FEEDBACK PAGE 2, Letters and Comments

FEEDBACK - Page 2
This page brings you a selection of comments made by visitors to MDS975.co.uk via our Contact page. We thank you very much for taking the trouble to get in touch, we really enjoy reading all of your comments:

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Hi, I`m hoping you might be able to answer a query. Would it have been possible to receive BBC radio broadcasts in the Hebrides (more particularly, the Isle of Skye) in 1938. I`m completely in the dark about this, yet I need to know. If you can help me out I`d be very grateful.

Best wishes, Roger Hubank
(January 2009)

Hi Roger,

Thanks for your email. I am fairly certain that the Isle Of Skye would have had no official medium wave coverage. The same situation exists today. There are no medium wave transmitters that provide daylight 'ground wave' coverage for Skye. Burghead and Westerglen, the nearest MF transmitter sites, do not provide a service area for Skye.

With a very good sensitive radio and / or a large aerial reception *may* be possible, but the signal strength would fall well below an acceptable minimum. The radios of the 1930's were almost certainly not as sensitive as some of the sets we have available today.

Here is a map, on MB21, from the 1960's. It happens to show the Burghead and Westerglen service areas: BBC Home Service coverage in the 1960's

The situation was likely to be quite different at night, as the D layer dissipates and stops absorbing medium wave signals, these signals are then allowed t travel further up to the F Layer which will reflect them back down to earth. These 'sky wave' signals will be heard much further away from the transmitter than the daylight ground wave and would most likely allow reception of BBC radio on Skye during dusk to dawn. This is the reason why we can receive continental European radio stations at nigh very well all over the UK.

I hope that helps. Cheers, Mike.

Hi Mike, I'm thinking about getting my Mum a digital radio for Christmas and wondered if you could help me with a query before I purchase? My Mum lives in Helston, Cornwall and listens to Radio Devon a lot. Would you be able to advise if she would be able to pick up Radio Devon from her house?
Thanks, Cath. (December 2008)

Hi Cath,

Many thanks for your email.

The short answer is "No". Sorry.

She should be able to receive BBC Radio Cornwall, Pirate FM, and Atlantic FM because they are the local stations for Cornwall.

There will be other stations available too; the usual BBC national stations (1,2,3,4,5) plus additional BBC digital stations like World Service, 6 Music and BBC Radio 7. Additionally there will be Classic FM, Absolute Radio, Talk Sport and some other commercial stations such as Chill and Kiss, available on DAB.

For The long answer please see here>>

Hi, What a great site, I wish I had more time today to spend on it but I WILL return next week. I now feel I am back in the radio world after tooooo long a break.
See You All Soon.

Regards, David C Powell
(August 2008)

Hi Mike,

I stumbled across your web site whilst searching for a HAC 1 Radio. Many years ago, my dad built me a HAC radio, (it was the one with a single valve, multiple, interchangeable, green “Denco” coils and three capacitors on an aluminium frame. With an impressive array of aerials running up and down the garden, we listened to Czechoslovakia being invaded by the Russians, Radio Moscow, American stations and even something that sounded like it was Moroccan. Unhappily, my mother threw it away when they moved house.

I would very much like to commission someone to build me another radio on the same lines and wondered whether you knew anyone who might be interested in taking on that sort of job. I appreciate that it will not be possible to make an exact copy as the parts are no longer manufactured. I want something that will receive 2 to 200 meters with a regen circuit and a power circuit able to convert either 110 or 240 volts to whatever dc voltage required to power the radio.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in building me something on these lines, could you let them have my email so that we can discus the finer details and price.

Kind regards, Steve
(August 2008)

Hi Steve,

I don't really know of anyone who'd build one of these sets on a commercial basis. However it is probably simplest and better to power the set by a simple 9 Volt PP3 battery which will last a long time since the power consumption is very small.

The HAC circuit is very simple, the most time consuming part is winding the coils, but with a little patience it is perfectly possible. Anyone with some experience of electronic circuit construction would be able to solder it all together.

If you do it yourself the whole thing becomes far more rewarding. Don't expect to do it all in a few hours though. It's best to allocate a few weekends and take your time to produce a nice finished article.

I hope that helps.

Hi, I really enjoyed looking at your website, found the link on CBR [Member name Robin1]. Good to see you are into radios and cats, two of my hobbies! Trying to keep them under control can be hard. We have 3 normal moggies, Oscar, Numpty and Scruffy, we had Benson who passed away on Christmas day and seeing your website brought a small tear to my eye.

Radio page is very cool too. I will be back. Very much of it is very cool so keep up the good work mate and I might catch you on the bands!!!

Regards,

Robin MM3SRF
(August 2008)

Hi Mike,

It's amazing that in both of our countries, broadcasting deregulation took place in 1996 (I know you had mentioned an earlier U.K. act in 1990 as well). Just to give you an idea of what radio in the U.S. is like in 2008:

Most A.M. stations (our term for M.W. as we have no longwave broadcast band here) broadcast brokered programs. This means the person or group that can cough up the prices gets an hour of airtime or however much they're buying. This has resulted in some of the worst broadcasting to be found. For example: 990/WALE-Greenville, R.I. (in the Providence market) was brokered from 1989-2003. It aired National Dissident Voices, a neo-Nazi program every Saturday afternoon which was preceded by a show about conspiracy theories. Then there were the technical issues. As required by law to avoid interference, most A.M. stations have to lower power, change antenna pattern, or cease broadcasting @ night. WALE took it upon themselves to flatly disregard this regulation & continue to broadcast @ high power (50kW- the U.S. maximum) during portions of the night. Their sister station, KFNX/1100-Phoenix, Arizona was finally caught by the F.C.C. for doing this & fined $4,000. I worked @ WALE for 5 months in 2002, during which we were told that if the F.C.C. ever showed up to tell them we're going to get a manager then get in our cars & leave.

We have 2 satellite networks devoted to conspiracy theories! There is a show on station WARL/1320 currently which airs weekdays from Noon-2 called "Daniel Chapter 1 Healthwatch" which slights traditional doctors who have had many years of training as, collectively, "Dr. Dum-Dum." Yet, buy their products because they're apparently described in the Bible. Not only that but they refer to the Food & Drug Administration as being in league with no less than the devil itself! Constant references to the "satanic F.D.A." are not uncommon! This show is on a nationwide satellite network! It is their cornerstone program! A.M. radio hasn't been this bad since the 1920s! I'm afraid it will get worse still! Now the F.M. dial is becoming infected with the same affliction. Longtime classical stalwart WCRB/102.5-Waltham, Massachusetts (Boston market) was paid to move from its full-market class B (50kW @ 150m) signal to an inferior class B about 30 miles north of Boston to be replaced by a Country station. Supposedly refined Boston now has a full-market Country station but its classical station is shoved into the fringes.

Music rotation is bland, jocks aren't allowed to be personalities, there are too many commercials & the mega-owners now realize that they've bitten off more than they can chew. Now we're going to get smaller groups but run the same way. Even our local Class C A.M.s (1kW max on 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 & 1490, akin to your 1485, 1584 & 1602) aren't "local" anymore, mostly.

To highlight a good station, WOON/1240-Woonsocket, R.I. is still the same local broadcaster it started out as in 1946. Its owner has been the morning man since 1978, it has the longest running discussion program in America, it is still widely listened to & even though it does broker out some hours, the owner makes sure they're of a high quality. He's told churches that aired on his station that if they bad-mouth another church that they're gone & he's done that. There aren't any colon-cleansing infomercials on his station. To top it off, his direct competition, WNRI/1380, has to step up its game in order to remain competitive, as I'm sure they'd love nothing more than to flip on the satellite (air satellite programs).

U.S. radio is quickly becoming not only a shell of its former self, but a grand wasteland. I fear for other countries that follow suit.

Jay Rogers
N1WVQ/V31VQ/WQBI410
(March 2008)

Thank you for your interesting insight into radio in the US. It's sad that everything, it seems, is being so dumbed down. Even the BBC is becoming dumber by the day here. Not as bad as commercial radio yet - but they really do seem to be trying for lowest common denominator these days. Oh dear.

Hi Mike, Great site, thanks for the info on the AKD target HF3 receiver. Keep up the good work.
Regards
Rex
(March 2008)

Hi Mike,

Great site! Always interesting to see stuff on the web to do with West Mids radio stations.

Just been reading the stuff you have on pirate radio stations, especially EST. Interesting, because I am helping out a friend of mine with a site that is a tribute to old West Mids pirates, including EST. It is here: http://www.thepiratearchive.net/

If you look around the site you may see something that will bring back a few memories for you, and if you have any old material such as tapes etc, I am sure my mate would be most grateful.

All the best,

Matt.

