M1 - Junction 18 to 19 - a lot of masts, ideas?
NorwichLad
Going Northbound on the M1, between Junctions 18 and 19 keep your eyes to
the left hand side of the road (well, obviously not if you're driving...)
You'll see, over the spread of about a mile, loads and loads of masts - They
are arranged in groups of about 8 or so (travelling too fast to count
properly). The masts go straight up and have no equipment hanging from them.
There were, what looked like, hundreds of masts. Varying heights.
Any ideas what these might be? Just curious!
Gareth (G1LVN)
news:106053420...@iris.uk.clara.net...
I always thought it was Rugby or was it Droitwich? - Radio Four LongWave plus
60Khz time signal etc etc etc I think??
Also think BT owns the site/service, but not for much longer. Heard that most
will be pulled down in the next year or so, might have been dreaming it though.
--
73 de G1LVN
Gateway details at: www.g1lvn.org.uk
(change "mycallsign" to reply by email)
send spam to ab...@theplanet.net
Steve Terry
Shane
"Gareth (G1LVN)" <gar...@mycallsign.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bh5tj2$gv6$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk...
> I always thought it was Rugby or was it Droitwich? - Radio Four LongWave
plus
> 60Khz time signal etc etc etc I think??
>
> Also think BT owns the site/service, but not for much longer. Heard that
most
> will be pulled down in the next year or so, might have been dreaming it
though.
>
>
> --
> 73 de G1LVN
> Gateway details at: www.g1lvn.org.uk
> (change "mycallsign" to reply by email)
> send spam to ab...@theplanet.net
>
>
Definately Rugby :-)
NorwichLad
"Steve Terry" <g4...@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:hRuZa.8811$Kx1.1...@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net...
> Rugby MSF
> http://www.npl.co.uk/time/msf.html
ahh rugby, i wondered where abouts i was (not very good at reading road
signs!)
> and other BBC Transmitters
looks interesting - i couldnt believe there were so many of them, it's an
amazing sight!
NorwichLad
"Gareth (G1LVN)" <gar...@mycallsign.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bh5tj2$gv6$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk...
> I always thought it was Rugby or was it Droitwich? - Radio Four LongWave
plus
> 60Khz time signal etc etc etc I think??
>
> Also think BT owns the site/service, but not for much longer. Heard that
most
> will be pulled down in the next year or so, might have been dreaming it
though.
interesting - still, - i know nothing about radio, was just surprised to
find so many masts!
Gareth (G1LVN)
PIPs are broadcast on radio freq 60khz and controlled by an atomic clock. Used
by all maner of people to set their clocks - BBC, Computers, Dare I say British
Rail. My Living room wall clock is set to standard time from the 60Khz
transmitter at Rugby (it has a little in built receiver which captures the
"PIP"s)
However, more recently GPS satellites and Internet timesources have become
alternates, so it's days may be numbered.
Next time you pass, put your foot down. You may start to feel your body heating
up if you linger too long under the antennas ;-)
Harry Bloomfield
says...
| There were, what looked like, hundreds of masts. Varying heights.
|
| Any ideas what these might be? Just curious!
|
|
|
Ah, you spotted my antenna farm ;-)
I always took them to be MSF Rugby and/or the 198Khz long wave service.
--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT)...
Remove the 'NOSPAM' in my email address to reply.
Free Amateur Radio Courses:-
http://www.ukradioamateur.org
Mike @ www.sivros.net
>In article <106053420...@iris.uk.clara.net>, use...@periods.info
>says...
> | There were, what looked like, hundreds of masts. Varying heights.
> |
> | Any ideas what these might be? Just curious!
> |
> |
> |
>
>Ah, you spotted my antenna farm ;-)
>
>I always took them to be MSF Rugby and/or the 198Khz long wave service.
198Khz long wave comes from Droitwich which is down
Worcestershire way. The masts are visible from the M5
somewhere around junctions 6 or 7.
If you want to see a *real* antenna, have a look at:-
www.sivros.net/antenna.htm
--
Mike @ www.sivros.net
Ivor Jones
"Harry Bloomfield" <harry.m1...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:MPG.19a09fc14...@news.individual.net...
> In article <106053420...@iris.uk.clara.net>, use...@periods.info
> says...
> | There were, what looked like, hundreds of masts. Varying heights.
> |
> | Any ideas what these might be? Just curious!
> |
> |
> |
>
> Ah, you spotted my antenna farm ;-)
>
> I always took them to be MSF Rugby and/or the 198Khz long wave service.
