Jersey Blockade

[TIGHazard]

Broadening this topic out.... how would we all cope with a major power disruption? Obviously we'd have bigger issues than TV and radio but in terms of getting information how would we cope with knowing what was happening. I don't mean the broadcasters but us at our homes.

It is a very unlikely scenario but it has happened elsewhere - this past winter in Texas is a good example - although our electricity infrastructure in the UK doesn't have the many flaws that were shown up in their grid then. But who knows what could happen for whatever combination of events.

Imagine this scenario - all or large parts of the country are without power, including your town/city. and it's going to be out for a few days, hopefully!

So immediately you've no Internet - your phone exchange is probably working but your modem isn't. Your only phone is DECT and so requires power (
the regs used to say you must have a non powered phone for this reason) Your nearest mobile phone mast has no power, but anyway your phone battery doesn't last a day.

There might still be a TV signal depending on where you live (if you're served by a relay then that's not got backup power) and there'll still be a satellite signal but your TV is mains powered.

One thing you will probably have is radio. There are very few stand-alone radio stations around these days - your local Badger FM has long been fed from a computer in London but it might still be working. Those local ones that are left might have backup power at studio and TX site, although I imagine no community stations will.

However the BBC are obliged to stay on air whatever happens so should be on air in some form.

So that could be your only source of information and you'd listen using your battery powered FM radio that you keep with the stash of batteries in the cupboard under the stairs. You do have that don't you?

Actually this is quite interesting. In December 1990 our village was effectively cut off for 3 days due to insanely bad snowfall that bought down a number of National Grid lines. This ran from late on Friday night until Monday evening.

We had reduced voltage for a bit (so the lights kind of worked at half brightness) before everything failed altogether by late morning Saturday. I do think our landlines continued to work - days before widespread mobiles of course. From what I remember, we listened to BBC Radio Leicester virtually the whole time, although where we got the stockpile of batteries to do so I've no idea!

For this very reason I still have a non-powered landline telephone as a last resort.

My landline is technically powered, but only for the answer machine part of it. Still works otherwise in a power cut. Though in Samsung mobile phones (other brands are available) you can go into the settings and change the battery optimisation and there's something called Emergency mode which only lets you call or text. Says the battery would last 2.5 weeks if I did that (and I think I tried that at 75% power)

[AllWillBeWell]

Please stick to presentation discussion of this news event, and leave the politics to Metropol.

Thank you.

Apologies if my quip felt out of plaice.

A nice story for election day anyway when broadcasters have to be somewhat careful with what they report on.

Think it was more for my removed post. Admittedly a bit too political so I apologise.

In regards to the topic, It was breaking news on the beeb a few minutes ago so they are indeed reporting it as best possible. I understand there is currently a blockage/protest. The local news must be having one of the most "exciting" days in years!

[Humphrey Hacker]

I've not had a battery powered radio for years! It just goes to show how reliant we are on technology. I have a landline as well as a mobile so in term of communication with my family that isn't an issue. As perverse as this sounds there may be some people who would love no news or internet for few days. I just hope that they have plenty of books or break out Trivial Pursuit! Seriously though its a scary issue.

[Markymark]

Also, if matters escalated further am I right to assume that the main transmitters for the CIs that gets the signal from the UK mainland is on the island of Alderney, so if they had power issues that affected the transmitters, then the islands would be completely cut off?

The CI TV transmitters ceased being off air fed at DSO, which for the CIs was over ten years ago now.
All fed by fibre from the BBC's and D3/4's CCMs on the mainland

[Brekkie]

Alot of broadcasting off boats this morning, something we take for granted although of course nothing new radio wise at least. Probably better 4G/5G in the English channel than around here anyway.

[Markymark]

Fremont will have generator facilities. It appears that the main station on Guernsey is now fibre fed and Alderney is SHF fed - probably from Fremont.

The bigger problem may be fuel supplies to run the generators at the TX and studio sites of the ports are blockaded.

Is Channel played out from Chiswick these days? I assume the days of dirty Meridian feeds are long gone.

Worst case scenario if links from the mainland failed is an RBS of another region from DSAT possible? If it's originating at Chiswick anyway, Channel itself could be used? But, again, if nobody can watch it anyway, it would be a moot point.

Fremont Point will be backed up for PSB 1 and PSB 3 by the 27.5 West satellite, that would restore BBC services.
PSB 2 doesn't have any satellite back up as far as I'm aware, ITV/4/5 would be dead in the water. If ITV wanted to they could 'unlock' ITV HD on PSB 3, but that would be the London version of ITV anyway.

[Inspector Sands]

For this very reason I still have a non-powered landline telephone as a last resort.

At one point (it might even still be the case but ignored!), you were required as part of our line rental to have a non-powered phone for emergencies.

I've not had a battery powered radio for years! It just goes to show how reliant we are on technology. I have a landline as well as a mobile so in term of communication with my family that isn't an issue.

Thing is that a lot of people probably have a battery powered FM radio in their phones, but either don't realise it or it's been disabled by the manufacturers. Of course a lot of us have a battery powered radio in the car....I wonder how long a tank of petrol in a car could keep a mobile phone going for

As perverse as this sounds there may be some people who would love no news or internet for few days. I just hope that they have plenty of books or break out Trivial Pursuit! Seriously though its a scary issue.