(February 2008)

Hi, Thank you for your Radio History and in particular for providing Martin Watkins’s detailed spreadsheet of AM frequencies. It enabled me to date a Defiant wireless bought recently at a boot fair to between Sep 1937and Feb 1938. Isn’t the internet wonderful!?

Alastair
(February 2008)

HI Mike and Julie, Your web site is the best I have seen ......

Mike
New Jersey, USA
(February 2008)

Thanks Mike. You are too kind!

My wife just asked me to play "99 RED BALLOONS" . I already had it on the computer and I fired it up nice and loud.

At the same time, I googled for the lyrics to the song. I was stunned. I was somewhat shocked to think of the "happy pop song" I loved to hear as a kid was not actually so "happy"

Thank You so much for posting the information you folks had about the song (especially the German translation)

This song has more meaning to me now. I can hear it in two different ways depending on what mood I'm in. I can also educate some ignorant people of what this song is about. Hopefully they won't take the "fun" out of it, but I would hope they would also allow themselves to think a bit deeper and realize what this song was about.

Carlo Karges (a name of which I never knew before now) wrote a wonderful song. I don't know if he wanted a bunch of Americans dancing to it in nightclubs, but I hope he would be thankful there are people like me that take the time to find "the real story"

Sincerely

Frank Boston

Tulsa, Oklahoma U.S.A.
(January 2008)

Thanks Frank. 99 Red Balloons is certainly one of my favourites. More here >

Hi

I just got around to digging out my old tape of the 1982 Central documentary about the creation of Radio Wyvern, I've put it here:

http://www.esnips.com/web/dave-davesStuff/wyvern.flv

to watch online or download (it's about 80meg)

Mr Murfin is in fine form and the 'Meat Safe' at the Nell Gwynn Theatre (which eventually ended up in the Barbourne Terrace newsroom) that you mention on your site is featured.

If you've not seen it it's a very interesting piece of local radio history.

Regards

Dave Webb (Sports presenter, Sunshine Radio network)
(December 2007)

Dear Mike and Julie,

Big thanks for Your page: http://www.mds975.co.uk

I hope it will be on-line for ever!

Greetings from Lithuania!

Tadas
(December 2007)

Thanks so much!

Hi, I am new to the radio scene [apart from some use with a mobile radio in my minicab some years back and also some CB back in the 80's] and having come across your brilliantly informative site wondered if you could help.

I have just moved near to an RAF station so wondered what sort of radio I need to pick up air & station traffic ....and maybe boats too as near the sea also?

I bought a cheap multiband radio and while it picked up some distant commercial traffic it didnt pick up anything from all the aircraft movements surrounding me at the time so I guessed I wasnt on their wavelength!

By the way I have found a viewing position within 500 yards of the control tower so distance shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Phil

(November 2007)

Hi Phil,

Thanks for your kind words.

Military aircraft use frequencies all across the HF (shortwave) band from around 2.2 MHz right up to 29 MHz. The mode of transmission will be Single Side Band (USB or LSB).

You may also find transmissions at around 36 MHz, 39 MHz, 51 MHz and 71 Mhz.

VHF transmissions will be found from117 MHz to 156 MHz. The mode of transmission will likely be narrow band fm (nbfm).

You will either need separate HF and VHF radios or a wide band receiver that covers both HF andVHF. The disadvantage of a wide band receiver is that it could be more expensive than buying a separate HF radio and a VHF/UHF scanner and unless you pay a good deal of money, the performance of wideband receivers can be compromised compared to using a dedicated HF radio and a dedicated VHF receiver.

A typical HF radio will cover from 100 kHz to 30 Mhz. e.g. The Palstar R30. An HF radio would need to have continuous tuning (VFO) and the ability to tune to both AM and SSB (LSB and USB) modes of transmission.

A typical scanner would cover from 25 Mhz to 512 MHz, or 25 to 1300 MHz or even 25 to 2000 MHz. Scanners tend not to have continuous tuning, and tune in frequency steps (jumps) of 5 kHz, 12.5 kHz 25 kHz and 50 kHz, for example. Many commercial aircraft transmissions now use channels that are space 8.33 kHz apart - and many scanner sdo not have 8.33 Khz steps, so watch out for that. You therefore need to pay attention to whether the tuning steps of the scanner that you are interested in will match the actual frequencies of the transmissions that you are interested in.

An example of a wideband receiver is the Icom IC-R8500. This is a high quality communications receiver that has high resolution 0.01 kHz (10 Hz) tuning steps. It covers the entire frequency range from 100 kHz to 2000 MHz (2 GHz). It is extremely expensive though.

You will need proper antennas for both types or reception. A long wire with ATU should suffice for HF (shortwave) frequencies wile a dipole antenna tuned for around 135 MHz should do the job for the VHF band. Alternatively you could use a 'scanstick' or 'discone' for wide-band scanner use, these antennas will cover from about 30 MHz to 1000 MHz.

The antennas are extremely important - as, if not more important than the radio in fact. There's no point buying such sophisticated radios if the antenna is compromised, so get the biggest and best antenna that you can. Even the best and most expensive radio will not receive properly if it has a less than excellent aerial!

When you have decided on your budget it is best to talk to a specialist retailer who will be able to guide you towards the most appropriate aerials and receivers.

e.g. http://www.coastalcomms.org.uk/Scanners.htm

http://www.wsplc.com/

Scanner Frequency Chart: http://www.radios-uk.com/scanners/frequencies.htm

Hope that helps.

Cheers and happy listening.

Mike

Many thanks for both replies, that gives me heaps to go through and will obviously have to start looking for a decent scanner/receiver.

I am an electronics engineer so maybe there are kits or plans out there to build your own and serve two hobbies at the same time.

Appreciate your most valuable knowledge and time.

Thanks again.

Phil

(Re: Technics SL1200 MKII article)

I have to say I hate you. Not because I hate you, but because you`re absolutely right, which has really spoilt my day.

I have a mate who is very musical, plays all sorts of instruments and was (was !!) completely mesmorized by what I have done with vinyl over the last 20 years and recently CDs. I had two things to do this Christmas (and I`m not religious). One was to pass on my 1210`s to him, the other was to upgrade them for myself. So, not only have you completely ruined my own Christmas, but you`ve ruined his as well!

This will involve a lot of cleaning at my house as he presently doesn`t have a decent deck and I can`t stand hearing the rubbish that comes out of his.

I do 'DJ', but it is 40 year old jazz, RnB, soul, dub, reggae, etc; you get the idea: He plays punk and all previously mentioned with the onus on ska (an all encompassing genre at certain stages of illubriation). We are both now married with children and live in Macau. We moved here from Hong Kong, having grown up in Woolwich / Glasgow respectively. Every now and then we go to Hong Kong (an hour on ferry) to search for vinyl and trundle down Sham Shui Po market, an electrical, hi-fi and tradesman tools market.

This is our release from the daily pressures of family life, music, technology and general "BS" that you get on this side of the world, which we do probably every 3 months.

I had given him a vestax mixer, pioneer cdj decks, an old amp, etc, etc. And was looking forward to passing on the 1210`s as he can (musically) do a lot with them.

So, I got on the internet, and low and behold, you tell me what I knew all along anyway, but had been trying to find a reasonable excuse to get around. (i.e. the SL1200's are the best there is! ed)

I think I`ll buy him a broom instead. And if he asks why, I`ll pass on your address.

All the best, you`ve convinced me !! and I haven't found anything better to date.

You`re right (and you have my full permission to publish this). Happy Christmas.

Cheers,

Jamie & Luke
(November 2007)

Funny! :-)

Hold on to those Technics 1210's!!!!

They are gems!

Thanks for having so much information packed into so few pages!

Something that I didn't see, but I'm sure you've got, is a TRF longwave receiver. I'm on the Pacific Coast in Washington State, and rumor has it that some of the Russian lf transmitters can be heard from here.

If you've got one on your site, please direct me to a TRF longwave set.

73

Gordon Cooper
Bremerton, WA USA
(November 2007)

Thanks for your kind words Gordon!

Mike;
Neat stuff you have gathered there... I recently bought a Palstar R30 over here on this side of the pond and understand it is / was also marketed as a Lowe 350. Paul, The Palstar engineer here has been a great guy to deal with. I love the radio.
Thanks
Bill Beamon KD4FNC
(November 2007)

Thanks you very much Bill

Hi Julie and Mike,

Greetings from Rural Western Australia. Love your pages. As a kid during WW11, together with my brother we made crystal radios. One of our problems was getting a crystal and a holder as they were expensive, maybe a shilling I cant remember so we resorted to other means. One such radio utilised a Blue Gillette razor blade, as the crystal and a small safety pin as the detector, both of these could be "pinched" from Mum and Dad. Do you have any information on this adaptation? Not sure why Blue maybe they were just available at the time.

