http://www.car4play.com/forum Car4play forum en-gb Thu, 02 Jul 2026 23:13:21 +0100 Copyright: Car4play webmaster@car4play.com (Technical) 5 car4play690149 Thu, 02 Jul 2026 23:13:21 +0100 Back in the day we always listened to LW Radio 4 (Radio 2 until circa 1978?) when travelling into Europe as reception was reasonable for a surprising distance after leaving our shores. Never used it in Blighty though preferring stereo FM channels. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690149&v=e car4play690066 Sun, 28 Jun 2026 22:23:08 +0100 Twin 500kW transmitters will do that. I used to think that was a phenomenal amount of power; not so much in this era of 350kW chargers for one car! http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690066&v=e car4play690044 Sun, 28 Jun 2026 12:04:20 +0100 >> Used to drive from Birmingham to Bristol in the eighties with an am//fm radio in >> my Lonsdale, Aussie built Mitsubishi.. Going by J5 of the M5 The Archers would suddenly >> blast out of the speakers, mass breakthrough. We used to go to Crystal Palace parade with an old style fluorescent light tube, stand under the transmiter tower, ground one end with a hand and hold the other end up, they used to flicker nicely. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690044&v=e car4play690039 Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:24:35 +0100 Used to drive from Birmingham to Bristol in the eighties with an am//fm radio in my Lonsdale, Aussie built Mitsubishi.. Going by J5 of the M5 The Archers would suddenly blast out of the speakers, mass breakthrough. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690039&v=e car4play690035 Sun, 28 Jun 2026 01:43:23 +0100 >> That reminds me, reflecting the limited contact people had with home on their travels In the early 1970s we used Poste Restante. You would write home and tell them to reply to you at Poste Restante somewhere or other until a certain date and then after that to Poste Restante at the next place you were planning to visit. The Poste Restante system was very good in most places with the worst exception being La Paz, Bolivia where the Poste Restante mail was in a heap on the floor and you were told to sort it out yourself. They made the Arabs look organised and efficient! Using that system you were always about 4 weeks behind with family news but we managed. Tell the young ones that and they boggle. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690035&v=e car4play690030 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 17:26:45 +0100 That reminds me, reflecting the limited contact people had with home on their travels Radio 4 used to broadcast individual “phone home” messages. These were a last resort to contact travellers who were needed urgently for health emergencies etc. Henry Warren in ruined city Neville Shute.... should we ask the BBC to broadcast a message for him? http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690030&v=e car4play690029 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 15:22:42 +0100 The quality was pretty poor but the range was excellent. Travelling in France and elsewhere in pre-internet/mobile days it was the only way for the casual listener to pick up U.K. radio. That reminds me, reflecting the limited contact people had with home on their travels Radio 4 used to broadcast individual “phone home” messages. These were a last resort to contact travellers who were needed urgently for health emergencies etc. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690029&v=e car4play690028 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 14:44:51 +0100 >> I remember listening to 1500 metres LW (labelled Droitwich) on my parents' radio back in >> the 1950s/60s. It was either that or the Home Service. Droitwich is the transmitter location. It was used for the Home Service during the war but reallocated to the Light Programme - Radio 2 after 1967 - when wartime restrictions ended. There was a further rejig in 1979 after which it broadcast Radio 4. 1500 metres wavelength gives a frequency of 200khz but Droitwich was changed to 198khz to comply with 9khz spacing between stations from 1988. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690028&v=e car4play690027 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 14:35:27 +0100 >> I can't honestly remember ever listening to it. >> I remember listening to 1500 metres LW (labelled Droitwich) on my parents' radio back in the 1950s/60s. It was either that or the Home Service. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690027&v=e car4play690026 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 14:14:30 +0100 >> Droitwich is actually still transmitting with a redirection message to VHF, sounds etc. That ends on 30th June http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690026&v=e car4play690025 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 14:01:44 +0100 Droitwich is actually still transmitting with a redirection message to VHF, sounds etc. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690025&v=e car4play690023 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 13:27:19 +0100 >> >> If Radio Luxemburg was on LW then I did. >> >> 208 metres MW if I remember rightly. He may be older than you think, Radio Luxemburg moved from LW to 208 MW in 1951 Little known fact Luxemburg started in the 30's, taken over by the germans in WW2, and was used to broadcast Lord Haw Haw. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690023&v=e car4play690020 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:38:58 +0100 >> If Radio Luxemburg was on LW then I did. 208 metres MW if I remember rightly. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690020&v=e car4play690019 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:36:55 +0100 >> >> >> Genuinely surprised, given we're in the same age group, that you managed to avoid it!! >> >> If Radio Luxemburg was on LW then I did. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690019&v=e car4play690018 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:23:26 +0100 >> Long wave. Genuinely surprised, given we're in the same age group, that you managed to avoid it!! http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690018&v=e car4play690016 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:11:43 +0100 >> >> >> Do you mean Radio 4 or Long Wave? >> >> >> Long wave. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690016&v=e car4play690015 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:11:19 +0100 >> Dad used to listen to French radio on LW to improve his comprehension of the >> language which he needed for his business. Back in the 60's in a 50's era caravan, perched on Cornish clifftops, I can remember listening with my dad on his portable Grundig (they mad some fab stuff back then, the germans knew their radio tech) late at night to the numerous LW stations and the short wave spy stations. Voice of America was fab, they did a jazz hour, sandwiched between Western propaganda http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690015&v=e car4play690014 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 11:59:44 +0100 >> Romania: Radio Antena Satelor (153 kHz) – 200 kW >> France: Allouis (162 kHz) – Used primarily as the ALS162 time signal transmitter, >> Poland: Polskie Radio (225 kHz) – 1,000 kW Thanks Z. Dad used to listen to French radio on LW to improve his comprehension of the language which he needed for his business. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690014&v=e car4play690013 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 11:54:08 +0100 >> Was that the last LW station in Europe? Romania: Radio Antena Satelor (153 kHz) – 200 kW France: Allouis (162 kHz) – Used primarily as the ALS162 time signal transmitter, Poland: Polskie Radio (225 kHz) – 1,000 kW Plenty of North African, Mid east ones can be easily heard, and if the atmospherics are good at night you can get the Voice of North Korea. Medium wave is on its way out as well. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690013&v=e car4play690012 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 11:50:10 +0100 >> I can't honestly remember ever listening to it. Do you mean Radio 4 or Long Wave? The 198khz, originally 1500 metres/200khz before Europe settled on 9khz channel spacing in AM, was used for the Light Programme, later Radio 2, until a rejig in the late seventies. Dad listened to the Light Programme quite a lot in the car and 1500 Long Wave was a preset on his car radio right up until VHF/Stereo became a thing. I was still listening to R4 long wave until a few years ago as VHF is ropy in most of this house. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690012&v=e car4play690011 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 11:41:49 +0100 I can't honestly remember ever listening to it. http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690011&v=e car4play690008 Sat, 27 Jun 2026 11:35:47 +0100 The BBC's use of 198khz long wave for Radio 4 ended with closedown last night after over 100 years. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/26/bbcs-long-wave-final-broadcast-national-anthem/ Was that the last LW station in Europe? http://www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?m=690008&v=e