Has the Shipping Forecast improved recently?

[Gary Fox]

For the first time in a year, I went back to basics and turned on and tuned in to BBC Radio 4, The Shipping Forecast (I refuse to call it a 'bulletin');
... the constantly changeable, blustery condtions were neatly expounded in a clear spoken voice, a young English gentleman with excellent timing and diction. There's a lot going on, so I'm sure they put their best people on it.
A big improvement on last time, when Aunty Beeb, bless her, was experimenting with thick, regional accents meaning nobody understood if not from the same valley! (to avoid offence, other geographical features might be substituted)
It's a fact that standardisation is vital in public service announcements.
Here's another un-called for bit of bigotry: all vessels like yachts should carry an independent portable transitor radio, capable of long wave reception, because you can pick up these excellent forecasts, hundreds of miles away without needing anything else.
If you don't carry a transistor radio you ought to. Solid Grundigs are £20 on flea bay etc.

 

[Sandy]

Can you recommend a current car type radio that is capable of LW reception and Bluetooth to my smartphone so I can play my downloaded podcasts?

 

[Stemar]

Can you recommend a current car type radio that is capable of LW reception and Bluetooth to my smartphone so I can play my downloaded podcasts?

I wouldn't worry too much. It may not be around much longer

Radio 4's long wave goodbye

 

[Blueboatman]

I used to use radio France Inter on a cheapo SW radio offshore on whatever frequency was working for that area and propagation characteristics ..
Simple schedule, effective-ish, big area covered tho !

I would agree about Standard Pronunciation on a noisy boat at sea with a weak signal and a rising wind .. you want to hear primarily information not pc correctness

Long long time ago I quoted a job in S London for a very nice spoken lady who sounded disturbingly familiar until the coin dropped .. we agreed there’s an art to reeling off the forecast in the right Rhythm and cadence

 

[Sandy]

I wouldn't worry too much. It may not be around much longer

Radio 4's long wave goodbye

Hugely disappointing. I do love TMS on LW. The DAB in the car is rubbish in Devon and Cornwall.

 

[Stemar]

I'm no fan of spectator sports, but I'd be sorry to see R4 Long wave go. I have fond memories of listening to it while working in France. That and World Service on short wave. Is that still going?

What are the alternatives for getting the shipping forecast when you're too far away for VHF, ship and broadcast?

 

[Gary Fox]

Can you recommend a current car type radio that is capable of LW reception and Bluetooth to my smartphone so I can play my downloaded podcasts?

I find car radios have poor LW reception but that's maybe because I have suffered poor aerials and grounding in car installations.
I'm not au fait with the latest models, but you certainly get a lot of facilities for under £100 and there will definitely be something available to suit you.

 

[Gary Fox]

I'm no fan of spectator sports, but I'd be sorry to see R4 Long wave go. I have fond memories of listening to it while working in France. That and World Service on short wave. Is that still going?

What are the alternatives for getting the shipping forecast when you're too far away for VHF, ship and broadcast?

Navtex. SSB. Txt messages to a Garmin In Reach type gadget. Navtex being a personal favourite, the forecast is there on the screen when you want it.

 

[Gary Fox]

I wouldn't worry too much. It may not be around much longer

Radio 4's long wave goodbye

That's a 10 year old article. The reporter is mistaken; it is Not True, it is a Fib, that those valves are the only way to transmit on 198 KHz. I'm sure it's true the BBC want to avoid modernising the kit though.

 

[lustyd]

SSB is in huge decline these days from what I can tell, and LW is on very shaky ground since that bandwidth is needed for other things. Hopefully LEO sat-comms will provide us with the new low cost reliable service we're all hoping for. There was also a recent thread where most people with Navtex said they don't actually use it and wouldn't fit a replacement if it died. It's a shame as NavTex seems a good solution to the problem.

 

[Stemar]

I'm sure it's true the BBC want to avoid modernising the kit though.

That's the point.
"Building a new long-wave transmitter for Radio 4 would cost "many millions of pounds", according to BBC insiders. Part of the problem is that pumping the signal so that it can cover England, Wales and lowland Scotland requires 500 kilowatts of power, far more - according to the BBC - than other long wave transmitters, which makes the kit both unique and expensive. Meanwhile, modern mariners use other technology and services to get forecast information."