At the time we lived at a little town called Torquay, it's right on the bottom of Australia in Victoria and the authorities had decided that the Japanese would invade through here. The Japanese were obviously in very bad need of map reading and navigation skills. Anyway along a 100 meter section of the beach, which was a couple of Km long they built a number of large concrete Tank Traps as that was where the invasion would take place. Funny people these Japanese Soldiers! Any way every night, as reception was better we would listen , in turns for news of the invasion. As children I think we were disappointed that nothing actually happened. In a way it is a small insight in how vulnerable and easily influenced the small ones are, even today. I have 10 grand children and the things they are exposed to makes one think.

Sorry about the rabbiting on but your page brought back many memories of other good times.

"Long days and pleasant nights" (Roland)

Best regards

Vic
(October 2007)

Great to receive your email Vic. Thanks for writing.

Hey man

I happened to come across your post regarding your journey to eventually finding a 1200. I can't believe it took you over a decade to discover the 1200, especially when it is well known that its the best turntable ever made, and that today is still the benchmark.

I was rather frustrated while reading that such an obvious choice of turntable never entered your decision making process for such a long time, yet alone the fact that you never considered a direct drive system.

Anyway, it was an enjoyable read, I've been through quite a few SL's and will never use any other deck, when I sell my decks I always miss them and make some sort of effort to get another set.

Regards
saturnz
(October 2007)

Rather frustrated eh? NOT as frustrated as me! He he he!! Technics SL1200 MKII

G'day Mike,

Well I splashed out and bought one of the new Ortofon 2M cartridges (the Red version, the cheapest one) and it arrived today and I put it into service on my Dual turntable. I was inspired to do a quick 'initial' review of it comparing it to my Ortofon Super OM10 cartridge. I've posted my review on the VE.

Thanks Mike. Regards, Felix Scerri.
(October 2007)

Thanks for the update Felix. Read Felix's review here

Hi Mike,

Thanks for a wonderful website and especially the page about the Ladybird TRF radio. I built one of these things as a kid. I still have the book and I even managed to get it autographed by George himself the other day at his QRP convention at Rochdale. I guess I'm on a bit of a nostalgia trip/mid-life crisis and intend to build one these radio's again.

Your page states that the OC45 and OC71 are no longer available. Though having done a little surfing it would appear that Cricklewood electronics http://www.cricklewoodelectronics.com carry both of them. They are a little on the pricey side £4 for the OC71 and £5 for the OC45. You may wish to update your page with this information?

Regards
Nick
(October 2007)

Thanks for the update Nick, that is very helpful indeed.

Hello Mike:

I send you this mail to thank you for your very interesting web site.

I found this site when reading about TRF radio circuits in the EP PRACTCAL ELECTRONICS magazine.

Sincerely Yours,

Luis Fernando Vesga
Madrid, (Spain).
(September 2007)

Thanks Luis.

Dear Mike,

I have been reading your BRMB site and noticed that you had included my name as one of the first Presenters on the station.

Can I let you know, just for the record, that I left BRMB and went to be a Presenter on BBC Radio Bristol and then on Radio 4 presenting the 'You and Yours' programme for 14 years along with numerous documentaries. I also made the first independently produced programmes for BBC Radio called 'The Leading Edge' a series of personality interviews on Radio 5. For TV I was a Presenter on the legal series 'Out of Court and the environment series 'Nature' both on BBC2. I now run my own Video Production Company and I am Chair of the Financial Services Consumer Panel.

Good luck with the site. It was great to read about the team I worked with in the early days.

Very best wishes

John Howard
(September 2007)

Hi John,

Thank you for your e-mail. It really is good to hear from you.

Those early days of BRMB were great days indeed.

I did know that you went on to 'You and Yours', and I thought that I had mentioned that fact. If not, it was very remiss of me, and I will include your further information.

Thanks again,

Regards,

Mike

Hello Mike,
My name is Darrin and I hail from North Carolina. I stumbled across your website and I have to say I love it. I do have a question about one of your radios, the Australian Radio. After you wind the first 50 turns of 24 AWG, how many turns of the other 30 AWG? It says to put it over the first but is that from top to bottom?

Next, which is the primary and which is the secondary? Is the 50 turns of 24 AWG tied to the antenna and capacitor or is it the other connected to the earphones.

I hope yo have time to help me out because I would like to build one. Thank you for your time.

Cheers
Darrin
www.networxcomputer.net
(September 2007)

Hi Darrin,
The 50 turn coil is connected directly to the tuning capacitor and is the primary. 50 turns should enable most of the Medium Wave (AM) band to be tuned - depending on the value of the tuning capacitor. (If it does not tune low enough towards 500 kHz then add a few turns, and if it does not tune high enough towards 1600 kHz then reduce the number of turns a little.)

The secondary coil consists of 30 turns - it must have no direct connection to the tuned circuit (primary).

The thirty turns of the secondary coil are wound over the top of the primary coil; start ten turns from the bottom of the primary and neatly wind the wire in between the windings of the primary - you should find that the 30 turns of the secondary coil finish ten turns from the top of the primary.

The secondary is the connected between earth and the diode.

Hope that helps.

It's a great crystal set!

Dear Mike and Julie,

Just a note to thank you for your efforts. You needn't apologise for the final photo - I found them all interesting. I hope you were not tresspassing at the base of the transmitter site, or risking electrocution! In 1963 I was a teleprinter operator when New Zealand began its radio and tv news service. It was assisted by about eight or so BBC people, some on a working holiday, some on loan. They seemed to enjoy it. We had a constant feed of the BBC from a country receiving station, and I could listen to the General Overseas Service all of my weekend shifts, while I did the tele-printing and typed the radio and tv news scripts. (We had only one tv bulletin - at 7.30pm.) We had a commercial network and the National Programme to look after.

It got pretty quiet some weekends in NZ - the sub put out a call to everyone to find some news as you can only rewrite the BBC news so many different ways - all it produced was word of a triple yoked egg! Nowadays, to be so peaceful would be a dream of many people. I greatly miss the shortwave as I used to listen on the kitchen radio, as well as my bedside and study radios. I've got it now on the internet and installed the right stuff so I can run Linux on the computer.

Thanks again.

Yours,
Paul
(September 2007)

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your e-mail, and apologies for the delay in replying.

Washford was a very interesting visit, and I am glad that I visited this rather historic site. I don't think that we were trespassing, since when we visited there were no barriers to prevent entry into the field in which the masts were standing. We didn't get so close as to risk electrocution since the bases of the masts were fenced off for protection - so no risks taken there!

Your comments about the BBC are very interesting. It is a real shame that the BBC has pretty much abandoned short wave - like so many other broadcasters. I used to carry a short wave radio with me on holiday to keep in touch with the BBC, but now what's left of their short wave transmissions are directed mainly to third world countries and reception is pretty useless elsewhere. While I am keen to promote and congratulate the BBC in most areas, this particular aspect is a real disgrace.

I know that television in the USA cab be Canada is fairly poor and I am lead to believe that TV in New Zealand is similar. When we visited Canada I found that the constant interruption of adverts (without warning) made television completely un-watchable. If TV got that bad here in the UK I honestly would not watch any longer. The BBC has no adverts, of course, and there is pretty much always something good to watch. The independent TV channels are allowed a maximum 9 minutes of adverts per hour at present. However our useless government and the equally useless media regulator, Ofcom, wants to increase this to 12 or more minutes per hour.

The traditional terrestrial channels are BBC1 (set up in the 1940's); BBC2 (set up in 1964), ITV1 (set up in 1954); Channel Four (set up in 1982) and Channel Five (set up around 1997).

The satellite channels here are often pretty poor, but the terrestrial TV networks still do a pretty good job. ITV, which is the oldest commercial TV network, still makes pretty good general entertainment programmes and drama. Channel Four was established in 1982 as a minority interest station and is not strictly a commercial broadcaster since it is a "public corporation", but still has advertising. Channel Five came along in 1997 as a terrestrial analogue network squeezed in amongst a UHF band-plan that was originally devised for only four national networks. Consequently reception in many parts of the country was impossible, and rather poor in other areas. The four original national networks - BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Ch 4 - use nearly 1000 transmitters small and large, and cover 99% of the population, whereas Channel Five could only be allowed about 80 transmitters (if I remember correctly) and covers only 80% of the population. Of course coverage is almost universal via satellite and will be the same as the other networks after the UK has switched off analogue and converted to digital by 2012.

Commercial radio is 80 percent dross here, with the exception of Classic FM and some output from Talk Sport and one or two local commercial stations which do their best. BBC Radio is, by and large, very good indeed.

That is an impromptu summary of broadcasting here in the UK. In the main, without the BBC it would, I fear, be almost universally dire.

Cheers,

Mike

Good afternoon Mike,

I enjoy your web site and this morning had a look at the CBC/Toronto bit and I remembered that when there 10 years ago I took a couple of photos of the masts on Toronto Islands. Have attached one - it is scanned and of mediocre quality but may be good enough if you wish to use it.

