BFBS
Before 1990, Band II VHF in the UK was restricted to 88-97.6 MHz. The upper part of the band was used by non-broadcast stations. In 1990 the broadcast band was extended to 102 MHz and later the whole of the band was released as had been agreed by the World Administrative Radio Conference in 1978. Due to its proximity to the aeronautical band above 108 MHz, the upper part of the VHF FM band initially had restrictions placed on transmitter siting and power output to avoid interference. However, these restrictions were always intended to be eased when the aeronautical band users had improved the interference rejection capabilities of their equipment, the timetable for which had already been promulgated. This 'FM immunity' requirement had been known about since 1978; nevertheless certain users still had not replaced thier non-immune equipment after the beginning of last year when FMI became mandatory in the UK and in many other European countries. This meant that ILS and VOR receivers were potentially at risk from interfeence from legitmate users of Band II, so many aircraft were restricted from reliance upon VHF radio navigation until their receivers had been replaced or modified.
This is not the same thing as 8.33 KHz channeling; this was an entirely separate issue intended to increase the number of VHF R/T channels available in Europe - despite the increase from 720 channels to 760 channels mandated in the mid 90s. But most users replaced 'old' non-FMI transceivers with sets which were both FM immune and had 8.33 KHz channelling.
Strangely enough, no particular difficulty has ever been reported in the US which has had the full VHF FM band available for years, although broadcasting stations over there use odd frequencies (eg 99.1 Mhz) rather than the whole band.
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: BEagle ]</p>
This is not the same thing as 8.33 KHz channeling; this was an entirely separate issue intended to increase the number of VHF R/T channels available in Europe - despite the increase from 720 channels to 760 channels mandated in the mid 90s. But most users replaced 'old' non-FMI transceivers with sets which were both FM immune and had 8.33 KHz channelling.
Strangely enough, no particular difficulty has ever been reported in the US which has had the full VHF FM band available for years, although broadcasting stations over there use odd frequencies (eg 99.1 Mhz) rather than the whole band.
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: BEagle ]</p>
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exrotarybooty: Would that have been WHEELUS Air Force Base in Libya? I agree with your comment re Radio Malta, it was grim! I don't know whether this was an apocryphal story but, while I was on detachment with 13Sqn, somewhere far fom home, "The Sound Of Music" was released and, I was assured, was censored by the MUFC, God only knows why, if true.
Kind regards,
TheNightOwl.
Kind regards,
TheNightOwl.
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Quality service from the BFBS in the Falklands included live darts from a local bar (Thud...Thud...Thud..."Twenty six!"), sheep shearing competitions (Buzzzzz... Baa!) and a list of passengers on the local island hopper plane - including dogs!
Ralf,
Think you are thinking of FIBS (Falkland Islands Broadcasting) for the pax details on the FIGAS Islanders down in the Malvinas - local radio at it's most hilarious.
BFBS, however, could always be relied to upon to broadcast daily speculation as to when the next Tristar might arrive!! - and sounded very slick and professional by comparison (have to say that as I know one of the DJ's who was down there for a large part of 2000 when I made a couple of visits).
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: Wycombe ]</p>
Think you are thinking of FIBS (Falkland Islands Broadcasting) for the pax details on the FIGAS Islanders down in the Malvinas - local radio at it's most hilarious.
BFBS, however, could always be relied to upon to broadcast daily speculation as to when the next Tristar might arrive!! - and sounded very slick and professional by comparison (have to say that as I know one of the DJ's who was down there for a large part of 2000 when I made a couple of visits).
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: Wycombe ]</p>
Champagne anyone...?
To be fair for a mo' the BFBS broadcasts I've listened to are, on the whole, pretty slick. Just compare them to your local radio station at home; we get G.W.ARS*! round these parts - the majority of whose DJs are, frankly, toe-curling bad.
FIBS on the other hand is just fantastic - I remember listening to an article about an overnight "crime spree" in Stanley - someone had knocked a wing mirror off a landrover and tipped over a bin. They grilled the local chief copper to find out what exactly he was going to do about it....
PS. What I especially like about BFBS is that there's Officers' radio on BFBS 2 and The Mens' radio on BFBS 1
Splendid.
FIBS on the other hand is just fantastic - I remember listening to an article about an overnight "crime spree" in Stanley - someone had knocked a wing mirror off a landrover and tipped over a bin. They grilled the local chief copper to find out what exactly he was going to do about it....
PS. What I especially like about BFBS is that there's Officers' radio on BFBS 2 and The Mens' radio on BFBS 1
Splendid.
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Agreed, some of the BFBS DJs can get with the grooves! Some of the girlies were pretty presentable too...Michelle Horn springs to mind(Last heard down at Ocean FM).
Also some of the big names in Radio started life with BFBS, like,..er..and ...er.
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: Muff Coupling ]</p>
Also some of the big names in Radio started life with BFBS, like,..er..and ...er.
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: Muff Coupling ]</p>
