Is BBC Radio Five Live reception deteriorating?

Avoriaz

I regularly listen to Five Live on am radio.

I live in NW Surrey and I normally get good reception on 909 meters.

Over the last few weeks the reception quality has deteriorated on the radios in our bathroom and kitchen.

Have the BBC reduced the signal strength?

I know I will have to switch to digital soon but, as it is the only radio station I ever listen to, I want to defer going digital for as long as possible.

Are the BBC trying to push listeners to digital by lowering am quality?

DCFC79

The quality seems fine to me but then im not form NW surrey

Reluctant_spender

I find there is interference creeping in, especially in the late afternoon/evening timeslots.

It's sounds like music.

unrich

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_propagation

I find it changes through the day and again at night.
Some days I get infernal clipping and distortion.

I dislike DAB and fortunately there is no confirmed date for Radio digital switchover yet (as far as I know, please don't tell me otherwise). I think they will wait for the success of the TV switch over.

MX5huggy

I really would recomend DAB for 5 live. It is really good some times you can hear the presenters using their mouse!!

peter_the_piper

I generally get mine on 693 so might be worth a try, still get some music at night though, I'm in SE Sussex.

Rock_Bottom

Avoriaz wrote: »

I regularly listen to Five Live on am radio.

I live in NW Surrey and I normally get good reception on 909 meters.

Over the last few weeks the reception quality has deteriorated on the radios in our bathroom and kitchen.

Have the BBC reduced the signal strength?

I know I will have to switch to digital soon but, as it is the only radio station I ever listen to, I want to defer going digital for as long as possible.

Are the BBC trying to push listeners to digital by lowering am quality?

Funny you should mention that, it has been playing havoc with me for a while now, it is though the waveband is being squeezed by transmissions either side of it and when it happens Radio Five starts going off station slightly.

Avoriaz

peter_the_piper wrote: »

I generally get mine on 693 so might be worth a try, still get some music at night though, I'm in SE Sussex.

Thanks Peter but there isn’t a strong signal on 693 here in NW Surrey.

I switch between 909 and 693 when driving according to where I am but 909 is the strongest frequency at home.

Avoriaz

MX5huggy wrote: »

I really would recomend DAB for 5 live. It is really good some times you can hear the presenters using their mouse!!

I will go for DAB when AM is switched off and I have no other option but at present I only listen to Five Live and, as I use three radios scattered about the house, I don’t really want to splash out on three DAB radios until I have to.

DAB is great but AM is fine for speech.

Or at least it was until recently.

chunter

Yeh I've noticed in the past month the fall off, listen now through the internet.
2 radios sitting unused now.
Originally I'd put it down to a dodgy electrical contact/plug somewhere in the room, put I knocked off every electrical/wireless thing and was still getting the static.