As far as I can gather, these masts were used prior to the bigger units further out towards Niagara, but unable to ascertain if currently in use.

Phil Rayner
Geelong, Australia
(August 2007)

Thanks Phil. Much appreciated. Phil's photograph can be seen on this page.

Hello Mike,

First of all I would like to thank you for producing such an interesting web site! All sorts of radio info and snippets - and it is local content for me too, as I live in Solihull.

Anyway, I thought you might be interested to know that it is possible to receive WCR 101.8 in Solihull - I have been listening to it this morning. Have to smile at the "official" coverage maps!

I have just modified a Technics tuner for FM dxing (I installed 4 very narrow filters) and thought I would try to get this station as a "test" - I had never heard it before. I tried rotating the dipole aerial, but I could hardly hear anything apart from interference from Classic FM. Then I had another look at your web site and spotted that it is vertical polarisation! Problem solved - with just a dipole (but a very very good tuner) I get reliable hissy mono, or nasty stereo.

I wonder if I am their most distant listener? I sent them a message too!

Regards

Paul
(August 2007)

Thanks very much indeed for your e-mail Paul!

Hi. Thanks for this great page on resistors and etc. I was a bit dumbfounded though while trying to understand the breakdown of colour codes in regards of resistors...... your web page was so informative and really helped me understand a few things that many other sites didn't.

Thanks again.

Sincerely,

Tony Inosencio
(July 2007)

Thanks Tony!

Greetings from the Deep South.

I had been considering selling off my SL-1200 Mk II and replacing it with a Pro-ject Debut III, but after stumbling onto your comments yesterday I'm going to hang on to it. Like you I was swayed by the audio press hype and believed that was the right way to go. I currently use a Grado Prestige Black but was thinking of replacing it with the AT95E. Do you think it will be a good match for the SL-1200?

Regards
Satish Dass
Invercargill
NZ
(July 2007)

Hi Satish,

How good to hear from you. Do hang on to your SL-1200!!

The Debut III may well be a good cheap introduction to the world of vinyl records for novices, or as a fairly cheap replacement for a broken 'midi system' turntable, but compared to a Technics SL-1200 it can only be a downgrade and a retrograde step.

I like my AT cartridges and while I have no direct experience of the AT95 in my turntable at home I would imagine that it would turn in good results. I know that the AT110 works extremely well in my own SL-1200, and it is an inexpensive cartridge too. I would have thought that the Grado was pretty good, however, so maybe there is little need for a change unless you are unhappy. Don't forget how important accurate cartridge alignment, bias force, tracking weight, turntable levelling and clean records are! This can make all the difference.

All the best, Mike.

Thank you, I might carry on using the Grado.
Regards
Satish

Hi Mike,

Just thought I'd say well done on such an interesting site, I only wish we had the internet when I had my brief life in radio. However, these days I'm back volunteering at hospital radio and your site has reminded me of the great radio industry that was and how it is. Thank you and best of luck

Regards
Rob
(July 2007)

Cheers Rob.

Dear Mike & Julie

I was fortunate enough to meet up with Tony in the early 70s where he was a frequent visitor to the Turks Head Folk Club in Lincoln and a great inspiration and help to me who was just starting out. I heard him do Capstick Comes Home many many times - here are a few variations that I remember when he did it live:

....... "Eventually we trudged over t'hill until wi could see the one t'street light twinklin in our village. And there waitin for us were our old dog shep. Still like a statue. By heck he were a grand dog were shep. Mind you he were a bugger for runnin away. We ad to take im t' vet int finish. The vet told us that the only thing that d' cure im were concrete. So many a Saturday neet i'd be int' tin bath int' front t' fire watchin shep while my mam shovellled sand and cement at one end and me Dad trying to get im to drink watter at t' other!

Thanks Tony - R.I.P

Steve Wenderby

Formerley of The Turks Head Folk Club Lincoln. Welton Folk Club Lincoln. R.A.F Gutersloh Folk Club West Germany
Currently resident at The Green Man Folk Club Hampshire.
(July 2007)

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your e-mail, it is very kind of you to write. Thank you for your memories, they're much appreciated, and great to read.

Thanks again.

Hello Mike,

I found your site very helpful, good job, and have now purchased a Technics SL-1200.

I now need an Amp for this (home use ) do you have any model recommendations? Any info would be great.

Thanks John
(July 2007)

Hi John, I know that you will be more than overjoyed with the SL-1200. It really is the best deck that you can buy without breaking the bank.

As for amplifiers I cannot give a specific recommendation regarding current amplifiers - simply because model ranges change from time to time, and I have not heard all the latest models .However one of the best amps I have heard is the Musical Fidelity XA1, which is one that I use. However the MF does not have a turntable input, but that is no real problem as I easily added an outboard RIAA preamp. Okay the XA-1 is old now and not in production, but I would think that the current MF amps are equally excellent. My other favourite amps are Marantz, they really do sound terrific and I would find it quite difficult to believe that most people would be able to find fault with a Marantz. They do have inbuilt RIAA preamps for the connection of a turntable, but a worthwhile improvement can be made by using a better quality outboard RIAA preamp. I also like Yamaha amps very much indeed - very clean, articulate and fast - they have an inbuilt RIAA premap but, in my opinion, the in-built RIAA amp sounds quite poor, but that is no problem since, once again, an outboard RIAA turntable preamplifer can be used.

As for outboard RIAA preamps ( and this really is the key to getting the very best from the amazing SL-1200) then a number are available. A Pro-ject RIAA preamp would be a good start. I have read excellent reports about the Graham Slee preamps, but I will admit to not hearing one. The best sound that I have ever heard from a TT combo is using the ESP P06 preamp that I discuss on the pages. This is a DIY project, but is WELL WORTH the effort!! If you build that very high quality power regulator, the sub-sonic filter and ESP P06 high quality RIAA preamp circuit, I honestly believe that the sound quality will at least equal or surpass any pre-built unit that you may be able to buy 'off the shelf' for £200 to £400.

As for loudspeakers, I stand by Mission as producing some of the most remarkably good sounding speakers for reasonable amounts of money, they have a number of ranges, even the cheapest of which sound miraculous. Also look out for Revolver whow make beautifully made speakers and Opera who make the marvellous Prima's and don't forget Epos. I love the Epos M12.2 standmounts which are wonderful. But you must listen and audition!

Don't forget that dirty crackly records can be made perfectly listen-able by using a record cleaning machine - expensive you think - well not so if you go for a KAB EV-1 which is reasonably priced, simple and effective.

Hope that helps.

Happy listening, Mike.

Hi there first of all just browsed your website!

Very nicely laid out, stands out and shouts Hey!,come and look!

Keep up the good work.

Regards
Tony
(July 2007)

Thanks Tony.

I see you have almost the same interests as me ..Radio, Linux, Music, Cats .... either way stumbled upon your page via a google search...just wanted to drop a note and say..hey cool page .... and hi from Charlotte, NC ... somewhere across the pond .

George Doscher
(June 2007)

Thanks for your kind comments George!

Hello Mike and Julie,

I was 'googling' my dad, who is Jim Lee, because to be honest I can't fully remember hearing him on CWR when I was little. I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed reading your site and finding out all about how it came and went.

Alice Lee
(May 2007)

Thanks Alice. It's great to hear from you. You dad is a superb broadcaster. Mercia Sound and CWR were great stations, and it's always nice to hear Jim on the BBC.

Hello Mike

I also have build the ESP RIAA preamp, but I made a single supply version so it could be built into the Computer.

http://www.sandcastle.dk/pages/RIAA-PC-PCB-FINAL.htm

http://www.sandcastle.dk/pages/RIAA-PC-PCB-MONT.htm

Then it easy to record vinyl to CD via the Computer.

Regards from Denmark

Max
(June 2007)

Thanks for the info Max! My ESP RIAA Pre-amp page can be found here

Hi Mike

I have a new page up on my website about the RTE mast in Cork that is used for RTE Radio 1 on 729 khz. I'm not sure if it is the kind of stuff you are interested in or is it more VHF/UHF?

Anyway, have a look and link to it if you want to.

http://homepage.eircom.net/~fm_radio/cork729.html

Rgd's

John
(May 2007)

Thanks John!

Hi there

I found your interesting site whilst browsing the web looking for information on getting better quality MW and LW radio reception whilst travelling around W and C France. I spend quite a lot of time near Bordeaux and would really like to be able to pick up british stations on these frequencies. My existing portable radio is now pretty dead after many years of use.

I was wondering if you had any suggestions on which models could make a good replacement?