Add a bit of inflation for the period, and we're talking many tens of millions, for a relatively small number of users, which would make it very poor value. No, it isn't the only way to transmit long wave, but it's the way they've got. Until they haven't got it any more, and nor have we

 

[prv]

Hopefully LEO sat-comms will provide us with the new low cost reliable service we're all hoping for. There was also a recent thread where most people with Navtex said they don't actually use it and wouldn't fit a replacement if it died.

I think the same would apply to any new transmission technology as applies to Navtex - useful for a few people often, and more people occasionally, but mostly irrelevant for most of us as we’re already carrying a portable Internet terminal and mostly sail within range of its base stations.

Fundamentally the smartphone has eaten the coastal-cruising weather receiver the same way it ate the address book, diary, personal stereo, and casual point-and-shoot camera.

Pete

 

[LadyInBed]

Broadcasters sometimes still get the pronunciation of areas and phrasing wrong which gives me a chuckle
Eg
Southwesterly veering northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first, increasing severe gale 9 at times later.

Moderate or rough becoming very rough or high.

Becomes

Southwesterly veering northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first, increasing severe gale 9 at times

later Moderate or rough becoming very rough or high.

 

[Robin]

I think the same would apply to any new transmission technology as applies to Navtex - useful for a few people often, and more people occasionally, but mostly irrelevant for most of us as we’re already carrying a portable Internet terminal and mostly sail within range of its base stations.

Fundamentally the smartphone has eaten the coastal-cruising weather receiver the same way it ate the address book, diary, personal stereo, and casual point-and-shoot camera.

Pete

So true. Plus, having digested all the available information whilst still connected to shore and decided to tempt fate by leaving and then simply take whatever comes once out there.

 

[RobbieW]

Hugely disappointing. I do love TMS on LW. The DAB in the car is rubbish in Devon and Cornwall.

10 years ago, TMS on long wave was good down about as far as Lisbon on the boat's SSB. Kept SWMBO happy

 

[Gary Fox]

Broadcasters sometimes still get the pronunciation of areas and phrasing wrong which gives me a chuckle
Eg
Southwesterly veering northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first, increasing severe gale 9 at times later.

Moderate or rough becoming very rough or high.

Becomes

Southwesterly veering northwesterly 6 to gale 8, occasionally 5 at first, increasing severe gale 9 at times

later Moderate or rough becoming very rough or high.

Yes they do which is why the Shipping Forecast readers should be employed to read it as a specialist task which needs a bit of knowledge.
Instead, they seem to rope in the nearest person, whether it's the tea girl or a random Caribbean jazz singer there are always mistakes assuming you can understand them at all.
Why not have a dedicated team? I know at least one BBC technician who is an enthusiastic yachtsman and has a clear voice; he would love the gig but but unfirtunately he doesn't tick any diversity boxes..

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I wouldn't worry too much. It may not be around much longer

Radio 4's long wave goodbye

A new longwave transmitter is quite possible, and there are plenty of manufacturers that could make the kit. Nothing particularly bespoke about it except for the 198 tuning crystal. The wave guides and aerials are all in place.

I suspect BBC simply cant be bothered to run LW

 

[prv]

So true. Plus, having digested all the available information whilst still connected to shore and decided to tempt fate by leaving and then simply take whatever comes once out there.

Yes, exactly. Even if you’re not always in mobile data coverage under way, most of us mostly daysail and make our weather decisions before leaving. Most harbours and anchorages nowadays can get a signal.

Pete

 

[Stemar]

A new longwave transmitter is quite possible, and there are plenty of manufacturers that could make the kit.

Yes, but at a price. The Beeb would like to kill off FM analogue and push us all onto digital, but there are too many FM users for them to get away with it. They certainly aren't going to build a new LW transmitter so a few yotties who are too tight to get navtex can get the shipping forecast offshore.

 

[dunedin]

I have no idea if the BBC Shipping Forecast is better, worse, or even if it is still broadcast. Never listened to it for decades.
I do refer to the Inshore Waters for coastal sailing, though only in addition to other forecasts - generally comparing multiple models using something like Predict Wind.
Both Shipping Forecast and Inshore Waters are too short term in outlook for using for any cruise or passage planning. I like to look at least 5 days ahead, especially before a longer crossing (like to/from Norway) - and often been actively preparing to be in shelter for a severe storm, predicted for the last 5 days but not yet mentioned by the official forecasts.