MSF, amongst other things. 198 kHz long wave comes from Droitwich.
Ivor
David Morgan
news:tu5djvoif6khi151g...@4ax.com...
>
> The 198kHz long wave service in England is a 500KW transmitter located
> near Droitwich. You can see the antenna from the M5. I don't think
> that any BBC transmitters are sited at Rugby.
>
>
Isn't there anything remaining of the BBC antenna farm at Daventry? This
would be around J17(M1).
DM
Simon
being Rugby and the other being Daventry.
Simon
GM6TRS
"Mike @ www.sivros.net" <mi...@sivros.net> wrote in message
news:835djv85tqpp7ordc...@4ax.com...
.
>
> 198Khz long wave comes from Droitwich which is down
> Worcestershire way. The masts are visible from the M5
> somewhere around junctions 6 or 7.
>
Bromsgrove.
martin
Gareth (G1LVN)
the antics of uk.radio amateur.
Subscribe and be dammed ;-)
Airy R Bean
sense of being blocked up.
ITYM, "damned"?
Gareth (G1LVN) <gar...@mycallsign.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bh6p0i$trq$1...@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
Frank Turner-Smith G3VKI
news:3f3750da$1...@mk-nntp-1.news.uk.worldonline.com...
> If they're CB Hobbyists, they're already "dammed" in the
> sense of being blocked up.
>
> ITYM, "damned"?
>
(_!_)
Nick G4FAL
>
> Any ideas what these might be? Just curious!
Spoke to a bloke who works there recently on 2 metres. They have sold the
big collinears to some African nation and they have now gone.
Most of the other towers are open to offers. If you fancy one in your garden
get in touch with them.
Nick G4FAL
jim.gm4dhj
--
Jim GM4DHJ........
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.506 / Virus Database: 303 - Release Date: 8/1/03
David Wood
<gar...@mycallsign.freeserve.co.uk> writes>5.29...@iris.uk.clara.net...
>> I'm cross-posting to these groups as I believe them to be relevant.
>>
>> Going Northbound on the M1, between Junctions 18 and 19 keep your eyes to
>> the left hand side of the road (well, obviously not if you're driving...)
>>
>> You'll see, over the spread of about a mile, loads and loads of masts - They
>> are arranged in groups of about 8 or so (travelling too fast to count
>> properly). The masts go straight up and have no equipment hanging from them.
>>
>> There were, what looked like, hundreds of masts. Varying heights.
>>
>> Any ideas what these might be? Just curious!
>>
>
>I always thought it was Rugby or was it Droitwich? - Radio Four
>LongWave plus 60Khz time signal etc etc etc I think??
>
>Also think BT owns the site/service, but not for much longer. Heard that
>most will be pulled down in the next year or so, might have been
>dreaming it though.
No - you're not dreaming.
The 16kHz service, GBR, that BT ran from Rugby has closed. The Royal
Navy, who were the main customer, have decided they no longer need the
service. It used to be used for morse and, more recently, RTTY (radio
teletype) transmissions, primarily to submarines (that frequency is so
low that it'll penetrate a great deal of water).
According to the GB2RS (RSGB News) broadcast of 30 March 2003, a
consortium are modernising a VLF transmitter site at Anthorn in Cumbria
under the Private Finance Initiative. It sounds as if that site has
taken over from GBR.
On Rugby, the same broadcast said, "It's understood that most of BT's HF
services from Rugby have now ceased, and that the site is likely to
close next year."
The same broadcast on 20 April 2003 reported that GBR closed on 31
March:
As many listeners will now be aware, GBR, the Rugby VLF station
on 16kHz, closed down on the 31st of March. Bob Harrison, G4LMF,
sent us the text of the final transmission. The following
message was sent at 2400UTC on the 31st of March: "VVV DE GBR
VVV DE GBR. After 77 years, three months of almost continuous
operation, the GBR 16kHz service from BT Radio Station Rugby
ceases today. A thank you to our customers, mainly the Royal
Navy, without whom the service would not have been required and
whose co-operation has enabled the service to run so smoothly. A
big thank you must go to all of those who over the years have
been involved in the design, construction, maintenance and
operation of GBR. They can feel very proud of providing a
consistent high level of reliable service and a job well done.
This is the final transmission and GBR will now be shut down for
the last time. DE GBR GBR QRT."
(for those that don't understand the prosigns, VVV is a general call to
all stations - though CQ is used in the Amateur Service, DE is from, GBR
is the callsign of the station, and QRT means closing down).