Many thanks

Jon
(May 2007)

Hi Jon, Great to hear from you. My general answer would be firstly to use a good quality receiver from a well known manufacturer, i.e. Sony, Panasonic, Sangean / Roberts (Roberts re-badge Sangean radios and tend to be more expensive than the Sangean equivalent.). Secondly, and just as importantly, is to use an effective aerial. I would recommend a loop aerial of approximately 14 inches in diameter for travel use.

Hope that helps.

Hello Mike!

I am Daniel from Spain. I must tell you that your web is fantastic, marvellous and your scientific-work about the Technics is the very best all over internet.

Many thanks Mike,

BEST REGARDS TO YOU ALL
(May 2007)

Thanks you Daniel. I hope you get the Technics SL-1200 soon!

Hi,

I love your web site I am going to put a link to your site on my site; http://www.petsittersinnottingham.co.uk/

Dean
(May 2007)

Hi Mike,

What a delightful site you have here! Anyway, I am thinking about building this ATU but I just want to check that it is suitable for receiving and for a frequency range of between 0-30 megahertz. I am thinking of using it on my RA17

Many thanks

Carl
(May 2007)

Thanks for your comments Carl. The ATU can cover from about 150 khz to 30MHz or 500 khz to 30 MHz. This is entirely dependent on the type of coil that you decide to wind; the more turns on the coil the lower frequency it will be able to cover.

I have found that the most noticeable effect of my ATU with a 'random wire' aerial is from long wave to about 15 MHz, but the effect of an ATU is very dependent on the type of aerial and its length and the type of receiver that it is being usd with.

I have found that an ATU can help weedle out weak stations and is certainly helpful with overloading when using a very long aerial, this is because the ATU offers some filtering. I have found the "T" type to be most effective.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes,
Mike.

Thanks for the capacitor color codes, it helped match up a part for an amp.

Thanks again,

Mike Fratus, The "Amp Repair Guy" Houston, Texas

(May 2007).

Mike, Cheers for your page on resistor capacitor codes table, you saved a newbie a lot of work, Cheers again. owe you a beer or two.
Chris Page, Thaxted, Essex

(March 2007)

Hi Mike,

Found your website from the link on MB21……What a tremendous selection of stuff you have on your site…..very, very interesting.

I, like you am a cat lover, radio lover and transmitter anorak. Although I now live in Tayside, I’m originally from Edinburgh and I can still remember the excitement I felt (as a 12 year old) when Radio Forth 194 took to the air in 1975. Me and my pals were hooked, and my interest in all things radio took off from there. I was never off the ‘phone when they had competitions, and I delivered the Sunday paper of Steve Hamilton, the Breakfast Show DJ who lived round the corner from my parents house. His wife was my English teacher so it was never a problem getting a birthday request played !

Re your page on the Radio Forth AM tx at Colinswell and the reason for relocation from Barns Farm.

In the early 1980’s a petrochemical development at Mossmorran near Cowdenbeath was under construction (I was an apprentice electrician at the time and worked on the 11Kv mains power installation) and there was a pipeline laid the coast where a tanker terminal was being built at Braefoot Bay. The Barns Farm site was just up from the shoreline at Braefoot Bay so I’m guessing that it was decided that to minimise risk it would be a sensible idea not to have a 2.2Kw so close to a petrochemical terminal.

I’ve attached a couple of pickys – One of our sadly missed ginger puss who we lost last August – he was responsible for the amplifier overheating…….and another of the view from my kitchen window of the mighty Angus mast at sunset.

Best wishes….

Chris Ronald
(March 2007)

Thanks Chris for your kind comments. I will certainly put the photograph of your beautiful ginger cat on our cats page.

Dear Mike, I was just about to give up , then I found your website.

In the middle of doing too many things at once I picked up a copy of the ladybird Making a Transistor Radio, last week. I decided I had to try making one, thinking , what could be easier.

Well I've festooned my garden with aerials and earth leads and via a safety pin and a piece of pyrite I,ve managed to hear some crackles and even a muffled voice and some music. So, I,m encouraged.

However, I know nothing about electronics (but am learning) and a major problem is that none of Mr Dobbs's components appear to exist anymore, and I dont know enough to know what can be used instead. Maplins seemed at first a good idea but they appear to stock nothing for these sort of projects.

I would be very grateful if you could suggest where people in the know get their components from, without having to buy things in industrial quantities. I would have rung Maplins but I noticed just in time that I would have had to take out a mortgage to pay the premium rate call.

Anyway many thanks in anticipation

Yours sincerely, Dave Schofield. Durham.
(February 2007)

Hi Dave. As you have found, the components used in some older designs are quite difficult to obtain, but you should still be able to get hem from some suppliers. The tuning capacitor can be of any type or style as long as it is 500pF or thereabouts. A 300pF one will work, but the tuning range may be very slightly limited. I would search E-Bay first of all and then look out for 'vintage' component suppliers in Electronics and Radio hobby magazines that you will find in W H Smith's. A couple that come to mind are Chevet Supplies and J Birkett of The Straight, Lincoln. Birkett's often have rare and so called 'surplus' components in stock, particularly tuning capacitors. A seach of Yahoo and Google for "surplus component suppliers" or "vintage component suppliers" may yield some results, as may a search for the Mullard OC71 and OC45 transistors. The OA81 diodes should still be readily available. Any modern capacitors and resistors, as long as they are of the correct value, will work in these circuits. The LT700 transformer should also be readily available from a variety of sources.

A good source of components is BOWOOD ELECTRONICS, but maybe not the vintage ones, though may well be worth asking - the proprietor is very helpful. See my components page HERE for some more ideas.

Hope that helps, Mike.

"Great to read your web site about Ocean Sound and Power FM, [it] brought back some very happy memories for me as I was one of the original seven presenters at Ocean Sound - and went onto launch Power FM in 1988. Also was impressed at how accurate your information on the history of the place!

Best regards, Pete Wardman."

Pete Wardman is now at BBC East Midlands
(December 2006)

Hi, A nice and very interesting website. As a long time SWL and since 1991 an occasional “ham” (2E1AKF/G7OOE/GM7OOE) it is good to see the history of the radio waves being recorded, and published.
John S Bone
(September 2006)

Hi Mike and Julie, What a fascinating website you have, have glanced across the photo’s from Toronto and the animals and, of course, all the Radio memorabilia stuff, better than watching telly and after a hectic day running the Hotel. I love the 2CR clips of Richard Cartridge, and also think he’s a great presenter. I spent most of my years working with Clive Bull on LBC who was also extremely talented.
Thanks again,
Jonathan Perry, Cransley Hotel, 11 Knyveton Road, BOURNEMOUTH, Dorset. BH1 3QG. Tel:- 01202-290067
(July 2006)

Dear and Julie, Love your site and must have another look when time permits! Here on the Isle of Wight, our local incremental station Isle of Wight Radio has long been on FM but they started on medium wave in 1990 on 242meters. Once I was looking for someone and saw the transmitter site, just a few weeks before they opened, in a farmers field. The aerial had just been errected, judging by the many deep wheel marks and sign of heavy activity in the field. Took some pictures. Unfortunately the processor lost my film!! The mast seemedt o have a twin reflector wire on one side, perhaps to keep the signal down in the direction of Kent, which was on the same frequency. Although of low power, if I remember correctly, their first transmittions brought a reception report from Poland I believe. [The mast] was quickly dismantled on the move to FM. Thought you might be interested.
Regards
Michael Johnson
(July 2006)

Thanks for the excellent information Michael.

Dear MDS975, What a mine of information I`ve spent a good while having a look round and am amazed at the quality and quantity I have found. The cat photographs are especially good but it would be hard to say which is best.
Andrew Grieve
(June 2006)006)

Dear Mike, Many thanks for posting the capacitor markings on the web. A very large bag of polystyrene capacitors nearly got the better of me and it was only your web site that stopped me going nearly insane.Hi Hi.
Regards Mike 2E0LTJ
(May 2006)

Thanks Mike! - You too can find the RESISTOR & CAPACITOR COLOUR CODES page HERE

I came across your site looking for a radio for my 12 year old to make. Wow did this take me back my grandpa and I use to make crystal and other sets the ladybird was the first set I made by myself with no help. I am now searching my mom's garage and attic for the set and the book. I may have a few old ZN414 or 415s around at mom's and hope my son can have as much fun as I did making my radio; Wonderful site!
Jeff
(April 2006)

Smashing site. I found it through Google by typing "Capacitor 471K" You were about the 3rd (and most useful) hit. This is what the internet's all about!
Cheers, Spike. Spike Photography.
(April 2006)

Hello Mike and Jules, I came across your "crystal set Website yesterday---I am retired these days and one of my hobbies is building fairly "simple" Radios,(Mind you theyr'e not so simple to me,as I'm just a beginner at these things.) I just wanted to tell you that I find your Website fascinating.---the Information is explained so well (Even I can understand it.). The history of Radio has always interested me,and I always think--that it was a "Big chance of Fate" that Marconi, and his contemporaries, discovered that Electric signals could be sent through the air and "Picked up " by a "Receiver" some distance away. Your Website is quite Big,and it will take me some time to follow the links,and take it all in---however Ive started---so I aim to go into "All Areas"

Thanks ,and Best Wishes to both of you. IAN
(March 2006)

Thanks Ian, Glad you are enjoying the website and the crystal set hobby! These simple radios are absolutely fascinating aren't they! Good luck with your projects, and we hope that you continue to enjoy the site.

