Return-Path: X-Spam-DCC: paranoid 1233; Body=2 Fuz1=2 Fuz2=2 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.3 (2006-06-01) on lipkowski.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.2 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,HTML_30_40, HTML_MESSAGE autolearn=unavailable version=3.1.3 Received: from post.thorcom.com (post.thorcom.com [195.171.43.25]) by paranoid.lipkowski.org (8.13.7/8.13.7) with ESMTP id sBVFSErY028112 for ; Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:28:14 +0100 Received: from majordom by post.thorcom.com with local (Exim 4.14) id 1Y6L5b-0002NR-6b for rs_out_1@blacksheep.org; Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:21:35 +0000 Received: from [195.171.43.32] (helo=relay1.thorcom.net) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 4.14) id 1Y6L5a-0002NI-EC for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:21:34 +0000 Received: from omr-m3.mx.aol.com ([64.12.233.221]) by relay1.thorcom.net with esmtps (TLSv1:DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA:256) (Exim 4.84) (envelope-from ) id 1Y6L5Y-0000XS-61 for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:21:33 +0000 Received: from mtaout-mbe01.mx.aol.com (mtaout-mbe01.mx.aol.com [172.26.254.173]) by omr-m3.mx.aol.com (Outbound Mail Relay) with ESMTP id 2BBF8380000C6; Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:21:29 -0500 (EST) Received: from White (ipb21bee4a.dynamic.kabel-deutschland.de [178.27.238.74]) by mtaout-mbe01.mx.aol.com (MUA/Third Party Client Interface) with ESMTPA id 3249738000083; Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:21:26 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <5861243094DD42FDA080300B6BE9500F@White> From: "Markus Vester" To: , Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:21:24 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Importance: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Windows Live Mail 12.0.1606 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V12.0.1606 x-aol-global-disposition: G DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=mx.aol.com; s=20140625; t=1420039289; bh=HvHiXOTiMryT+GkzFBQRL9qUrkxd2v2soGTLRuE/32o=; h=From:To:Subject:Message-ID:Date:MIME-Version:Content-Type; b=M3Ew6LnEKamvLtv6iVfTBQOhCpSO0A2wc1eF20KKd5CuW2szDzqsSN4DV+k+KSoop oqSg7Pr3EsL0PtQB2DQIY27F6ZnkZ+/H52x2qodud+sASPEU+zbEuD5AXkMhVRQ7ts fQLGfVq+4/1srPn7RLcLFrTIcdQMIHHerv79e54s= x-aol-sid: 3039ac1afead54a414766675 X-AOL-IP: 178.27.238.74 X-Scan-Signature: f9f85a03ab18710b130c40acc03380f0 Subject: LF: Closure of German Longwave Broadcast Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0021_01D02515.D243BD20" X-SA-Exim-Scanned: Yes Sender: owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org X-Listname: rsgb_lf_group X-SA-Exim-Rcpt-To: rs_out_1@blacksheep.org X-SA-Exim-Scanned: No; SAEximRunCond expanded to false X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.56 on 10.1.3.10 Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 1678 Dies ist eine mehrteilige Nachricht im MIME-Format. ------=_NextPart_000_0021_01D02515.D243BD20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable As announced before, the German longwave broadcast transmissions on 153 = and 207 kHz (Deutschlandfunk) and 177 kHz (Deutschlandradio) will be = terminated with the New Year 2015. Presumably mediumwave AM = transmissions will follow one year later. It has been claimed that the = continuation would be too costly, considering the relatively small = number of AM listeners. Along with others, I think that this is a sad landmark in radio history, = because - AM radio is simple and intuitive. The concepts of AM transmission and = reception are easy to conceive, even by a child. And it's motivating to = play with it. In a few years, the kids can still build a diode receiver, = but listening to the small surrogate oscillator Daddy has hidden behind = the sofa will surely not be the same thing!=20 Then try to explain digital audio broadcasting to your grandson, all the = way from end-to-end (microphone to speaker. I even have strong doubts = that there is a single expert person now who understands the whole = chain. Every engineer is supposed to be working on the details of a = small subpart, knows little more than he "needs to know", and = communication is done by formal processes and requirement = specifications. Of course this is a general trend in industry, but I = don't think it is very desirable.=20 - AM is linear. Listening to 153 kHz in the evening hours, faint = Algerian music can be heard in the background. When I was young I was = fascinated by those distant sounds, and it probably contributed strongly = to my later interest in "DX". You can actually hear that the radio waves = have come a long way, experience selective fading, and solar effects, or = subtle ionospheric effects like Luxembourg crossmodulation. Modern = digital radio considers all this undesirable interference - what you get = is either perfect mp3 stereo, or nothing at all. - AM is a historic legacy. Especially on longwave, each transmitter and = antenna coupler is a unique installation, and the antennas are = impressive monuments. SAQ is a good example: While it's no longer needed = for transatlantic communication, it's still being kept alive as an = educative and fascinating world heritage. Why not keep at least one = large LF broadcast transmitter? - LF and MF radio is efficient. The half-megawatt Donebach transmitter = probably consumes a million Euros worth of energy per year, and in = addition, there is antenna and transmitter maintenance to be paid for. = But it provides gapless service across many million square kilometers. = Similar coverage with DAB will probably require a thousand or more = digital transmitters, which in total may well consume a higher amount of = power and secondary costs. One difficulty about keeping LF transmitters = alive may actually be there are so few of them - as most engineers seem = to be working on software and silicon chip-level hardware, it may become = hard to make spare parts and find experienced service people for = high-voltage RF in the future. - Radio helps to protect against spectrum pollution. Members of the LF = group are only too aware of the inflation of inadequately filtered SMPS = power supplies, "dirty" ADSL and PLC communication over unshielded = copper lines, and upcoming threats like inductive e-car charging = devices. Currently there are still EMC regulations in place which at = least provide some limit on radiated and conducted interference above = 150 kHz. But when there are no more AM broadcast listeners, why should = anyone invest effort to protect that part of spectrum against local = interference? The situation for those few crazy LF enthusiasts who enjoy = digging down to the noise floor may soon become comparable to that of = backyard astronomers in an urban environment - ie plain frustrating. End of rant... Anyway, all the best for the new year, Markus (DF6NM) ------=_NextPart_000_0021_01D02515.D243BD20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
As announced before, = the German longwave=20 broadcast transmissions on 153 and 207 kHz (Deutschlandfunk) and = 177 kHz=20 (Deutschlandradio) will be terminated with the New Year 2015. = Presumably=20 mediumwave AM transmissions will follow one year later. It has been = claimed that=20 the continuation would be too costly, considering the relatively small = number of=20 AM listeners.
 
