iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Replies

Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 07/01/2025

Always regret not writing more on mechanics of broadcasting in old job. Anyway, I *did not know* that the reason BBC Radio 4 still broadcasts on long wave in 2025 is that it secretly carries the Economy 7 signal for cheap overnight power on old electricity meters. c20society.org.uk/news/c20-cal...

c20society.org.uk

C20 calls for Droitwich Transmitter Masts listing – The Twentieth Century Society

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David 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @davidsheryn.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

That’s what they want you to think, certainly 😉

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Cohousing Scotland @cohousingscotland.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

not a 'secret' 🤔.

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Janine Gibson @janinegibson.ft.com · 07/01/2025

Yeah the Guardian newsdesk were crying out for this sort of thing for a sunday for monday P3 in my day

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Kenny Stewart @kennystew.art · 07/01/2025

Wait so is this why economy 7 is disappearing soon? The implications for my ancient storage heaters that years later I still don’t know how to use properly - and now never will - are dire.

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Ed Stott @edstott.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Imagine trying to get something like that built today

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(E)Steven @evilaye.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Why does it require a radio signal? Surely the meter should do it automatically by now?

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Norrette M. @norrette.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

How do ships get the shipping forecast when they're on ...German Bight....say?

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Scott Mackie @smackie.org · 07/01/2025

Ah! Interesting. I was curious about why Scottish Power had flagged that their System 7 meters were going to be obsolete. Of course, there doesn’t appear to be a replacement plan yet. Which is fun for all of the retirement flats on System 7 heating for safety reasons (no gas supply in units)

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James Campbell @jamsamcam.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Can you explain like I’m five ?

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Coprolite9000 @coprolite9000.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

My additional, completely made up conspiracy theory as to why the far-reaching Radio 4 LW has been kept going - and has contained so much cricket - is that Test Match Special is a numbers station hidden in plain sight.

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Dave Lauchlan @davelauchlan.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Great. Now I have the old economy 7 slimline storage heaters jingle as my earworm. Thanks a bunch! youtu.be/x7wZSiiSkmo?...

youtu.be

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Everyone’s Favourite Jim @jimmeruk.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

I only recently found this out because my energy company got in touch to ask when they can come and swap me over to a smart meter before June when it gets switched off. It seemingly was a great system that nobody knew about.

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David Firn @davidfirn.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Raises the possibility that the Trident fleet runs on Economy 7.

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Ben Egg @edbenegg.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Paging @jamesomalley.co.uk this is the kind of stuff he loves

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Steve Parks @steveparks.me · 07/01/2025

You could always start a second independent media outlet, mediacentric, just for the media industry 😜 (I’m only partly joking, because I think there is a market for more in-depth indie reporting on media issues)

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Losd @losdemas.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Wow, that's incredible. Never been aware of this.

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Nick Price-Thompson @nickpt.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Whhhaaaaaaaat

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Michael Armstrong @medialator.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

The same signalling system also used to drive the RATS system which alerted BBC sites to major national events.

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Richard Blogger @richardblogger.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

In the 80s the lab where I worked were doing millikelvin experiments but found they got interference every evening. They got Droitwich to switch off for a short amount of time to see if it was them. It wasn't, turned out it was a workshop technician doing some overtime every evening! Occam's Razor

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Aidan Skinner @aidan.skinner.me.uk · 07/01/2025

Oh there's some good stories about how they keep the valves for that going

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James Elder @jameselder.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

I doubt much will be made of it, but 27 July this year will be the centenary of Daventry, the first high-power long-wave transmitter. I was struck when reading Asa Briggs' 'The Birth of Broadcasting' that this was a key moment, as it meant that the BBC could now be heard in remote country cottages.

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Decentered Media @decentered.co.uk · 07/01/2025

Add the shipping forecast in as well - it's a cultural relic that serves no practical purpose any more, except to comfort insomniacs who live nowhere near the sea!

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Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 07/01/2025

Imagine trying to run the BBC and every time you try to stop spending money on something outdated so you can compete with Netflix you're told that you've got to keep paying towards a 1930s radio tower or else a granny will die of hypothermia as she can't afford to run her storage heaters overnight.

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James Cridland @james.crid.land · 07/01/2025

No real secret - it’s why the BBC hasn’t been able to turn it off for so many years! Looks like it’s officially turned off in June 2025.

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Olly Benson @ollybenson.uk · 07/01/2025

Just as importantly, has anyone actually informed the Royal Navy? It could become awkward if they haven't...

businessinsider.com

How a 60-year-old BBC radio show may be one of the only things keeping the world from nuclear war

The UK has four nuclear submarines that wait underwater for signs that their country still exists. One of these is on BBC Radio 4's "Today" program.

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Magnus Lewis-Smith @mlewissmith.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Fascinating. I've always assumed shipping, cricket for some reason, world service somehow, emergency broadcasts or embedded GCHQ signals. That last being nearest the case.

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Michael Sanders @michaeljsanders.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Happy memories of listening to R4 LW on holiday in southern France.. all that way and couldn’t escape my parents wanting to listen to the blaster Archers

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Dave in Essex 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 @hennystdave.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

😂 it’s not much of a secret since I have known this for years.

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