Your web site is very interesting but I notice that a lot of the audio clips that you had a few months ago are now not available. Will they be returning ? Also, in the future, do you plan anything more on Wiltshire Radio (before the Radio West merger)? WR was one of the stations that I grew up with, and I loved hearing, once again, the Dave Barrett sign-off clip from 1985 that you had on your audio section.

Regards H. Ellis
(Jan 2006)

Hi, Thanks very much for your e-mail. You are quite correct, we did have a page of audio clips a few months ago on our "Experimental Audio" page. Unfortunately it was just that - an 'experimental' section to assess the possibility of adding audio to this site by using different forms of audio coding and file sizes. Having run our experiments (a 'test transmission' if you will), we then settled on the limited number of files that we were then able offer via the website, which is what you will find available now.

Our lack of available web-space means that we can only offer these select few files on our site at the moment. This is because audio files need vast amounts of space compared to ordinary web-pages and images. We may re-visit this web-space problem in the future.

We don't have a great deal of other WR information, but if you have some material, history, information and photographs etc. we would be only to willing to include them as a WR 'mini-site'. In the mean time may we thank you very much again for you interest and please don't hesitate to contact us again if we can be of further help.

Hi Mike and Julie, What a fantastic website! I love it, I am what would call a Radio annorak well I collect air checks from on air recordings, Jingle Packages from various stations including, Key 103, BRMB, Hereward Radio, Radio 1. I think it's such a great way of remembering how great Local Radio was and still ys! The Tribute to the late Tushar from 100.7 Heart FM is very touching his was a great joch I used to listen to his shows on Heart the overnight show and Sunday Breakfast show. We lost a great broadcaster.

ROB LUBBOCK
Leics
(Jan 2006)

Hello, I have just come across your site and it is wonderful. I was very interested in radio as a teenager and I still have an original HAC one valve receiver which my Father helped me build when I was 12. I went to university and unfortunately the radio hobby got left ,but the good news was that I managed to keep all my radio components and half built projects in my parents attic and have been re united with them recently, including such items as about 40 brand new and unused Denco Coils in their original tins. I also have many transistors from the 70's and also a virtually mint condition edition of the Rev Dobbs Ladybird book, which I picked up a few years ago for the princely sum of £1-00 from 'Barter Books' in Alnwick (North East of England) whilst on holiday. I have decided to build the radio as a winter project as per the book. Just wanted to say again what a wonderful website, I am sure I will come back to it again

Kindest Regards,

Christopher M Williamson
(Dec 2005)

Thank you Christopher for your kind words. We hope you enjoy re-visting the Ladybird "Making A Transistor Radio" project - great fun.

G'day Mike and Jules, I stumbled across your website today whilst googling around for some info on MK484 radio circuits. From what I've seen of your site, it's fantastic. There is a lot of rubbish on the web but occasionally one finds a fabulous site like yours. Congratulations!

I share a lot of interest with the stuff on your site like crystal sets, cats etc etc. Why cats.........well my name is Felix! I guess it would be unnatural if I didn't like cats! My interest in crystal sets goes back a long way and I'm particularly interested in using them as high quality AM program sources.

In Australia I have a bit of a reputation as an "expert" (I hate that word!), in crystal set design and I've written quite a few articles for a couple of Australian Amateur Radio magazines and radio club newsletters and one or two websites. Interesting too, on the Masts in Malta.

My family comes from Malta and I last visited Malta back in 1976 (yes, a long time ago, I was twelve). Anyway, a really beaut website. I will visit often. By the way the MK484 radio I built today works fine. That makes two now.
Regards Felix, vk4fuq, North Queensland, Australia.
(Dec 2005)

Thank you so much for your kind words, Felix, we're glad you engoyed our little website. Makes it all worthwhile!

Hi Mike and Julie,

It is amazing how one finds a rare gem accidentally and MDS975 is a wonderful example. Further to buying new HiFi equipment I was looking at the possibility of boosting the FM reception and I came across a DIY article in a magazine "Build your own FM Dipole". The example was very simple and the author explained that he had searched the web for info with little success so most of his calcs etc. were from text books. I decided to have ago at building one to his design and out of interest I checked the web for info. Bingo, my search found 'Make an FM Aerial' the BBC Way, courtesy of MDS975. What was going to be a simple Dipole is now a major project High Spec VHF/FM antenna and it is quite large.

Thanks for a wonderful site, a feast and a 'site' for sore eyes.

Best Regards, John R Brown
(Nov 2005)

Thanks John, we are so glad that you found the website both useful and enjoyable.

Hello Mike & Julie,

I was just surfing the internet for the pin out of a DL96 valve when I came across your excellent site. I thought being persuaded to repair a 1953 Bush radio was nostalgic but boy does your site take me back. Good to see George Dobbs is still doing the QRP bit - I remember George well from the Lincoln Short wave Club days & of course those meetings in Johnny Birketts radio emporium on Steep hill in Lincoln. I was a lecturer in Radio & TV servicing at the Lincoln College of Technology and ran the RAE courses. Haven't done much in the radio area for many years but your site has re-kindled a spark I must say. I still keep my G4CLL call current but have not been on the air for about 15 years.
Anyway, many thanks to you both for all the work you have obviously put into the site and good luck for the future.
Kind regards &73's
Roger Goodchild (G4CLL) Lincoln.
(Oct 2005)

Thanks for your kind words Roger, we're glad that your spark has been re-kindled!

Hi, Just want to say thanks for a great web site. It helped me convert capacitor values (examp. XX nF to XX uF) and help with the tolorance value codes. I have been an experimentor for 33 years now and really like to see web sites like yours, very infomitive and helpful.

Thanks, John Dohaniuk
(Oct 2005)

Cheers John, glad the components page helped a little.

Hi, Thank-you very much through the pages of your web-site to allow me to travel back along way in time, to what was the greatest time of MY musical life. I'm afraid time dims the memory but I can vaguely remember listening to the likes of Jimmy Savile and Sam Costa on Radio Luxembourg, then of course along came Caroline and London. Yeah all that was over 40 years ago, but it only seems like yesterday.
Once again thanks.
Grahame
(Oct 2005)

R White e-mailed us from the USA with some computer an Linux question that we were able to help with....

Thank you SO much. You just answered every thing I have spent 3 hours looking for. I was curious about spyware and other items. Thanks. Your links to the info about Mozilla has also explained so much about mail clients and pop ups in linux. I have a great deal of understanding on Windows and explorer, networking and web design so I understand a fraction of what is out there but take me off the windows pacifier and I am crawling.

You have been more help to me than much of the tech support I have received and again you are in my favorites folder and appreciated.
(Sept 2005)

Thank you for your web site.

My dad was a radio ham, (G3EQK), and when I was a child, showed me how to build a crystal set..which worked great. He was awful in telling me how these new fangled things called 'trannies' worked, as he was steeped in valve technology!!

In 1967, my mam and dad bought me a 'magnatricity set' which included coils, batteries, bulbs and compasses etc. I wished they had bought me an 'how to be an advertising executive set', as unfortunatley I loved the damn thing, and although a last minute xmas present, all the other toys I just discarded!!!

Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I wish you well, Nigel.
(Sept 2005)

From Tony Wilding in Warwickshire:

Hi, what a great site and so much of interest to all involved in broadcasting. Just one of the Hospital Radio/RSL anoraks for over 20 years. Good to be reminded of Mark Keen as Mercia for a long time was my local station (ah the good old days!). Rugby FM being my local station now.

Thanks for the site will drop by again soon. Regards Tony
(Sept 2005)

From Francis Borg

Hello Mike & Julie,

I have just enjoyed a great tour on your site, which I came across as I was doing some searching about the Gharghur name. I myself am originally from Malta but have been in England for 33 years now, so it was quite nostalgic
looking at the masts which while I knew existed, dont believe had ever been catalogued in this way.

I was a shortwave listener for many years using modest equiment rather than the real mccoy, but still enjoy surfing on to the International stations via the net and via satellite.
Francis Borg
(Aug 2005)

From the author of the Ladybird book entitled 'Making A Transistor Radio', George Dobbs:

Hello Mike,

Lovely to see a reference to the book. That was a long time ago!

