was that there wasn't a water Fire Extinguisher in the studio. I asked what kind of fires were likely in a studio, and I pointed out that there were three CO2 extinguishers in there. They muttered some nonsense about "regulations".

They couldn't understand how we could add an extra data subcarrier to the multiplex to return transmission site data and alarms (standard practice in most of the world).

They also had no idea about feedlines and antennas, and had never seen a ⅝ over ⅞ vertical colinear groundplane before. They couldn't fathom that the antenna would provide omnidirectional gain at the expense of upward and downward radiation.... They measured the output power of the main and reserve transmitters into an out-of-calibration Bird Thruline with an uncalibrated load on the end. Their frequency counter was out by >1500Hz - my off-air referenced counter showed that the rigs were both within 100Hz of their specified frequency. They hadn't got a sampling probe for their spectrum analyser with them.....

In the end, they took photographs of all the measurements from MY test gear, and attached printouts of the photos to the back of their forms. Effectively I certified the system myself - then they had the temerity to present me with a bill for their "inspection"!!!

It took a month to get them out to site, and they suggested that they were "doing me a favour" - as if this was outside their usual remit!