How far.. for Rock FM - Radio

Bill Clinton · 31-08-2004, 01:59

For a supposedly local station serving the Preston, Blackpool sort of area it sure does go a long way. It seems to have pretty much blanket Northwest coverage, It can be heard in cheshire from Warrington down to Stoke, has no problem in Liverpool & The Wirral and works right the way along the North Wales coast to Bangor.
Is it intended for the whole Northwest or is it just lucky?
How far have you heard Rock FM? It might be worth tuning in as they've still got the good old top 10 at 10 when the other stations are running controversial chat and late night love.

Cheshire Robski · 31-08-2004, 07:36

It gets it's distance out due to it's transmission site on the top of Winter Hill, 450 metres above Bolton!

It's coverage is not what it used to be though. Ten or so years back and on a reasonable car stereo, you could pick it up from just North of Wolverhampton on the M6, all the way North into the Lakes!

Nevertheless, it still gets out far, even though the signal is nulled to the South somewhat. Century 105.4 is not nulled in any direction, also comes from Winter Hill, and has quite a coverage area.

mrtambourineman · 31-08-2004, 19:05

I reckon Rock would be just about possible in a few select spots round here (Burton-upon-Trent) with an outdoor directional aerial. The best DX spot I know of round here gives me Smooth 100.4 no problem but Hallam knocks out Rock. With a directional aerial I reckon it'd be possible.

Certianly knew a guy near Ashby-de-la-zouch who used to listen to Jazz (as it was then) on his outdoor aerial with a near perfect signal.

smorris · 31-08-2004, 19:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Clinton

Is it intended for the whole Northwest or is it just lucky?

Just lucky - it's intended primarily for Preston & Blackburn (and possibly Blackpool - not sure).

redcar1 · 01-09-2004, 11:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheshire Robski

Century 105.4 is not nulled in any direction, also comes from Winter Hill, and has quite a coverage area.

I'm pretty sure that if you examine the technical parameters list for commercial radio (available from OFCOM site) you'll find that, bizarrely, Century 105 and Smooth FM are both nulled in an east and south-easeterly direction (i.e. over Manchester, the biggest centre of population they serve!!). The amount is surprisingly large too, up to 10dB. Certainly my experience is that these stations are much stronger in the Liverpool area than the Manchester area, especially east of Manchester city centre.

The same is true of Rock FM, good reception seems to last from Liverpool until just west of Manchester, then the signal dies quickly.
Rock FM is also nulled to the south-east and is of course less powerful (2kW vs 5kW) and its aerial is only 90m above ground level on the Winter Hill mast, whereas Smooth's and Century's are 190m up (still nowhere near the to though!). The aerials on Bilsdale mast used by TFM, Century and Galaxy are all much closer to the top than this (about 270m agl) - I've always thought it strange that the ILR aerials on Winter Hill are so low down!

bronx2282 · 01-09-2004, 12:01

I can get Rock FM down here in Lancaster but it doesn't sound spectacular when you're driving in your car, as the signal breaks up a lot.

Don't even start me on DAB, EMAP C Lancs is appauling, I can only get it now and again. In fact I've not been able to get it for about 7/8 months now.

Theres a new community station called 'Diversity Radio' starting here on 2nd October.

Martin Phillp · 01-09-2004, 13:40

I'm always hearing travel girl Gemma mention Liverpool and other parts of Merseyside.

Cheshire Robski · 01-09-2004, 13:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Phillp

I'm always hearing travel girl Gemma mention Liverpool and other parts of Merseyside.

Rock FM's official TSA is Central and West Lancashire. This therefore includes some of the old Lancashire - now Merseyside - towns like Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport etc.

kev · 01-09-2004, 19:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheshire Robski

Rock FM's official TSA is Central and West Lancashire. This therefore includes some of the old Lancashire - now Merseyside - towns like Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport etc.

And parts of what is now Greater Manchester, such as Bolton.

Certainly covers Blackpool although coverage is patch compared with Radio Wave, however it's still usable in parts of Cumbria and all the way down the M6 to Stoke-On-Trent, although it used to be usable until Fox FM started kicking in on the M42 round Birmingham!

officialy it doesn't cover East or North Lancashire, until 2BR launched the only ilr service to cover East Lancs (Burnley) was Asian Sound Radio.

