The forecasts will continue, though only twice a day on weekdays on Radio 4 FM, DAB, BBC Sounds etc, growing to three times a day at weekends. The long-wave bits of the mighty Droitwich transmitter will be closed down for the last time.
So the last of the metre-high water-cooled glass valves are beaming their final few months of 198kHz messages. A few years ago we were told there were only 10 of these valves in the world, and the BBC had to buy up the lot. Apparently trying to make new ones might cause the other Droitwich transmitters to fizz and blow. No longer will that intriguing glassware send out shipping forecasts and cricket commentary over land and sea. It’s quite a moment; in 1992 Radio 4 ‘Save Long Wave’ demonstrators, fed up with the slow growth of good FM and not having yet dreamed of DAB, barracked Broadcasting House in a polite Radio 4 way, and expats on the near Continent worried at the loss of Test Match Special, their British birthright.
This story is from the March 2024 edition of Yachting Monthly UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2024 edition of Yachting Monthly UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Orford Sailing Club celebrates 100 years
Situated in arguably one of Suffolk’s prettiest villages and under the watchful eye of its medieval castle and church, Orford SailingClub celebrates its centenary in 2024.
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF AIS IN THE NIGHT-TIME
When container vessels mysteriously started keeping clear of Peter Webb's yacht, it seemed odd, but the answer to their unusual behaviour didn't emerge until they were safely in harbour
A sea change in lifejacket design
Mustang Survival introduces ils new ISO approved Atlas 190
Are you brave enough to have a go?
The flexing of spring’s muscles calls for a dusting down of my jobs list.
Translated 9 retires from OGR with hull damage
Translated 9, one of the leading yachts in the Ocean Globe Race (OGR), has been forced to retire from the round-the-world race with hull damage and has diverted to Madeira.
Tributes paid to boatbuilder lain Oughtred
Tributes have flowed in for renowned boatbuilder and designer Iain Oughtred who died on the Isle of Skye in February, aged 84.
Russia suspected of 63-hour attack on GPS signals in the Baltic region
Russia is suspected of launching a 63-hour-long attack on GPS signals in the Baltic region, starting on 31 March, Easter Sunday, in a move that affected more than 1,600 passenger planes, as well as other GPS users.
TECHNICAL KETCH TO SCHOONER
Roger Hughes explains why he swapped his masts to create an impressive brigantine square-rigger
TECHNICAL CHOOSING THE RIGHT PROPELLER
A change of propeller can dramatically improve a yacht's performance while saving money on fuel. Sam Fortescue reports on the latest options
10 BEST HIDDEN SCOTTISH ANCHORAGES
The sheer beauty of the Western Isles draws many yachtsmen, but cruising on the west coast of Scotland has always been for the brave.