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THE
MDS975 'BLOG' PAGE Welcome to the blog page. Blog is a silly word isn't it, but it's short for weblog and this weblog will be used at a repository for various thoughts. I often think that I have a good topic that might deserve its own web page, however after creating a topic specific web page it does tend to follow that the page should then be updated on a fairly regular basis, which is somewhat time consuming - so then I shelve the idea. Other topics are just little thoughts that I'd like to jot down, but don't deserve a full blown page of their own, so setting up a 'blog' page seemed like a good answer to both problems. Each entry will be dated and relate to the time it was written but will not need to be updated. So here we are, a page that might range from mere ramblings, or complaints, or irritations and mutterings, to blow-off-steam rants or perhaps just a passing comment, maybe some website news or an update or a simple 'diary entry'! Maybe nobody will read it, but it will make me feel better! AN APPEAL - For Vintage Audio Recordings & Information from BRMB Radio and Mercia Sound Can You Help Us? We are looking for vintage audio recordings and any other interesting material and articles from BRMB Radio from the 1970's and 1980's and Mercia Sound from the 1980's. These may be in the form of audio compact cassettes or digital files such as mp3, wave or wma files, photographs, news cuttings, pdf files and word documents etc. We would be EXTREMELY grateful if you could send them to us here at MDS975. Please get in touch via our contact page > We are also seeking any programmes by Erskine T, who broadcast on Saturdays on BRMB and recordings of the Jasper Carrott parody "Radio Acocks Green" from the 1970's on BRMB - if YOU have any recordings please do contact us THANK YOU! THANK YOU FOR ANY
AUDIO & OTHER MATERIAL THAT YOU CAN OFFER
FROM MERCIA SOUND and BRMB in the 1970's and 1980's *sticky* 12/11/09 ^top of page News Reviews of 1990 and 1991 Everything Changes...... Everything Stays The Same. We have just added the IRN News Reviews of 1990 and 1991 to the Airwaves page and the BRMB Review of 1991 to the BRMB Audio page. The BRMB recording starts with the station's usual news bulletin which includes reports of the war in the Middle East, bankers under fire and Britain in recession. It all sounds very familiar as we sit here in 2009. Have a listen! Extreme Radio Interference caused by "PLT" - Powerline Ethernet Adapters A 'new technology' that is proven to be very harmful to the radio spectrum by causing very severe radio interference is being widely promoted - despite NOT complying with accepted technical standards known as Electromagnetic Compatibility. So called PLT HomePlug adapters provided by British Telecom (Comtrend) and also pushed by computer suppliers (such as PC World, Maplin and other electrical and computer retailers) not only cause terrible radio interference but are also quite unnecessary: a better and more reliable PLEASE Help save world band radio from "PLT" - If you are thinking of buying Powerline Ethernet Devices then please reconsider. Using a simple, cheap, network cable is probably far more reliable and is also FAR GREENER since it consumes no additional energy - unlike a PLT adapter which will invariably be left powered up continually therefore wasting expensive electricity, energy and adding to the carbon footprint. Known as "Home Plug" these devices emit Harmful radio Interference. Do you really want to live in an Electromagnetic Field for 24 hrs a day ? The truth is our government,
law makers, nor Ofcom as the regulator can take the necessary steps to
protect against this harmful electromagnetic pollution due to such
power being handed to Brussels and the E.U. Commission.
Find out more the meddling E.U. bureaucrats and this terrible state of affairs here >> This matter is considered so serious that the Radio Socitey of Britain is finding it necessary to take the matter to law. More here >> 09/11/09 ^top of page
John Russell 1938 to 2009 I was extremely saddened to learn today that John Russell, the first pioneering programme director of BRMB Radio in 1974, died at his home in Cyprus on 6th October 2009. John was generous enough to contribute the article The Inside Story Of BRMB Radio to our radio pages. You can read John's inside story here. Our thoughts are with John's family at this distressing time. 21/10/09 ^top of page
Top Band Aerial - For amateur radio enthusiasts looking for a compact aerial for Top Band here's my latest project that may help: 19/10/09 ^top of page
Out and About - Going Portable! An Inspiration To All Enthusiasts. See Diana Eng's great video presentation here:  14/10/09 ^top of page
FM Radio Switch Off - Radio fans are up in arms about government proposals to switch off FM radio nationally across Britain by 2015. This will mean that favourite stations and programmes such as Radio Two, Radio Four, Classic FM and The Archers will no longer be receivable on familiar analogue radios found in all cars, clock radios, portable radios, hi-fi systems and the radio on the kitchen window shelf. Instead the government want to force listeners to change to digital radio - even though we know that DAB offers very poor sound quality compared to FM (due to DAB's low 'bit rates') - so we'll be forced to listen to favourite national stations at lower sound quality and with the drop-outs, burbling and the sounds of 'boiling mud' so frustrating on DAB radio. Justin Smith, a radio and television expert of ATV, thinks the plan to shut down all national FM radio stations and replace the services with a vastly inferior service in the form of DAB radio is very ill advised and has highlighted some campaigns against the plan: Sign The Downing Street petition : http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/AM-FM-Radio/ Save FM campaign : http://www.savefm.org/ And Digitalradiotech`s : http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/2009/06/2015_fm_switch_off_date_is_a_lie.php http://www.aerialsandtv.com/ 07/10/09 ^top of page Spiders - Don't harm spiders. Spiders are our friends. Spiders catch many flies and other flying bugs that tend to irritate us! Some of us may be inflicted with entirely irrational fears about common spiders - in the UK they are not going to harm us - so don't harm them. Simply use a piece of card or stiff paper and a small beaker or tumbler to catch them safely and put them back outside into the garden. Why are humans so arrogant that they find nothing wrong in killing other livings being just because they don't like it or other petty whim? Maybe one day something larger than us will come along, decide that it doesn't like humans for whatever reason, and stamp us out! (Maybe that's the best thing that could happen to the planet?) You would not like it! So - don't kill spiders, they are our friends! Here endeth the lesson.