My best Wishes

George Dobbs G3RJV
g3rjv@gqrp.co.uk www.gqrp.com www.staidan.org.uk
"It is vain to do with more what can be done with less" William of Occum 1290-1350
(Aug 2005)

From Karl Keip:

Hello, Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to make the HF-150 manual available on your web site. We've lost ours and greatly appreciated finding your web site this evening.

Take Care,
Karl Keip
(July 2005)

From GEA in Cork:

Well done on your website, Great to see some pictures of broadcasting masts in Ireland, this particularly interests me !
(May2005)

Here is a lovely note from Ronald Handy:

This is to thank you for all the useful imformation that I have found on your website. I spent at least 5 days, off and on, going back and finding more, more and still more, even my wife loves it too, especially the animals etc. Thanks once again, Ron (retired TV technician).
(Feb2005)

Peter W Robinson who asks about Digital FREEVIEW television:

"I live in a valley. Please can you tell me when we will have a transmitter able to transmit Digital TV to our homes - other than BBC which is very good. Of course we could get a dish for sky etc. but I believe that sooner or later we should be able to receive the Freeview signals from ITV and other channels. Please let me know what is holding up this work?
Many Thanks, Peter W Robinson."
(January 2005)

Well Peter thanks for your interesting question, the answer (we hope!!) can be found HERE! - Digital Terrestrial Television

David Rhodes writes about the Ladybird book "MAKING A TRANSISTOR RADIO"

Dear Mike and Jules,

I've enjoyed looking at your web site, and will come back for a more in-depth look at a later date. I was directed to it from a search for the Ladybird book on how to build a transistor radio, and so was pleased to see some photos and schematics from that - it took me back to the mid 70s when I also built the radio. I am trying to get hold of a copy of that ladybird book again, as I have long since lost mine, and was hoping that you might be able to point me in a helpful direction (I've already tried ebay and the Ladybird website).

You may be interested to hear that I knew the author Reverend G. Dobbs, as he used to teach me RE in the 1970s. He ran an electronics club during school lunch break one day each week, and so I built the radio under his supervision. I remember that he had another Ladybird book published on how to build an intercom - very similar in style to the radio book - which I also made in his club. I would also like to get hold of that book too, but remember it being fairly rare even then, so I don't hold out much hope now.

With thanks for any help you can give.

David Rhodes

(December 2004)

Unfortunately we cannot think of any further help with locating this out of print book. Our own copy is very battered indeed, but maybe someone reading this can offer some assistance please?

David Smith kindly writes to MDS975:
What a superb site, which I stumbled on quite by chance, after looking at an e-bay item for sale, which made a reference to you. I have a particular interest in both the BBC, and its original transmitter properties, together with the Marconi equipped sites.
There are sadly too many sites that were linked to Marconi (eg Bodmin Radio) that are no more. That one adjacent to the A30 on the end of the Bodmin bypass disappeared over the summer months last year.

I am recently retired, and at an earlier time in my working life, was fortunate to work...with communications, where I spent a number of years working on equipment of the valve era, and which brought me into contact with Marconi test equipment. The company product at that time was synonymous with quality.

Radio reception is, and has been a hobby of mine for many years, and consequently I have a collection of some of the above companies items. The trigger point for my interest was the building of several crystal sets, which were published in a book by Bernards, given to me by my father. It's good to see this aspect of basic set building on your web site, it is almost certain that such beginnings, inspire a further interest in a great hobby.

Regards, David Smith (Nov 2004)

John Davis writes about LADYBIRD BOOK "MAKING A TRANSISTOR RADIO" project:

Hi! What memories flooded back when I found your webpage! I built many ZN414 radios when at school (1974 - 78) for various people (including teachers!). I built one for a tech. drawing teacher while at college (1978 - 82) and got 100% in the test that followed a couple of weeks later, a feat which I never repeated. I'm not saying that the radio had anything to do with it, though!!!

I also bought the Ladybird book "Making a Transistor Radio" back in 1972 (and remember going into WH Smith and buying it!), which I still have somewhere. I find it from time to time, then lose it again. I never managed to get it fully working though. It worked upto adding the 2nd transistor, but adding the speaker and regeneration section seemed to kill it. I had (and still have somewhere) most of the parts, so I may have another bash at it. I think I may have had the wrong value of choke - I assumed it was 1 or 10mH. What was the value? Can you let me know please? (It is 4.7 mH - Mike)

The whole reinterest was spawned this morning by my daughter who has asked me to build a matchbox radio, so we visited my local Maplin shop to see what components I could get. The ferrite rod & 32 SWG wire was out of stock (nothing new for them, then....), but got a tuning cap & MK484 chip. I routed through the loft & gleaned a ferrite rod & wire from an abandoned MSF receiver project, so I'm up for a bit of construction!

I was browsing the net for circuits and landed on your page. Brilliant!

Kind regards, John Davies.
(November 2004)

John also adds in a subsequent e-mail: I dug a bit deeper in the loft and found the Ladybird book. A bit battered, but found it. Brilliant!! I did a search on the net for this and found it for sale at £38. The price on the back is 15p. 15p!!!!!!! I love the drawings in there. Beautifully done and very detailled. Unfortunately my copy will probably still be worth 15p as I drew in it and put a map of where I lived at the time, just in case it went walkies. Well, it's the sort of thing you do when your 10 years old. I found an OC45 [transistor used in the Ladybird Radio circuit], still complete with paint. I'll use this in the first stage and the BC212 transistors as the amps. I also found the OC71's, but remember scraping the paint off to make phototransistors at some stage (Bum!). They were encapsulated in clear gel. I found another OC45 partially scraped, but this had light blue gel.

Talking of small radios, I used to have a commercial AM only superhet, which measured around 3" square and about 3/4" deep and ran from a single AA cell. It was quite loud for it's size and the battery used to last forever. A mate borrowed it and it ended up in a bucket of water. I never forgave him for that.

Andy Warner also writes about the LADYBIRD RADIO project:

I just stumbled across your ladybird AM radio page (while tracking down MK484/ZN414 info.) I remember building that. I also remember a design in another book that was based around 'chocolate block' connectors. It was also OC71/OA81-based, but was a 2 transistor design with headphone output. Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for putting the page up, I'm thinking of adding the ladybird radio to the long list of projects that may get done someday. Andy Warner. (Sept 2004)

Richard Wenner writes:
Well done on a truly wonderful web site! I love the Internet - meet folk turned on by the important things in life - such as antenna feeds! I did a degree in Electronic Engineering with RF at Southampton University and was the first elected radio station manager of Radio Glen - a Hall radio station there.... We have now applied for an RSL (see http://pirate.cardiffschools.net ) to broadcast from a Lightship in Cardiff Bay in 2005 (as part of Cardiffs celebration of being the Capital of Wales for 50 years. We have a load of good contacts in the BBC and intend to turn our station into a "for God sake look after your BBC" station - reflecting your views entirely. The BEEB needs our support.
( http://media.cardiffschools.net )
Yours, Richard. (Sept 2004)

Good luck with your radio endeavours Richard, and well done for your support of the BBC and public service broadcasting!

Nick Hutchings kindly wrote in concerning long wave radio reception in Denmark:

Hi Mike, Just a short mail to say thanks for the recipe I found on your site (via Google) for making a long wave antenna. Living in Denmark but being addicted to Radio 4 can be an awkward combination. I have also bought a Sony 7600GR, so I can listen to World Service, on the occasions I tire of Testmatch Special.

One of these days I will get my act together and build a rig that allows me to listen to radio over the broadband, anywhere in the house.

Regards, Nick Hutchings. (Sept 2004)

[ The Long Wave Frame Aerial project can be found HERE ]

David Taylor has written in asking for some more information about crystal sets:

I've just a very enjoyable hour reading the pages of your website. I had been wondering what had happened to Lowe (I have a HF-150) as they seemed to have disappeared from the shelves . . .now I know!!

One of my all time favourite childhood projects was a crystal set published in Everyday Electronics magazine in what was probably the early 80s. It was a very simple device built on terminal blocks and provided me with my first insight into the world of SWL. [I would like] to be able to build [the set] again. I lost the original magazine article and have been looking ever since.

I would be eternally grateful if [you could reproduce the article] on your site.

Many thanks, David. (July 2004)

You can now see my revised version of the Experimental Crystal Set project HERE!

Jim Simmons dropped MDS975 a note regarding the resistor and capacitor colour code page:

Great page, good explanations, and very good photo's. Good for the beginner as well as those that have been around for a while (me). Thanks for the great work.

Jim

R. Natarajan also commented on the resistor and capacitor colour code page:

Hi ! Thanks a lot for providing such a useful information which I was looking for.

regards, Natraj.

Thanks to Jim and Natraj for writing in!

Martyn Elmy writes on the subject of radio coverage in Suffolk:

Hi, very interseting site! Do you have coverage maps for BBC Radio Suffolk and The Beach?