Along with others, I think that this is = a sad=20 landmark in radio history, because
 
- AM radio is simple and = intuitive. The=20 concepts of AM transmission and reception are easy to = conceive, even=20 by a child. And it's motivating to play with it. In a few years, the = kids can=20 still build a diode receiver, but listening to the small surrogate=20 oscillator Daddy has hidden behind the sofa will surely not be the same = thing!=20
 
Then try to explain digital audio = broadcasting to=20 your grandson, all the way from end-to-end (microphone to speaker. I = even have=20 strong doubts that there is a single expert person now who = understands=20 the whole chain. Every engineer is supposed to be working on the details = of a=20 small subpart, knows little more than he "needs to know", and = communication=20 is done by formal processes and requirement specifications. Of course = this is a=20 general trend in industry, but I don't think it is very=20 desirable. 
 
- AM is linear. Listening to 153 kHz in the evening hours, faint Algerian = music can=20 be heard in the background. When I was young I was fascinated by those = distant=20 sounds, and it probably contributed strongly to my later interest in = "DX". You=20 can actually hear that the radio waves have come a long way, experience=20 selective fading, and solar effects, or subtle ionospheric effects = like=20 Luxembourg crossmodulation. Modern digital radio considers all=20 this undesirable interference - what you get is either perfect = mp3=20 stereo, or nothing at all.
 
- AM is a historic legacy. Especially = on longwave,=20 each transmitter and antenna coupler is a unique installation, and = the=20 antennas are impressive monuments. SAQ is a good example: While = it's no=20 longer needed for transatlantic communication, it's still being = kept alive=20 as an educative and fascinating world heritage. Why not keep = at least=20 one large LF broadcast transmitter?
 
- LF and MF radio is efficient. = The=20 half-megawatt Donebach transmitter probably consumes a million Euros = worth of=20 energy per year, and in addition, there is antenna and = transmitter=20 maintenance to be paid for. But it provides gapless service across=20 many million square kilometers. Similar coverage with DAB will = probably=20 require a thousand or more digital transmitters, which in total may well = consume a higher amount of power and secondary costs. One = difficulty=20 about keeping LF transmitters alive may actually be there are so few of = them -=20 as most engineers seem to be working on software and silicon = chip-level=20 hardware, it may become hard to make spare parts and = find experienced=20 service people for high-voltage RF in the future.
 
- Radio helps to protect against = spectrum=20 pollution. Members of the LF group are only too aware of the inflation = of=20 inadequately filtered SMPS power supplies, "dirty" ADSL and PLC = communication=20 over unshielded copper lines, and upcoming threats like = inductive=20 e-car charging devices. Currently there are still EMC regulations = in place=20 which at least provide some limit on radiated and conducted = interference=20 above 150 kHz. But when there are no more AM broadcast listeners, why = should=20 anyone invest effort to protect that part of spectrum against local=20 interference? The situation for those few crazy LF enthusiasts who enjoy = digging=20 down to the noise floor may soon become comparable to that of backyard=20 astronomers in an urban environment - ie plain frustrating.
 
End of rant...
 
Anyway, all the best for the new = year,
 
Markus (DF6NM)
 
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