As MXR is dodgy in Preston what chance has EMAP got in Lancaster!

Recar1 - can highly belive that Smooth and Century start dropping out at Picadilly station in Manchester, and on my radio Smooth suffers splatter from Galaxy while on the travalators - at least it's not as bad as my last walkman where 102 splattered everything including Key 103!

bronx2282 · 01-09-2004, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by kev

As MXR is dodgy in Preston what chance has EMAP got in Lancaster!

Digital 1, MXR and BBC muxes are 100% at my house but they all come from the Lancaster/Morecambe transmitter whereas EMAP comes from Winter Hill, much like the BBC a few months ago!

redcar1 · 01-09-2004, 22:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by kev

Recar1 - can highly belive that Smooth and Century start dropping out at Picadilly station in Manchester, and on my radio Smooth suffers splatter from Galaxy while on the travalators - at least it's not as bad as my last walkman where 102 splattered everything including Key 103!

Smooth (although it was still Jazz FM at the time) always did seem weaker east of Piccadilly station when I used to travel between Liverpool and here by train (I won't be making the journey any more now though). Rock FM was always remarkably strong all the way from Liverpool to the outskirts of Manchester then almost impossible to get afterwards!

The spattering problem from Galaxy will of course be due to the fact that it transmits from the top of the Sunley Tower in the city centre therefore giving an intense signal in the city centre which soon weakens outside whereas Key 103 will be weaker in the centre than in the suburbs due to the tall buildings. My Walkman (a Panasonic) suffers this problem and was completely useless when standing under the Pontop Pike mast in County Durham, the main BBC transmitter for the North East.

mjdj1689 · 02-09-2004, 01:27

Emap cen lancs onm dab (ie rock etc) dies at junction 23 on the m6 going southbound , and you just loose it on the m6 going south bound near to the lancaster turning , no where like the fm signal.

redcar1 · 02-09-2004, 21:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjdj1689

Emap cen lancs onm dab (ie rock etc) dies at junction 23 on the m6 going southbound , and you just loose it on the m6 going south bound near to the lancaster turning , no where like the fm signal.

TFM is similar to this - its DAB coverage is nothing like its FM coverage, although this is partly because it uses poorer transmitter sites for DAB than for FM. Metro Radio also has less coverage on DAB but the difference is less. On the other hand, Real Radio (Yorkshire) has a much larger coverage area on DAB as it uses many more transmitter sites than for FM.

bronx2282 · 03-09-2004, 08:31

Rock FM's DAB transmitter is at the same site as its FM transmitter - Winter Hill.

dpb · 03-09-2004, 08:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by bronx2282

Rock FM's DAB transmitter is at the same site as its FM transmitter - Winter Hill.

That doesn't mean anything the DAB multiplex seems to be more highly directional than Rock. If I got on my roof I can see Winter Hill, but I can't get CE Lancashire.

bronx2282 · 03-09-2004, 13:22

Yeah, I was just pointing it out.

What amount of watts is EMAP C Lancs being pumped out at compared to the analogue FM signal?

redcar1 · 03-09-2004, 21:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by bronx2282

What amount of watts is EMAP C Lancs being pumped out at compared to the analogue FM signal?

EMAP Central Lancs is at 1.5kW ERP from Winter Hill, and Rock FM is at 2.0kW from the same site. This shows how much better the FM signal travels than the DAB one. It seems that the amount of signal required for good DAB reception is actually quite high, perhaps corresponding to the amount required for fairly good FM stereo reception!

g jones · 03-09-2004, 21:38

Obviously DAB signals travel well over the sea as here in bangor I am able to recieve the Emap Central Lancs mux at about 90% signal strength.Having said that Rock fm 97.4 also comes through strongly.

jbeavon · 04-09-2004, 22:10

i can just about pick up rock fm in northwich, amazing really, as most stations seem to just die there, suppose that was happens when ur in the middle of a bit of a dip!

mediaman_12 · 05-09-2004, 16:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbeavon

i can just about pick up rock fm in northwich, amazing really, as most stations seem to just die there, suppose that was happens when ur in the middle of a bit of a dip!

