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BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 6th, 2021, 8:34 am
by XFool
I am starting to get paranoid now.

Either I am living in the Zombie Apocalypse zone of radio frequency reception or...

(I won't bore you with the usual, ongoing, recurring problems with FM and DTV)

Now the BBC National DAB has disappeared. Transmitter for this would be Alexandra Palace. Currently information online from BBC is that AP is working AOK.

This is not just with one DAB receiver either, it is with two - a Sony portable and a Pure tuner. I can receive BBC Radio London OK on both - but this is transmitted on a commercial MPX on a different RF channel to the BBC National DAB.

On the portable following a scan there simply are no usual BBC channels (beside BBC Radio London). The Pure tuner (using a stand alone aerial) reports 'Station unavailable' for usual BBC channels (again, beside BBC Radio London).

Is anyone in North London receiving the BBC National DAB? Or is it just me?

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 6th, 2021, 8:44 am
by pje16
I am in NW London and my Pure radio is playing BBC Radio 5 Live just fine
Alexa can play it as well
just talking Pure, I lost all mine a few months ago and a factory re-set, as I could see nothing else to do other than a rescan, did the trick

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 6th, 2021, 9:48 am
by XFool
Thanks pje16. I take it Alexa is not relevant as not supplied via DAB?

Update.

For the sake of my sanity, if nothing else, took portable Sony to local park where, at suitable position at top of hill you can SEE Alexandra Palace.

Scanned: BBC National DAB working at 100% at 9.05am

Back home, rescan. Can now see BBC National DAB station ID's (R1, R2, R3, R4 etc.) but 'NO ENSEMBLE'. Again, can receive BBC Radio London, no problem.

The BBC National DAB MPX is on channel 12B 225.648 MHz
BBC Radio London is on commercial MPX on channel 12A 223.936 MHz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Palace_television_station#Digital_radio_(DAB)

So this interference or whatever seems possibly very limited in banwidth? (As when I lose COM6 on DTV but not other MPXs? - so it moves around?)

Conclusion: I AM living in the Zombie Apocalypse zone of RF reception... (Not very helpful, though)


Just to add to the incipient paranoia, as reenterin my front door I had a low level, overhead flypast by a high powered military attack aircraft apparently in full "Go get 'em!" mode.

BTW. If anybody at this point thinks "He's making all this up", I am for once quite relaxed about that.

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 6th, 2021, 10:03 am
by pje16
Hi XFool
glad it seems to be working again
When it does all disappear, it does flash through your mind that world has ended :lol:

I have had 2 Pure radios over the last decade or so and they have both played up losing everyting once or twice so not enough to be an issue as long as it comes back without too much bother
I only mentioned Alexa to show that another device could pick it up

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 6th, 2021, 10:17 am
by XFool
pje16 wrote:Hi XFool
glad it seems to be working again

It isn't. Unless I buy a tent and camp out in the local park...

pje16 wrote:When it does all disappear, it does flash through your mind that world has ended :lol:

I have had 2 Pure radios over the last decade or so and they have both played up losing everyting once or twice so not enough to be an issue as long as it comes back without too much bother
I only mentioned Alexa to show that another device could pick it up

I have been PLAGUED by RF reception problems - affecting EVERYTHING (well, I have yet to try Long Wave) on and off, and on again and off again, again and again, for several years now. To me it seems very difficult to understand:

Why is it not there continually? Or at least at particular set times?
Why does it affect one frequency, channel, band, then another one?
Why does it seem to affect specific spot frequencies but not others?
Is there one cause or several?
WHAT IS CAUSING IT?

In some cases, with television, I believe I have been able to identify likely causes for some problems, even have some others fixed - yet still it happens.
It also happens on VHF FM, and now, finally on DAB on Band III (and again, apparently just on one channel).

Of course, digital doesn't help. With analogue you can at least hear (or see with TV) what is going wrong, with digital all you know is that it ain't there...

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 6th, 2021, 1:04 pm
by XFool
...That problem has gone. Likewise VHF FM has cleared.

I have now again lost COM6 MPX on DTV. Naturally.

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 6th, 2021, 1:45 pm
by production100
I know it goes against instinct, but the interference generating equipment could be in your own house.

You can check whether the interference is generated in your own house if you use the portable radio and switch off the mains to the house. it is surprising how often it is a rogue charging unit or similar generating lots of interference.

Obviously you may have to reset clocks afterwards - and make sure pc's are off first.

Chris

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 6th, 2021, 3:33 pm
by XFool
production100 wrote:I know it goes against instinct, but the interference generating equipment could be in your own house.

You can check whether the interference is generated in your own house if you use the portable radio and switch off the mains to the house. it is surprising how often it is a rogue charging unit or similar generating lots of interference.

I have checked this before and my answer was "No", looking at the obvious SMPS targets.

But it is worth repeating next time by a full mains off. Honestly though, I will be surprised if it is.

It could be that the DTV problem is a separate issue. We have had good, high pressure weather the last coupe of days. With aerials pointing in a south easterly direction there can be, IMO, problems with 'channeling' in the ionosphere from Northern France. *

* Interestingly, again IMO, this matter, plus the changeover from analogue to digital TV, may account for puzzlements I have had in the past over why TV aerials around me point in different directions and why the 'right' direction now is different to the analogue past.

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 6th, 2021, 7:27 pm
by tjh290633
I have a small Sony DAB radio which is tuned to BBC R4, R3 and 5 Live Sports Extra. If I try to find other stations it is hit and miss. On my car radio I can only get DAB stations that I do not want. The Sony is on a windowsill facing the transmitter, so maybe gets a stronger signal. Height obviously helps.

TJH

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 13th, 2021, 5:02 pm
by XFool
I think it's pretty well 'official' now, when it comes to the RF spectrum. We are living with a zombie apocalypse.

Re: BBC National DAB - London

Posted: October 13th, 2021, 8:38 pm
by GrahamPlatt
Just get an internet radio.