A number of items in the BBC Radio 4 schedule are carried on the longwave frequency only: these include The Daily Service at 0945–1000 on Mondays to Fridays, the Shipping Forecast at 1201–1204 daily and 1754–1757 on Mondays to Fridays, and Test Match Special during international cricket games.
The Radio 4 LW signal also carries radio data encoded using phase modulation, giving a time-of-day signal, and control signals for Economy 7 electric heating systems.
For the long-wave transmission, a T-aerial is used, which is suspended between two 700 ft (213.4 metre) high guyed steel lattice masts, which are 600 ft (182.9 metres ) apart from each other.
When driving north up the M5 motorway, the masts are close by on the right hand side, between Droitwich and Bromsgrove. At night, the two sets of aircraft warning lights are visible from a long distance.
Furthermore there are two guyed mast radiators at the site, which are used for transmitting AM medium-wave radio programmes on 693 kHz, 1053 kHz and 1215 kHz. Radio Five Live is broadcast on 693 kHz, which apart from Brookmans Park and Moorside Edge, is one of the strongest signals in the UK, covering most of the Midlands and Wales.
The station, 198 kHz, BBC Radio 4, can be received on the flight deck with the ADF nav receiver while flying the North Atlantic (NAT) as far west as 30°W.
The station is owned and operated by National Grid Wireless.
See also
- List of masts
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain
- List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
- Radio teleswitch
- Longwave DXing
- Non-directional beacon
- Automatic direction finder ADF
- Radio navigation
External links
- The Transmission Gallery: Droitwich Transmitter photographs and information
- http://members.aon.at/wabweb/radio/lw2.htm#Droitwich
- Map of site
- http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b40704
- http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b40705
- Radio Teleswitch Services
- Specification of BBC phase-modulated transmissions on long-wave
- Station History
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Friday November 09, 2007 at 11:12:44 PST (GMT -0800)
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