[Also] do you have any information on the AM Stereo tests made by the IBA at radio Orwell's Foxhall Heath transmitters in the late 70's?

Well Martin, the answers can now be found HERE!

Here is a message from Mike Thompson, who is a radio enthusiast and found our radio pages quite helpful:

Hello, Stopped to see your site today and found it extremely helpful. My poor brain has never quite been good enough to grasp all that much theory about aerials...etc....but I'm about to sling a long wire to a mast in my garden..and it reminds me when I was about 10 years old..(am now 67)..when I tied a rock to a wire and hurled it high up into an old garden oak tree and then fed the other end into my bedroom window...(end of world war 2 period i suppose).

I have had an Eddystone short wave valve set over the years...which has served me very well up to now with just a shortish wire (aerial) in the attic!!! However with my now advancing years I have decided to grasp the nettle...and do a proper job...(smiles). Thanks so much for a very good web site.

My best wishes..(73s).. to you both.
Mike Thompson.
Lancashire, UK.

Well Hi,

I visited your page while searching for some information about aerials for my 'new' (26 year old) radio. I got it for a six-pack of Aussie VB beer. I think I found what I need as a beginner.

I want to thank you for your page, with special thanks for the things you like. Spike Milligan is my greatest idol, I have almost all of his books, and the GOONS are and will be breaking my heart forever. Fawlty Towers is another show that I prize greatly. I am in my early fifties with wife and two daughters...and retired - so I am trying to do the things of my dreams now.

Best wishes and thanks, Andrew

Well good luck with all your dreams - I'll drink to that!

Great personal web site, well set out, links good, pics great, articles brill! May your site ever increase!!

Cheers, John Fletcher

Thanks John, I'll do my best, but I am rapidly eating through my free web space!!

Just a brief email to say how much I enjoyed looking at your website and the diversity of topics it covers. I stumbled across it while doing a search for articles about short wave radio. I also have a Lowe HF-225 receiver which is still going strong after 12-13 years and I can't imagine parting with it. I notice they still fetch about half of their original price on the second-hand market even now, brilliant piece of kit.

I also have taken to DAB digital radio. I concur with your comments about sound quality, generally good, but it's unfortunate that in order to increase station choice, the bit rate has been reduced in some instances and that has affected the quality of the sound available, particularly noticeable through a revealing Hi-Fi system. It's a trade-off like so many things I guess. Let's hope the broadcasters avoid the temptation to use compression as they do on FM.

I work in the I.T industry... I know a couple of people who have embraced Linux in a big way - I can understand why as I also maintain a Unix system at work and I haven't rebooted it in months - it's that stable I haven't needed to. You can't say that about many Microsoft [Windows)] based platforms can you?

I have grown up with both cats and dogs and like them both. We've had moggies, Siamese, Burmese etc, the oriental breeds are particularly characterful, very vocal and usually full of finely judged mischief! I now have a mog called Cassie who is a white female bruiser of a cat with ears like old bus tickets; she is quite aggressive towards other cats but very affectionate and very much a lap cat when indoors.

Anyway, keep up the good work and all the best. Jon Bignall

Thank you Jon, very kind. I love your comment about your cat Cassie having "ears like old bus tickets" brilliant!

Thanks for a most interesting site and allowing me some moments of nostalgia. [Regarding the Oxford mast] I served at Beckley [Oxford] from at its opening 1962/63 but on Friday 16th have the priviledge of attending, in Shetland, the fortieth anniversary of the opening of BBC TV & VHF from Bressay which opened on Wednesday 15th April 1964. Hopefully I might manage some photographs of Bressay which might be of interest for your site and will send these on later.

Best regards and keep up the good work, Dave Stephen

Dave, Thanks for taking the trouble to write and for the excellent photographs of Bressay which are now displayed in the Masts And Towers section.

I've just been goggling for some information on the Le Cars antenna which I live near here in France. My wife thinks I'm slightly mad to go around taking pictures of antennae on top of high hills but it's all part of being a radio amateur! (G6ZKC/F).

Thanks again, Dave Usher

Thank you very much Dave. Glad you enjoy the hobby too - so I'm not the only mad one!

I was just looking for a ZN416 circuit to see whether I could make the chip work on 60 KHz for MSF, and I came across your TRF page. It's very charming, cogent and well-done. It gave me pleasure. Thank you. Nigel

Good luck with your project Nigel.

I'm so glad your site has a section defending the BBC. It is of course a shadow of its former self in terms of programmes, but we have so many friends who really resent paying the licence fee, and to whom it cannot be explained that radio and TV are difficult to fund in any other way without the price rising to Sky levels. Most of them buy the Telegraph and Mail (on continuous order) but their gripe seems to be that they can't choose on a particular day whether to "buy" the BBC or not. If it cost the same as a quality paper I'd have a little sympathy, but it is FAR cheaper, does not carry advertising to supplement its income, and has no political axe to grind.

Martin. Devon
(I could not agree more, Martin. Mike)

Neil also wrote on the subject of the BBC:

I'm as worried as you about the threat to the BBC. My TV will be going through a window somewhere if the BBC is dismantled. The Americanisation of the UK will be complete. God help us all! I am wondering if you know of any established group anywhere who may be coordinating a campaign to fight for the Beeb before it is too late.

That is a good question, Neil. I wonder if anyone can inform us of such a group or organisation.

John writes on the subject of Lowe radios:

Mike, I just found your excellent web site after I did a search for the Lowe HF 225. I own several Lowe receivers including the HF 225 & HF 150 Europas and regular HF 225's & HF 150's plus the complete three piece 150 rack set up (PR 150 & SP 150 mounted in the special Lowe rack). These Lowe's are fun to use.

You have one of the finest Lowe sites I've ever seen, good work! I very much enjoyed viewing your site.

John T. Wagner, USA

Thank you John, you are most kind. I found very little on the www about these fine receivers, so I felt duty bound to add a few pages with what material I had. Glad you liked it.

Hi, I'm Pete from Coventry, great web site, really interesting & amusing. I'm glad I found it by accident while surfing. I also really enjoy Mike Dickin, which causes me serious mental turmoil as it clashes with Ed [Doolan], I won't say who wins ;-)
Best regards, Pete

(I am glad you found my little offering by accident too Pete!)

Steve e-mailed from Southend on Sea and kindly writes:

Just looked at your website. I love radio, and have been involved in it, one way or another, for many years. I like the idea of the animals on the site. I have two retired greyhounds (pictures at http://www.eastbeach.co.uk).

Fully agree with your campaign to save the BBC. I generally listen to them on Digital Radio now, and listen more and more to BBC7. A lot of effort has clearly gone into your site.

Best wishes, Steve Roberston

Just a line to say that I like your website. I have written about it in the March edition of Radio Active [magazine]....[here] is what I wrote in Radio Active:

" Mike Smith has a marathon website....combining his dual interests of broadcasting and photography, Mike has produced a work of art, packed to the gunnels with fascinating facts and figures. The early history of radio is well covered, and brought up to date with plenty of information about DAB radio (with links to websites selling them and transmitter coverage maps etc).
There are photos and ideas on various aerials to use, including a large medium wave loop. There is also a BBC Engineering fact sheet scanned in for you to construct an FM aerial. Get started now and you should be ready for the spring tropospherics and summer sporadic E conditions"

Best wishes, Chris Brand.

Chris Brand's own comprehensive website can be found at: http://members.tripod.co.uk/chrisbrand1977

Just had a look at the interesting contructional circuits you have on your site. Well done in what you have got up and running, I was in the same position in March of these year and it is time consumming but addictive. Will link to you from www.vintageradio.me.uk within a few days. Keep up the good work. Its never complete!

Maurice Woodhead.

I found your site on the net using a search engine and yours was one of several that came up. I have passed your site on to others...all the best and well done.

Catherine (December 2003)

... thanks for a great resource page!

Bob Sillett (January 2004)
http://www.shortwavelog.com

Brian e-mailed from Australia about the pirate stations:

I remember pirate radio and it's birth, probably the happiest days of my life, but still a pirate radio fanatic living in Australia. I remember when Radio Caroline was advertising for dj's and I sent an audition tape! I just love music and wanted to work on Caroline, but my submission was not successful! it didn't worry me, I still had the pleasure of the pirate stations, I even joined the Caroline club!

I still have very many happy memories of pirate radio and my late teens in London...I am always wishing if only the years could be turned back, I would happily return to London in a flash....Australia is so slow and behind music wise....but my dreams of happiness always will be with pirate radio and the happy times I had and what pirate radio gave me...

So many thanks have to be sent to the people who worked on the ships and the forts in such bad weather to bring us so much good music, they were really were the unseen heroes of pirate radio. I may be 63 but the happiness you gave me (has) kept me young (and) I miss you all.

Brian. (February 2004)