The end is nigh...

[Analoguesat]

Ah that brings back a memory - a bus chassis with no bodywork being driven down the M6 at high speed

 

[2cvbloke]

I actually remember seeing a bus chassis being driven about at the Peterlee United depot., probably a National being stripped down to be Volvo'd up or something... O-Ha

 

[Channel Hopper]

Well you know what it's like for us in the north of england, we're always the last to get new stuff, heck, we didn't get bendy buses until Boris sold them off...

(not that I like bendy buses, they induce sickness....... :-puke )

*ahem*


Use in the West Midlands

In early 2000 Travel West Midlands (TWM) took delivery of 14 Mercedes-Benz O405 articulated buses for its route 67 between Castle Vale and Birmingham. In late 2003 TWM bought 15 articulated Mercedes-Benz Citaro vehicles for Primeline routes in Coventry; the earlier O405s joined the Citaros in Coventry, although one was scrapped after a depot fire.
To replace the previous artculated vehicles on the 67 TWM purchased eleven Scania OmniCitys branded for the route._http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_buses_in_the_United_Kingdom

 

[A nonymous]

Just for you AS. This should bring back some memories !

A nice blue and cream WMPTE double decker bus in the snow from your home town :-righton

I bet you've probably even been on that bus at some point

Nano

 

[Analoguesat]

It was mainly the Midland Red-Chaserider buses I went on, one or two blue WM ones, and a handful of the dilapidated old Green Bus services out of Cannock.

 

[2cvbloke]

*ahem*


Use in the West Midlands

In early 2000 Travel West Midlands (TWM) took delivery of 14 Mercedes-Benz O405 articulated buses for its route 67 between Castle Vale and Birmingham. In late 2003 TWM bought 15 articulated Mercedes-Benz Citaro vehicles for Primeline routes in Coventry; the earlier O405s joined the Citaros in Coventry, although one was scrapped after a depot fire.
To replace the previous artculated vehicles on the 67 TWM purchased eleven Scania OmniCitys branded for the route._http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_buses_in_the_United_Kingdom

Brummyland isn't in the North of England, it's in the middle, hence "Midlands"...

On the same page under Operators:

"Go North East MetroCentre Shuttle (X66), also ex-London buses on route 58"

Saw one today actually, felt sick just watching the thing from across the road.... :-puke

 

[2cvbloke]

Well, tonight's the night BBC2 Analogue bites the dust, I'm sure someone will record it's final moments, but as for me, I'll just watch it live... O-Ha

Apparently, those who can't get naff all freeview-wise at the moment will be able to get something tomorrow, but, we shall see, kind of hard to be sure here given that Pontop Pike is just around the corner... O-Ha

 

[Lazarus]

Don't bank on it - we are unsighted from Bilsdale (a mere 6 miles away) so Pontop Pike is supposed to be our "go to" mast.

But the distance is so great that even with the significant power increase and all the other technical gubbins that's supposed to make it better, the proof will be in the pudding.

I disconnected our old rooftop yagi many moons ago, so will experiment in the coming days with a "spare" one I have knocking about.

Mind you, now we have Satellite(s), it's only for interest.

 

[rolfw]

I think you'll be surprised when the full switch is complete, was having problems this morning with a breaking up picture on a customer's Tv in Reading and couldn't understand it, as the signal from nearby Hannington is normally excellent. On checking the Humax PVR manual tune, it had tuned in a low power Isle of Wight multiplex from Rowridge transmitter, some 56 miles away.

 

[2cvbloke]

Well, that's it for BBC2, as of 00:21, 12/09/12 it ceased to broadcast in Analogue from Pontop Pike, just as "China on four wheels" finished...

Just have to wait for midnight on the 25th to hit, and it's bye bye to analogue...

 

[2cvbloke]

Seems they took out BBC1 aswell, unless they're shifting that about too...

EDIT:
Yeah, they're shuftying things about... O-Ha

 

[rolfw]

Here's my little video of BBC 1 disappearing earlier this year.

[video=youtube;xADf26EvR5w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xADf26EvR5w[/video]

 

[Lazarus]

Hmm. It seems Pontop Pike is about 95km from here and the post-DSO coverage map shows sporadic to marginal coverage in my general area - and our local topography is not exactly helpful!

Still, never say die: I need to acquire a longer bit of electric string by 26 Sep (Stage 2) before having a play. I am going to take heart from Rolf's optimism.

The village is arranged within the local contours in such a way that I expect that reception will be less problematical from some houses, and there are a few that can get the main BBC Mux. (only!) under the existing regime but, of those, only one person has no Satellite dish.

 

[sonnetpete]

Hmm. It seems Pontop Pike is about 95km from here and the post-DSO coverage map shows sporadic to marginal coverage in my general area - and our local topography is not exactly helpful!

I suppose Emley Moor isn't a better prospect. I'm almost certain it will be further away than Pontop but would it work with your topography? Anyway, I'm not even sure what they transmit now. Burnhope (which is literally on the next set of hills at the back of my mum's bungalow) I think only transmits radio and Channel 5....and probably not that now....

 

[Lazarus]

Yes, I had thought about Emily, but we have the only East/West hill in the Moors to the south of us and we are effectively located in a bowl hemmed in on three sides by hills.

Still, when I've got some more string, I'll try various Transmitters. Maybe even Bilsdale.

It's not a problem, though - just the usual hobbyist "I want it because it's there!"

 

[Lazarus]

Ha!

Lashed together a few Coax flyleads I had in a deeply buried bottom drawer, hung them out of the lounge window, balanced my antenna on a green wheelie-bin (levelled it up using an empty slug -pellet container), pointed it in the general direction of Le Pike and immediately got a sniff of 3 analogue signals (only barely there).

Am now tweaking using the best of those, then I'll have a go at pulling in BBC2 on DTT.

PS: It's raining - obviously.

 

[wod]

Is the signal that bad even a high gain aerial and amp won't be enough ?

Emily moor is so strong here, I remember needing attenuator as I got pixelation on my ondigital box years ago, which they said was due to too much signal, more like the oversized high gain aerial they fitted on the roof.

 

[Lazarus]

I have plugged in an old cheapo DTT box as it has "metering".

Now got the Mux on Channel 53: Film Four, Yesterday etc.

So Rolf's optimism looks as if it might be justified, as I believe that Mux is still on low power.

Tweaky tweaky.

Might try Bilsdale next. Emley Moor is diccifult as it's at the rear and the logistics are not easy - although I could hang the antenna out of the dormer window >............ Hmm.

No point in getting more kit as even small outlay can't be justified - this is "because it's there" not because it's in any way essential.


Edit It's hissing down now: Time for lunch!

 

[Lazarus]

Not a sniff from Bilsdale.

The Digital UK site predicts "Poor" after DSO and offers no better option.

But I shall knock it on the head for now and await Phase 2 on 26 Sep.

 

[2cvbloke]

Well, I retuned this afternoon, not a jot of difference from our perspective, just the BBC Mux had moved, and for some reason, Dave on my TV has a poor signal (but then I am using one of them FM radio aerials instead of a bog standard set-top aerial)... O-Ha