The closure of GBR leaves a lot of antenna kit that will likely be
removed. Much as some people lament their passing, these installations
require a lot of maintenance to be left standing safely. I believe this
was partly the reason that the "Elephant Cage" (HF direction finding)
array at RAF Chicksands in Bedfordshire was removed; my understanding is
that not only was it obsolete for military purposes, but it was, despite
appearances, largely made of wood and needed significant upkeep.
Quite apart from the likely removal of the GBR antenna, it sounds like a
whole load more is coming down at Rugby as well. The consensus from the
web is that BT is likely to completely vacate the site, probably in
about 18 months' time. Though BT still have the contract for MSF (the
60kHz standard frequency / time signal transmission) until 2007, there's
talk that they're going to move that operation to a new site.
Marine HF (another job of BT Rugby - in fact, I believe the sole BT run
marine HF station now that BT Portishead Radio has closed) is probably
of limited lifespan now with the introduction of GMDSS. I wouldn't be
surprised if Rugby's marine services soon become obsolete. The marine
distress watch on 500kHz using Morse has ceased - though I don't know
the current situation with 2182kHz HF phone.
As others have said, the 198kHz standard frequency and BBC Radio 4 AM
transmission is from Droitwich, Worcestershire. I don't know who the
transmission contractor is for that - but it's almost certainly Crown
Castle International who have all the main BBC transmission contracts.
David
--
David Wood
da...@wood2.org.uk
Nick G4FAL
> Spoke to a bloke who works there recently on 2 metres. They have sold the
> big collinears to some African nation and they have now gone.
>
Nick G4FAL
Gareth (G1LVN)
news:HsQZa.2179$z7.3...@wards.force9.net...
>
> > Spoke to a bloke who works there recently on 2 metres. They have sold the
> > big collinears to some African nation and they have now gone.
> >
> Sorry, they were log-periodics not collinears.
>
vertical collinear would look like - bound to cause havoc with Heathrow,
Gatwick, Luton AND Stansted approaches, probably Schipol too!
Frank Turner-Smith G3VKI
news:5mttgvgi3igbbdtbd...@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 17:08:21 +0100, "jim.gm4dhj"
> <jim.g...@ntlworld.com> pausing to cast envious glances at those who
> had mastered the skill of reading without moving their lips, wrote:
>
> >Magin you going on holiday and missing all the good weather here.......
>
>
> Besides which the Frog riviera has other attractions.
>
> Nick.
Nah, too many bleedin' frogs.
--
;>)
73 de Frank Turner-Smith G3VKI - mine's a pint.
James Salisbury
<lysa...@uk2.net> wrote in message
news:gvucjv4oa5ufhb75v...@4ax.com...
> transmitters used to be time shared between the BT commercial station
> Portishead Radio (GKA) and Whitehall Radio (military broadcasts). They
> are obviously no longer used by GKA as it shut on 31st Dec 1999. I
> don't know if the military still use them.
>
>
The HF station is closed, the VLF is now off the D list, it has been taken
ovey by AN OTHER contractor at AN OTHER site.
only MSF is left.
Gareth (G1LVN)
"Iain Harrison" <nos...@thanks.co.uk> wrote in message
news:6prfjvgre4guak7uc...@4ax.com...
> "Gareth \(G1LVN\)" <gar...@mycallsign.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >Had me going for a bit then, I was trying to imagine what a LF 4 x 5/8 wave
> >vertical collinear would look like - bound to cause havoc with Heathrow,
> >Gatwick, Luton AND Stansted approaches, probably Schipol too!
>
> anything.
Make a nice base jump though.
I'd like to personally invite all subscribers of alt.radio.uk and uk.
telcom.mobile to join uk.radio.amateur. Come on in! - the water's lovely.
Become a Ham in one weekend for only a fiver (including the exam) - see
www.rsgb.org.uk
Gareth (G1LVN)
news:1utfjvg6812od3tgi...@4ax.com...
>
>
> The end of an era.
>
"The only thing constant in this life is change" [1]
"As I was saying..." [2]
#1 - Adolf Hitler, 1939
#2 - 14th Dalai Lama's first words at age of 2, 1937
Who stole my cheese?
Peter
wrote:
>In message <bh5tj2$gv6$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>, "Gareth (G1LVN)"
><gar...@mycallsign.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>>"NorwichLad" <use...@periods.info> wrote in message news:106053420
>>5.29...@iris.uk.clara.net...
>>> I'm cross-posting to these groups as I believe them to be relevant.
