Radio Recption in the Lot

[Jim]

I currently have no internet or satellite access at my house in the Lot.

Has anyone managed to recieve radio 4 using a conventional radio?

If so can you please suggest a manufacturer & nodel.

regards,

Jim

[Tim]

It's sometime since I was last down in your area - but I do remember being able to receive Radio 4 on my car radio quite well, albeit not reliably. Signals at that frequency are severely affected by over head cables and buildings. The matter is made worse because of the low signal levels at that distance from the transmitter.

If you can, I would see if a car radio receives Radio 4 first, before spending any money, and then perhaps having a word in your local electrical store and see if they will let you try a model.

 I think it's likely to be a question of 'you will get what you pay for' as the cheaper brands are less likely to have a decent tuner. I do remember my car radio was a Sony and some friends of mine who travel around europe alot have a Sony portable that they swear by. Both were not cheap.

You will have to bear in mind that you are well out of the service area and even here in Normandie, Radio 4 on 198 kHz suffers from a little fading at night time.

Good luck - Tim

[Martin963]

We find that the signal on our car radio which is very weak but stable in 24 has normally deteriorated further by the time we get to 46,  with some days there being nothing at all, and others a very weak signal.   It isn't helped that the ground conductivity (even at LF) deteriorates with all that surface rock in 46.

LF (long wave) radios vary hugely and (pace Timco!) some cheap radios work surprisingly well whilst some expensive ones don't.    The otherwise excellent Sony dual conversion portables weren't that good in that respect,  although much better on MW and SW.   But many cheap sets ARE rubbish so there's no hard and fast rule

If you can get one made up,  a "loop frame aerial" can (contrary to what a BBC engineering colleague told me) be adapted to LW and I've used this in the past in 05 to bring in Droitwich,   but for the same hassle (and still not good reception!) you could install a dish!

A well installed car radio IS often the best,   partly because you park it (as a rule!) outside the "prison of interference" helpfully placed in your house by the mains wiring.

Reception of Droitwich does seem slightly better in the summer than the winter,  but even in 24 there are some good days and some bad.    Satellite is the long term answer.

A £20 Sony we got second hand works quite well,  and we also found a Roberts digital-display (can't recall the model number) to be good on LW,  but I can't recommend it overall as the display failed only three years after purchase and when we arrive in 24 late at night one of the first jobs is to "blind tune" it so that Wendy can listen in bed.   A frustrating,  time consuming  and stupid thing to have to do on a set that cost £80.

[Tim]

Yes, Martin, you make a good point about the dual conversion sets. I must admit it's quite a while since I've thought about that sort of thing. I just remembered playing with one belonging to a friend and being quite impressed with it's selectivity and sensitivity, but didn't try it on long wave - didn't really need to here in Normandie!

I've got a 25 year old Panasonic that I use - what they called 'High Sensitivity' -  can't remember the model and it's obviously been out of production for about 24 years, but I've managed to keep it going by replacing broken antennas etc.

Have been thinking, when finances allow, of treating my self to one of these Eton sets that sad anoraks like me seem to raive about. I just need to persuade the more sensible half that's it's a desperately needed piece of equipment.[:)]

Tim

[Martin963]

Yes I keep reading good things about Etons.    But I nurse my Sonys and my Grundig 1400 on in the hope that DRM/DAB+ sets become available soon.

At least hoping for the near-impossible means that I keep putting off a major investment!

[Poppy]

We live in the Lot and get good radio 4 reception most of the time on a 20 year old Morphy Richards clock radio. I say most of the time because late at night it starts competing with an arabic station.  A few years ago we did buy an all singing etc very expensive worldwide reception Roberts radio but can't get any radio except local french. The alarm has died on the MR radio so we bought a new clock radio it doesn't have LW but reception for other stations is excellent wherever we are. Don't know why or how [I] but cheap clock radios seem to work for us [:D]