27/09/09 ^top of page Perfection
- I was reminded of this by The Reverend George Dobbs, published in
Practical Wireless Magazine:
27/09/09 ^top of page"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." [Antoine de Saint Exupery] Etiquette - For those interested in amateur radio and have not stumbled across this document as yet it is worth a read: The RSGB's document 'Ethics and operating procedure for the radio amateur' can be downloaded from the link below: http://www.rsgb.org/operating/procedures/ethics_and_operating.pdf 31/07/09 ^top of page Tipis - (Teepees) An article on BBC Midlands Today (local television news programme) showed an unusual holiday where the vacationers canoed along a river valley in Herefordshire to a hidden destination in a picturesque meadow where they would spend their break in a tipi. No modern conveniences and all quite basic; washing was accomplished in the river and cooking done on a camp fire. All natural, ethical and carbon neutral. If we don't fancy such a life just yet, then maybe it's just around the corner. In a few years time, with economic slump, Gordon Brown's excruciating financial debt, impossible taxes, the exhaustion of the planet's natural resources, minerals, metals, coal and oil, global warming and climate change perhaps the remaining survivors will, once again, be living off the land in tipis! http://www.bbc.co.uk/midlandstoday/ http://www.garwaytipi.co.uk/index.html http://www.woodlandtipis.co.uk/ http://yurtsandtipis.co.uk/ 22/07/09 ^top of page
Averages - The representative from Motley Fool, joining lovely Aasmah Mir and the magnificent Peter Allen on the BBC's Five Live Drive, brought the radio audience the news that, on average, British citizens were £12 per week better off due to lower interest rates and the consequential lower mortgage repayments, somewhat lower food and fuel prices. He also conceded that some people found averages a difficult concept to appreciate. He continued with an amusing explanation: "If you put your head in the fridge and your feet in the oven, on average you will be at the correct temperature." If only explanations on averages, and other mathematical subjects, had been expressed in similar terms at school. Brilliant! BBC Radio 5 Live - 24 hour news and sport 5 Live Drive - drive time news, discussion and sport Motley Fool - money investment advice 22/07/09 ^top of page
Felix Scerri's Blog - Regular MDS975 correspondent and contributor Felix Scerri - our amateur radio and hi-fi audio enthusiast - now has a new blog page on the Vinyl Engine. Always worth a read and inward digestion, Felix Scerri's blog can be found here: http://www.vinylengine.com/blogs/felixscerri Have a look! 21/07/09 ^top of page
Astro Hosts - On the subject of excellent service, Mike Brown of Astro Hosts (and MB21) has done me proud yet again. Mike sorted out the hosting for this website along with plenty of sound advice along the way. Just recently I needed to sort out the management of another domain and was not sure what to do, so once again I turned to Mike at Astro Hosts. He knew exactly the right course of action and immediately came to my assistance! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Thank you. 21/07/09 ^top of page
Super Service - Isn't it wonderful when one receives truly excellent. On such an occasion it really is worth writing home about. So I will. As a licensed radio amateur I use a piece of equipment called an antenna tuning unit, commonly referred to as an ATU. One of the ATU's that I use is an MFJ-989C. It has a mechanical revolutions counter that measures the number of turns that the inductor control knob rotates. This counter is needed so that adjustments can be noted down and repeated. The counter is very much like the counter that you'd have found on a hi-fi cassette deck many yeas ago in the 1980's. The counter is coupled to the control shaft by a rubber drive belt which had stretched and was therefore slipping so that the number of turns being recorded was inaccurate and not repeatable. It needed to be replaced. I could not find a replacement locally or on the MFJ website, so I contacted the MFJ Enterprises spares department in the USA. Richard Stubbs replied and after confirming that the spare was not available on the website he offered to send me one in the post - free of charge! I considered this to be excellent service since MFJ were under no obligation whatsoever to do this since the 989C was way out of warranty. MFJ Amateur Radio Equipment: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/  20/07/09 ^top of page Isle Of Man - In June we went to the Isle of Man, just for three days, but we had a wonderful time and enjoyed some nice weather. We flew with FlyBe who were excellent, on a Bombardier (DeHaviland) Q400 dash 8 aeroplane, landing at Ronaldsway airport on the island. You can see some of our photographs in The Gallery June 2009 ^top of page You can see some of our wedding photographs and honeymoon photographs in our photo Gallery.  June 2009 ^top of page
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