Ahhh, but that's just Northwich, The FM reception black hole. I drive from North Warrington to Northwich for work every day. At the start I have a huge 'choice' (of DJ's). All the Liverpool stuff (City, etc.) Manchester stations (Key, Galaxy, etc) and Rock FM, all really strong. The closer I get to Northwich the less and less I can pick up, By the time I get to the town center all I am left with is a poor Key 103 and R1 (I played a lot of CD's when Sara Cox was on).

Ako · 05-09-2004, 20:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by mediaman_12

Ahhh, but that's just Northwich, The FM reception black hole. I drive from North Warrington to Northwich for work every day. At the start I have a huge 'choice' (of DJ's). All the Liverpool stuff (City, etc.) Manchester stations (Key, Galaxy, etc) and Rock FM, all really strong. The closer I get to Northwich the less and less I can pick up, By the time I get to the town center all I am left with is a poor Key 103 and R1 (I played a lot of CD's when Sara Cox was on).

Signal One (102.6) covers Northwich, as does Silk FM (106.9) ...

jbeavon · 07-09-2004, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ako

Signal One (102.6) covers Northwich, as does Silk FM (106.9) ...

doesn't cover the town centre very well, very patchy reception! and i can't pick up 106.9 at all in northwich!

Andrea Jackson · 08-09-2004, 14:01

I could hear 97.4 Rock FM in full stereo when I was travelling along the M6 from Carlisle.

It can be heard as you go along the A74(M) and also in Gretna Green too, but go further up the road to Johnstonebridge and you can hear it too - I heard it at Annandale Water Service Station!!

Oh, and it can be heard up in Lesmahagow and Kirkmuirhill in South Lanarkshire too!!!

It does fade out in the middle of the M6, but can be picked up as you go towards Carlisle and Scotland.

I've also heard 97.4 Rock FM at the Walkden/Worsley interchange of the A580 too, particularly on Chaddock Lane and Mosley Common Road.

Andrea Jackson · 08-09-2004, 14:23

amazing but true!!

Paul Evans · 08-09-2004, 16:33

Rock FM used to come in loud and clear here in north Manchester up until around five or six years ago, when the signal deteriorated rapidly. Now, I can still receive it in mono (I still tune in for the Top 10 at 10 slot), but it's considerably hissy most of the time.

I thought it may have been down to all the computer and electrical equipment in my room, and this is true to some extent, but even in the car, the signal is nonexistent.

Smooth FM (formerly Jazz FM) always had a crap signal here, with only those rare days with atmospherics could my stereo actually pull in the RDS information.

31-08-2004, 01:59	#1
Bill Clinton Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: SouthWirral 1986-2002 & 2004-? Services: SKY HD being used on a standard TV, PS3 60 GB, 1radio, reachonair (?) Posts: 2,685 Blog Entries: 5	How far.. for Rock FM For a supposedly local station serving the Preston, Blackpool sort of area it sure does go a long way. It seems to have pretty much blanket Northwest coverage, It can be heard in cheshire from Warrington down to Stoke, has no problem in Liverpool & The Wirral and works right the way along the North Wales coast to Bangor. Is it intended for the whole Northwest or is it just lucky? How far have you heard Rock FM? It might be worth tuning in as they've still got the good old top 10 at 10 when the other stations are running controversial chat and late night love.

31-08-2004, 07:36	#2
Cheshire Robski Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: 180 miles North West of London Services: Roof rotator FM3H, tuners with 300, 180 & 53kHz modified filters - DAB 8 mu Posts: 1,372	It gets it's distance out due to it's transmission site on the top of Winter Hill, 450 metres above Bolton! It's coverage is not what it used to be though. Ten or so years back and on a reasonable car stereo, you could pick it up from just North of Wolverhampton on the M6, all the way North into the Lakes! Nevertheless, it still gets out far, even though the signal is nulled to the South somewhat. Century 105.4 is not nulled in any direction, also comes from Winter Hill, and has quite a coverage area.