>>>
>>> Going Northbound on the M1, between Junctions 18 and 19 keep your eyes to
>>> the left hand side of the road (well, obviously not if you're driving...)
>>>
>>> You'll see, over the spread of about a mile, loads and loads of masts - They
>>> are arranged in groups of about 8 or so (travelling too fast to count
>>> properly). The masts go straight up and have no equipment hanging from them.
>>>
>>> There were, what looked like, hundreds of masts. Varying heights.
>>>
>>> Any ideas what these might be? Just curious!
>>>
>>
>>I always thought it was Rugby or was it Droitwich? - Radio Four
>>LongWave plus 60Khz time signal etc etc etc I think??
>>
>>Also think BT owns the site/service, but not for much longer. Heard that
>>most will be pulled down in the next year or so, might have been
>>dreaming it though.
>
>No - you're not dreaming.
>
>The 16kHz service, GBR, that BT ran from Rugby has closed. The Royal
>Navy, who were the main customer, have decided they no longer need the
>service. It used to be used for morse and, more recently, RTTY (radio
>teletype) transmissions, primarily to submarines (that frequency is so
>low that it'll penetrate a great deal of water).
I thought BT used Criggion Radio Station for ELF transmission to the
RN
--
Cheers
Peter
Remove the INVALID to reply
MattD..
wrote:
> Become a Ham in one weekend for only a fiver (including the exam) - see
> www.rsgb.org.uk
>
What do they do, fly you out to the Andes and crash the plane?
--
MattD..
Gareth (G1LVN)
news:Xns93D4E6EB...@130.133.1.4...
ROTFL
Very good OM, of course this only applies to a charter flights for amateur
football teams. Bring your own meat hook.
Mike @ www.sivros.net
>
>Not quite. Merlin now has control of all VLF/LF/MF/HF facilities in
>this country - civil, broadcast and military.
>
Not quite ............
Merlin isn't Merlin anymore, it's Vosper Thornycroft.
--
Mike @ www.sivros.net
Airy R Bean
because that is where the transmitters were.
<lysa...@uk2.net> wrote in message
news:1utfjvg6812od3tgi...@4ax.com...
> Rugby is not a BT HF station in its own right, it's the transmitter
> section of Portishead Radio (GKA). Portishead was spread over 3 sites,
> control at Highbridge (Somerset), receiver headends at Somerton and
> trasnmitters at Rugby.
Frank Turner-Smith G3VKI
> Why do you think it was called, "Portishead" - yup -
> because that is where the transmitters were.
>
exiled to Chippenham? What a shame, you'll have to build another.
(_!_)
Airy R Bean
J. <nordland37@ hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ohrhjvsqrp5homipc...@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 12 Aug 2003 12:36:19 +0100, "Laurie" <nospam@localhost> wrote:
> Is Birdlip still going?
Frank Turner-Smith G3VKI
news:m75ijvgm3ah7hj4ff...@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 20:07:32 +0100, "Frank Turner-Smith G3VKI"
> <g3...@turner-smith.co.uk> pausing to cast envious glances at those
> who had mastered the skill of reading without moving their lips,
> wrote:
>
> >> Besides which the Frog riviera has other attractions.
>
>
> Nothing quite like lazing on the beach and watching wimmin parade past
> sun-tanning their landscapes.
>
> They were a friendly lot as well... Most days I found myself
> surrounded by a whole bunch of them - I think they were very impressed
> by my horns.
>
> Sometimes there were so many that it ended up with Mrs Nick having to
> drive them away.... I wish I hadn't taken her with me.
>
> Nick.
Surely she couldn't drive ALL of them away. How did she get them all into
your car?
Dave
<luc...@eternal-flames.gov> wrote in message
news:m75ijvgm3ah7hj4ff...@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 20:07:32 +0100, "Frank Turner-Smith G3VKI"
> They were a friendly lot as well... Most days I found myself
> surrounded by a whole bunch of them - I think they were very impressed
> by my horns.
How many horns a day did you have then? ;-)
Mind you, I'm not surprised they were impressed with a good horn. I'm told
that size matters ;-)
Dave
Paul Casey
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/features/rugby/index.asp
"NorwichLad" <use...@periods.info> wrote in message
news:106053420...@iris.uk.clara.net...
Robin Birch
signal one and which one is the VLF comms one (now deactivated)?
Cheers
Robin
In message <bhp3e8$vkq$1...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>, Paul Casey
<pa...@paulcasey.fsnet.co.uk> writes
--
Robin Birch