Onthemove Factsheet

RADIO RECEPTION ON THE MOVE AND OVERSEAS

Many people enjoy listening to the radio when they are travelling in the UK or abroad. In the UK you can benefit from special features such as travel bulletins, and in many parts of the world you can listen to BBC World Service in English. BBC radio services are broadcast on different wavebands and in order to get the best reception you need the correct equipment. This BBC factsheet explains more about the equipment you need to find our full range of services and how to get the most from them. Listening on the move

To get the best possible reception you will need a radio covering three wavebands:FM Medium wave Long wave

(sometimes known as VHF, V, U, or UKW) (also known as MW or AM) (or LW)

In addition all BBC digital radio services, national stations and many local radio stations are available on DAB digital radio. There is more about DAB later in this factsheet. 1 FM

FM usually gives excellent sound quality and is mostly in stereo. FM signals travel in almost straight lines but are unable to travel over or pass through large obstructions such as hills. Because of this reception is affected when you are driving through built-up areas or deep valleys. The sound may become distorted because your radio receives one signal direct from the transmitter and another reflected signal from buildings or surrounding hills. However a good aerial can help minimise this difficulty. Many FM transmitters are needed to give good coverage across the country. Adjacent transmitters do not use the same FM frequencies because this could lead to interference. So, as you travel around, you will need to re-tune the radio. Some older radio sets have frequency pre-set push-buttons, or you will have to manually

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adjust the tuning while driving. Fortunately most modern car radios incorporate the Radio Data System (RDS) that keeps you tuned to the station automatically. There is more about RDS later in this factsheet. 2 Medium and Long wave

These signals can travel longer distances than FM signals and are more able to follow the contours of the ground. However, obstructions in their path, such as buildings or hills, may weaken the signals.

This is especially true in very built-up areas such as towns and cities where interference from electrical sources (streets lamps, flashing signs and power lines) can mean you experience poor reception. You may come across a different problem in sparsely populated areas where reception either fades from time to time or is distorted.

Although medium and long wave reception are usually good during the day, night-time reception can be spoiled by interference from transmitters that are further away than your local transmitter. If this happens try tuning to a different frequency or to FM. For more information about day and night reception see our Radio Aerials And Good Reception factsheet.

Long wave is only used in Europe so your radio may not have long wave available. Some radios may have a setting marked AM (amplitude modulation). Usually this refers to medium wave but some sets with AM have medium wave and long wave all on one waveband. To find out if this is true for your set please check the handbook. 3 Radio Data System (RDS)

Many modern car radios incorporate the Radio Data System (RDS). This system automatically selects the strongest FM signal for the station you wish to receive. With RDS this means that you do not need to retune as you drive around. RDS also displays the name of the station you are tuned to and can display the time and date. It automatically adjusts itself as you move through time zones, leap years and summer/wintertime changes. If you use your car over long journeys, the most useful feature is that RDS can automatically detect travel announcements as they are broadcast by local BBC radio stations. The radio can alert you by raising the volume or by interrupting the playing of either disc or tape during each bulletin. This means 2

you never need miss important traffic news. Most new RDS sets will automatically switch from listening to BBC network stations (such as BBC Radio 2) to BBC local radio travel bulletins and then back again once the bulletin is over. You can turn this facility off if you wish.

RDS is standard across Europe so if your car has RDS it will also work on the continent (where obviously it can’t necessarily pick up BBC stations). Most good car manufacturers fit RDS radios as standard. For more information please read our technical factsheet about RDS. 4 Digital radio

The BBC first launched digital radio (DAB or Digital Audio Broadcasting) in 1995 and has now expanded coverage to 85% of the population, with plans for more transmitters. This new way of transmitting radio signals has all the main benefits of RDS but gives even better reception and is easier to operate. Unlike medium wave, long wave or FM (where signals received from two sources can cause interference) different digital radio signals can actually help each other, giving you clearer sound.

BBC analogue networks are transmitted on digital radio, along with a range of new digital stations.The new digital services are: 1Xtra BBC 6 Music BBC 7 BBC Asian Network Five Live Sports Extra BBC World Service

At present new cars can be fitted with DAB on request and more models are coming onto the market. DAB costs more than analogue radio but prices are dropping. At the moment, automatic travel announcement alerts are not available on digital radio as this service is still under development. Although DAB doesn’t normally suffer from the kind of interference that can affect FM, LW and MW, it can suffer from burbling noises if signals are very weak and in some cases the sound can disappear altogether. In this instance some car radios will attempt to transfer to FM if possible.

For more information about the BBC digital radio services and how to receive them please visit our website at bbc.co.uk/digitalradio.

Listening overseas

You will not be able to pick up BBC stations broadcasting on FM, MW, LW and DAB very far from UK shores. They are funded by the UK licence fee and the BBC is not permitted to re-broadcast them from other countries.

To find the frequencies used in the country you will be travelling in check our website at bbc.co.uk/worldservice and click on “Radio Schedules” to choose the nearest city or area for more help. In a few places BBC World Service is available on FM and MW so you can use a conventional radio without short wave.

To listen to it abroad using a radio you will usually need a set that can receive short wave (although in some areas BBC World Service can also be picked up on FM and long wave). Short waves are used for broadcasting worldwide and there are nine commonly used short wave broadcasting bands. Reception can be good but there are some snags:

In some areas close to the UK (such as Ireland, France, Denmark, Belgium and Holland) 198 kHz long wave carries BBC Radio 4 during the day and BBC World Service at night. BBC World Service can also be heard on digital radio throughout the UK, and on 648 kHz Medium Wave in the Benelux countries and the South East of England.

BBC World Service is funded directly by the UK Government and broadcasts 24 hours a day in English and many other languages across the globe. Many transmissions can now be heard via the BBC World Service website at bbc.co.uk/worldservice.

Finding the station you want can be difficult because many of them are on frequencies very close together. Some broadcasters actually share frequencies and so the bands get very crowded. Reception can vary greatly between the day and the night with the higher frequencies giving better results in daylight, while lower frequencies are better after dark.This can lead to frequent re-tuning.

Because of this the BBC World Service is broadcast on many short wave frequencies simultaneously. The frequency that gives you the best reception will depend on where you are abroad. A radio that covers the following short wave bands will be best for picking up BBC World Service around the world. 16 19 25 31 41 49

metres metres metres metres metres metres

(17 MHz) (15 MHz) (11 MHz) (9 MHz) (7 MHz) (6 MHz)

Short wave frequencies can vary between summer and winter, atmospheric conditions and the time of day you will be listening. Try all the frequencies to find which gives the best reception. If signals fade you may need to retry the other frequencies again.

Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM)

The BBC and other major broadcasters are part of a consortium that has developed a new digital radio system for world broadcasting called DRM. Although receivers are currently expensive and in limited supply, regular DRM short wave broadcasts now take place from the BBC and can be received in many countries. Sound quality and ease of tuning are outstanding, giving DRM the potential to be a new standard in worldwide reception. Visit www.drm.org for more information.

World space satellite radio

In some parts of the world BBC World Service in English can be received by satellite using a World Space portable receiver. This includes Africa and most of Europe except Scandinavian and Baltic countries. The sound quality is excellent but the special receiving aerial panel usually needs to be outdoors or in a window facing the direction of the satellite. More information is available from specialist retailers.

Finding these bands on a conventional radio with a tuning dial can be very difficult, so we recommend a radio with a digital display showing you the exact frequency you are tuned to. This makes tuning in much easier and far more accurate. These sets usually have pre-set buttons so you can store the frequencies you use the most. It is often useful to do this before you leave home, especially if you will be staying largely in one area. 3