31-08-2004, 19:05	#3
mrtambourineman Banned User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: ~ Services: ' Posts: 380	I reckon Rock would be just about possible in a few select spots round here (Burton-upon-Trent) with an outdoor directional aerial. The best DX spot I know of round here gives me Smooth 100.4 no problem but Hallam knocks out Rock. With a directional aerial I reckon it'd be possible. Certianly knew a guy near Ashby-de-la-zouch who used to listen to Jazz (as it was then) on his outdoor aerial with a near perfect signal.

01-09-2004, 12:01	#6
bronx2282 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Lancaster Services: BT Opt 3 w/Vision Posts: 1,010	I can get Rock FM down here in Lancaster but it doesn't sound spectacular when you're driving in your car, as the signal breaks up a lot. Don't even start me on DAB, EMAP C Lancs is appauling, I can only get it now and again. In fact I've not been able to get it for about 7/8 months now. Theres a new community station called 'Diversity Radio' starting here on 2nd October.

01-09-2004, 13:40	#7
Martin Phillp Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London Services: Freeview (Sharp TU-R160H) and DAB Posts: 11,274	I'm always hearing travel girl Gemma mention Liverpool and other parts of Merseyside.

02-09-2004, 01:27	#12
mjdj1689 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Cheshire Services: sky 16 meg connection, Posts: 1,238	Emap cen lancs onm dab (ie rock etc) dies at junction 23 on the m6 going southbound , and you just loose it on the m6 going south bound near to the lancaster turning , no where like the fm signal.

03-09-2004, 08:31	#14
bronx2282 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Lancaster Services: BT Opt 3 w/Vision Posts: 1,010	Rock FM's DAB transmitter is at the same site as its FM transmitter - Winter Hill.

03-09-2004, 13:22	#16
bronx2282 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Lancaster Services: BT Opt 3 w/Vision Posts: 1,010	Yeah, I was just pointing it out. What amount of watts is EMAP C Lancs being pumped out at compared to the analogue FM signal?

03-09-2004, 21:38	#18
g jones Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bangor North Wales Services: Freeview Llanddona & Winter Hill,Sky fta .aol bb.Dab winter hill + liverpool Posts: 375	Obviously DAB signals travel well over the sea as here in bangor I am able to recieve the Emap Central Lancs mux at about 90% signal strength.Having said that Rock fm 97.4 also comes through strongly.

04-09-2004, 22:10	#19
jbeavon Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Runcorn - Near Liverpool Services: Ignoramus Posts: 3,052	i can just about pick up rock fm in northwich, amazing really, as most stations seem to just die there, suppose that was happens when ur in the middle of a bit of a dip!

08-09-2004, 14:01	#23
Andrea Jackson Banned User Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Liverpool & West Midlands Posts: 518	I could hear 97.4 Rock FM in full stereo when I was travelling along the M6 from Carlisle. It can be heard as you go along the A74(M) and also in Gretna Green too, but go further up the road to Johnstonebridge and you can hear it too - I heard it at Annandale Water Service Station!! Oh, and it can be heard up in Lesmahagow and Kirkmuirhill in South Lanarkshire too!!! It does fade out in the middle of the M6, but can be picked up as you go towards Carlisle and Scotland. I've also heard 97.4 Rock FM at the Walkden/Worsley interchange of the A580 too, particularly on Chaddock Lane and Mosley Common Road.

08-09-2004, 14:23	#24
Andrea Jackson Banned User Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Liverpool & West Midlands Posts: 518	amazing but true!!

08-09-2004, 16:33	#25
Paul Evans Forum Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Manchester, UK not EU Services: Freeview, VM w/ 20Mb BB, PS2, PS3, DS, DAB, Wii Posts: 1,523	Rock FM used to come in loud and clear here in north Manchester up until around five or six years ago, when the signal deteriorated rapidly. Now, I can still receive it in mono (I still tune in for the Top 10 at 10 slot), but it's considerably hissy most of the time. I thought it may have been down to all the computer and electrical equipment in my room, and this is true to some extent, but even in the car, the signal is nonexistent. Smooth FM (formerly Jazz FM) always had a crap signal here, with only those rare days with atmospherics could my stereo actually pull in the RDS information.