Yes, I can see it being nice not having any news, but then it depends if that news is telling you something important like not drinking the tap water :o

[Markymark]

Of course a lot of us have a battery powered radio in the car....I wonder how long a tank of petrol in a car could keep a mobile phone going for

Probably longer than it would in an electric car ?

And it'll be no good for the fossil fuel car owners to feel smug, what powers the pumps at the filling stations ? 8-)

[Inspector Sands]

And it'll be no good for the fossil fuel car owners to feel smug, what powers the pumps at the filling stations ? 8-)

I wouldn't be able to make it as far as the filling station anyway, the batteries of both our cars would be flat from charging up our phones and the kids gadgets!

[Markymark]

And it'll be no good for the fossil fuel car owners to feel smug, what powers the pumps at the filling stations ? 8-)

I wouldn't be able to make it as far as the filling station anyway, the batteries of both our cars would be flat from charging up our phones and the kids gadgets!

That's another annoying thing about modern cars. Without the engine running, many switch off the radio after 20 to 30 mins. In my experience, you can switch it back on again, but only for another two to three minutes. After that to defeat the logic, you actually need to stick it into gear and drive some distance, before you're allowed another 20-30 minute session without the engine running

I think the same applies to the 12v and USB outlets

First World Problems !

[AllWillBeWell]

And it'll be no good for the fossil fuel car owners to feel smug, what powers the pumps at the filling stations ? 8-)

I wouldn't be able to make it as far as the filling station anyway, the batteries of both our cars would be flat from charging up our phones and the kids gadgets!

That's another annoying thing about modern cars. Without the engine running, many switch off the radio after 20 to 30 mins. In my experience, you can switch it back on again, but only for another two to three minutes. After that to defeat the logic, you actually need to stick it into gear and drive some distance, before you're allowed another 20-30 minute session without the engine running

I think the same applies to the 12v and USB outlets

First World Problems !

I remember my father leaving the radio on while we waited outside a shop for a very long time with the engine off. This drained the battery so the car would not start. It must have been low to start with but after that it was always a no no to run the radio without the engine.

[Markymark]

I wouldn't be able to make it as far as the filling station anyway, the batteries of both our cars would be flat from charging up our phones and the kids gadgets!

That's another annoying thing about modern cars. Without the engine running, many switch off the radio after 20 to 30 mins. In my experience, you can switch it back on again, but only for another two to three minutes. After that to defeat the logic, you actually need to stick it into gear and drive some distance, before you're allowed another 20-30 minute session without the engine running

I think the same applies to the 12v and USB outlets
First World Problems !

I remember my father leaving the radio on while we waited outside a shop for a very long time with the engine off. This drained the battery so the car would not start. It must have been low to start with but after that it was always a no no to run the radio without the engine.

Yes, a friend of mine suffered the same when he used the car radio while spending the day tidying up his garage.
There are situations (particularly at present) where you can easily be sat for a prolonged period, like when I send Mrs Markymark into Waitrose , (the local store (quite rightly) doesn't allow able bodied etc couples in )

[Steve in Pudsey]

Fremont Point will be backed up for PSB 1 and PSB 3 by the 27.5 West satellite, that would restore BBC services.
PSB 2 doesn't have any satellite back up as far as I'm aware, ITV/4/5 would be dead in the water. If ITV wanted to they could 'unlock' ITV HD on PSB 3, but that would be the London version of ITV anyway.

Presumably it doesn't have to be London? Chiswick could route any version of ITV HD that they wanted to the backup.
In fact, would the suppression of ITV HD be done at CCM rather than Fremont? If there are no comms to Fremont it might not be possible to change the config in this kind of DR situation.

[Cassia Tuna]

There's a video on YouTube of The West Country Tonight being knocked off due to a power cut, but they were still able to broadcast from a lit studio, so I imagine the other regions including CTV may have some form of emergency generator so they could still put out some form of contingency bulletin for the lunchtime and possibly the late for the first day, although I can imagine they'll just send the news to West Country and take their feed?

The aforementioned video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc-InvLinc4

[Markymark]

Fremont Point will be backed up for PSB 1 and PSB 3 by the 27.5 West satellite, that would restore BBC services.
PSB 2 doesn't have any satellite back up as far as I'm aware, ITV/4/5 would be dead in the water. If ITV wanted to they could 'unlock' ITV HD on PSB 3, but that would be the London version of ITV anyway.

Presumably it doesn't have to be London? Chiswick could route any version of ITV HD that they wanted to the backup.
In fact, would the suppression of ITV HD be done at CCM rather than Fremont? If there are no comms to Fremont it might not be possible to change the config in this kind of DR situation.

Yes, I think someone said in the old place recently that the SI tables are held locally at the transmitter, so as you say, it probably wouldn't be possible (if the fibre circuits were dead) to address, modify and interrogate them.

I suspect though if there was a power failure widespread enough to kill the fibre links, it would probably also affect the transmitters and most of the homes anyway.

However, I can imagine a fishing vessel accidentally dragging up the fibres ! :x