101.4

[nrglcb2016]

just picked up a station on this freq playing shit 80s pop tunes got rds of maritime

[nrglcb2016]

just seen on the net its a legal from charlton way

[famefm]

Just what we need another station exactly the same old same old?

[teckniqs]

It's only an RSL.

[nrglcb2016]

how far does an rsl go tho? getting these clear in dagenham

[teckniqs]

How long is a piece of string, in Dagenham?

[nrglcb2016]

ok so i take it rsls arent restricted to say 10 miles for example. as for string depends on what people are nicking

[teckniqs]

Nope just by the amount of ERP they're allowed to use.

[Albert H]

How many times does this need to be explained?

VHF signals go to the horizon. Always. 1 Watt goes just as far as 5000 Watts.

The field strength is determined by the antenna height, transmitter power, antenna type, feedline type, accuracy of antenna and feedline matches, and any number of other more minor things. The ability of a receiver to pick a signal out of the noise - some receivers are much better than others - will also go a long way to determining how far a signal can be heard.

The field strength determines whether a signal can be heard over the background noise. The higher the field strength, the more able you will be to hear the signal. Ideally an FM signal will be strong enough at your receiver so that "limiting" occurs in the intermediate frequency amplifier in the receiver. At this "limiting" point, all amplitude information is stripped off the signal, leaving only the FM portion, giving the clear, clean signal that FM is known for.

The 101.4MHz thing - if it's an RSL - will probably be limited to 25 Watts into a dipole, and the dipole can't be more than 10m HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain). Their antenna is therefore very limited - both in elevation and the lack of opportunity for antenna gain.

[teckniqs]

That's what I always used to think but the last RSL to come on around here used an office block around 30m high.

[Albert H]

I did one RSL from above a shop at the top of Highgate Hill, but the 10m HAAT rule still applied!

[4therecord]

This RSL was on late last year but on 87.9..... this was a totally stupid allocation by Ofcom for obvious reasons.... so I guess that's why they've now been given something not right next to a powerful pirate that wont move!

[famefm]

If I had a choice that thing on 88.0 should be closed down?

[bristolpirates]

That's what I always used to think but the last RSL to come on around here used an office block around 30m high.

It may be that a 30m high building on the south coast is closer to sea level than one more in-land?

When I questioned SWU FM in Bristol why their site was so bad, they replied with..

"Its varies for each location and license application unfortunately, the TX sites above sea level height and actual ground level is factored in to the terms of the license and will also dictate how much power you can use as on the FM transmitter output. For example if we put the ariel 20 meter's above ground level at a site on the top of Park street, The 75 meters above sea level would have to be factored in to the over all height, meaning it would more than likely rejected based its potential reach."

They were only allowed 10w, and their site was Hamilton House (the one with the Mild Mild West Banksy on the wall of the building next door to it) in Stokes Croft which is one of the lower areas of the city, and has a massive hill literally over the road from it. Needless to say, signal was choppy everywhere.

[Westman]

Ofcom/DTI loved 101.4, they used to give that out to The Arts school in Croydon for their RSL usually in the summer. Remember Flight 101.5 had to come off for a month whilst they were on 101.4