Clyde CG closure and VHF coverage

[Nick]

.
Will VHF coverage remain the same after Clyde closes? I assumed it would and can see no reason why not, but I could be wrong.

(It happened once before when I thought I was wrong but it turned out I wasn't)

Does anyone understand what this guy is on about here?

[cpedw]

It's been my understanding that the main explanation/excuse for closing CG stations is that they do everything by VHF these days, and that can be operated from anywhere...

I have encountered Julian before; Googling him might interest you if you're thinking of moving to Easdale Island.

Derek

[Nick]

It's been my understanding that the main explanation/excuse for closing CG stations is that they do everything by VHF these days, and that can be operated from anywhere...

I have encountered Julian before; Googling him might interest you if you're thinking of moving to Easdale Island.

Derek

I know Julian - and I also know that nothing on Earth could induce me to move to Easdale Island.

[ParaHandy]

... nothing on Earth could induce me to move to Easdale Island.

I know fer a fact that we'd be without the auld goat if it wasn't for the presence of Easdale. He'd have drowned otherwise in the Atlantic whilst trying to return to his boat efter a skinful'

I think you are absolutely right (rare event, I know) and also about your other comments of newsroom's knowledge of all thinks nautical ...

[Rowana]

Forth closed a few weeks ago, so the whole east coast now comes under Aberdeen. I personally have not noticed any difference, nor have I heard of any problems. Not that I've been out much lately.

[Nick]

Forth closed a few weeks ago, so the whole east coast now comes under Aberdeen. I personally have not noticed any difference, nor have I heard of any problems. Not that I've been out much lately.

You need to get out more

[Nick]

[quote="Nick
I think you are absolutely right

That's a first!

[mm5aho]

Julian Penney seems to say that coverage will not be the same, but his logic seems fuzzy.
He pored over charts showing where there was previously no coverage, and then leaps to implying that this is because of the transfer of audio source to Belfast/Stornoway.

Surely all the same transmitters and antennas will be used?
Surely the same power output will be used?
And surely the weather forcasts will continue at 3 hourly intervals as before?

So what's changed? A Northern Irish accent reading the weather? Slightly poorer knowledge of the geography? Seems to me that these might be only the only noticeable differences.

I regret that the jobs will be lost, that the local knowledge will lapse a while (till they learn), but that's better than no service at all.
All Penney's emotive stuff about the best scenery in the world etc is just padding to his false argument (even if the padding is true!).

[sahona]

The existing aerials will remain in service, and there was a declared intention to augment/increase power to try and eliminate some of the "dark areas".
There is a difference in coverage between channels broadcast from the same mast due to the priority mounting of aerials: chan 0 and 16 are at the top, and the local working channel(s) further down (so they have a smaller horizon circle) That's why you may be invited to change from chan16 to (say) 86 for a safety broadcast, and then not hear the broadcast.
I am also led to believe the new network will allow all aerials to be monitored by/routed to all (remaining) stations, rather than existing pairs of stations sharing a cluster of aerials, but not connected to the adjacent pair.. (as I understand it) So there should be a country-wide seamless coverage.
As to the quality of expertise and local knowledge behind the microphones, time will tell. Suffice to say I'm sorry to lose the people who have sat in Greenock co-ordinating many incidents (including a couple of mine), and whose individual voices we all recognise. It seems they will, for the most part, be moving on to pastures new, but we should remember that there is a considerable mobile land-based force that will still be in place, so maybe there will be a process whereby their local knowledge may be brought into play should the need arise.
Already mentioned - Forth has gone and there do not appear to have been any newsworthy incidents -if there were I'm sure we'd have heard about them here...
Give the new setup a chance to prove itself, and wish the best of luck to our 'voices' as they set off in their chosen new directions.

[claymore]

As my dear old Mum would often tell me " Son, if it wasn't right they wouln't be doing it"
I think I had mentioned the fire at Windscale the first time she uttered these pearls into my shell-likes. It served her well for many a long year and closed many a potentially contentious conversation.

[DaveS]

It strikes me that putting together Mr. Penny's observed areas of poor VHF coverage, the CG's understanding of the poor areas, and the proposals referred to by Sahona for improving things would provide the basis for a useful and interesting article. Think any of the sailing comics would be interested?

[Rowana]

Do you think that the vast majority of their readership in the Solent and it's environs would be interested?

I wouldn't get my hopes up, personally.

[marisca]

It might keep them down south once they realise the marine AA can't be guaranteed. What would they do without their daily radio checks?

[sahona]

At the risk of thread tangencation re info in a radio dead spot, how many barometers are on board your pride and joy - and do you regularly consult them even when you don't 'need' to?

We have a Vion electric thingy which displays a trend graph (and has a "your'e going to be blown flat" alarm), and two aneroid baros.
Our log has columns for baro, cloud, weather etc. which are used every time it is updated (though not on a rigourous schedule)
If the Vion slope gets too steep I don't need the CG to tell me I'm in for it...



Out of interest, for all you forensic navigators, where was I?

[NorthUp2]

Near to the Narrows of Raasay?