ATIS at UK Airports

[FRatSTN]

Most UK Airports have an automated voice for their ATIS and in the vast majority of airports, is that distinct male, almost robotic or darlek sounding voice. Through my travels I have now heard quite a long list of ATIS's in the UK and have noticed that a handful of them (namely Aldergrove, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bristol, London City and Prestwick) seem to transmit lower pitched voice than the others and perhaps a little slower in speed as well, despite having that same "darlek" sounding voice as Heathrow, Stansted, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Belfast City or virtually any other UK airport you can think of!

Does anybody know why this is??? It can't be to do my with proxitety to airports, because when at the airport itself, the distinct difference in ptich still occurs and also can't be to do with the size of the airport because the list gives a range of different sized airports and also can't be to do with location because there are also airports in both rural and urban locations in that list so I can't think of any other reason as to why this happens! Not really that's it's that important, just curious as to why?

[vulcanised]

The one near me sounds as if he's straining on the toilet.

[Squealing Pig]

Various brands of computer software available to run the ATIS maybe?

[sambatc]

batteries are about to run out perhaps?

[chevvron]

I would think it depends on whether (weather?) the ATIS is taken direct from an automated weather station or is input manually by an observer.

[fujii]

Most UK Airports have an automated voice for their ATIS and in the vast majority of airports, is that distinct male, almost robotic or darlek sounding voice.......


I think it is because they are still running the older software. The problem was solved when the "r" was removed from Dalek in the code.

[Spitoon]

As Squealing Pig says, it's just a matter of different airports buying the equipment from different manufacturers/suppliers.

[samotnik]

Most probably there is a "voice speed" setting. Anyway, I'm amazed why there are quite a few high quality voice synthetizers on the market, and still most ATISes, including those recently introduced, are unreadable and sound robotic. Even if they cost millions.

[Dan Dare]

Surely high pitch provides more clarity. Why do they not use a female voice?

[PositiveClimbGearUp]

It's a Geordie voice on quite a few of them - which was the voice originally heard only at Newcastle in the 90s.

[Helen49]

Many Units use an ATIS synthesiser which takes its 'voice' from the inventor, a former Watch Manager ATCO at LBA. Hence LBA was one of the first UK Units to use a fully automated system. [Having some of the worst weather, they probably had a greater need than most!]. Once the weather observer has entered the information into the computer, the latter does the rest.

Until his retirement, it was quite possible to listen to the same voice providing the ATC service as had previously passed you the Terminal Information!