Technical Reviews

The paper above includes a rather poor quality picture of an amplifier. It is fairly similar to the amplifier shown below, which still exists. The pictures were contributed to bbceng by Derek Hughes as a result of his father Spencer Hughes rescuing the amplifier from Research Department at Kingswood Warren when there was a clear out of 'redundant plant'.

Derek has noted the differences listed below. If you are able to provide more information please get in touch.

Also mine has the gain at 80 - 100dB rather than 70 - 90, & uses a Painton stepped attenuator for fine gain control.

The output jacks are between the amp section & the PSU rather than at the extreme right hand side.

There is also a switch in the BBC page next to the input jack that I assume is a 600ohm/Bridging switch

Mine is labeled Mic Amp & LSA & PPM Mk 4/4, is this likely to be earlier or later then the one on the BBC page?

I think it may be later, as per the reference in the text to selected EF50 valves rather than the later EF86.

Communications

Attenuators, Pads & Branching Networks This is a Technical Note from the Post Office Engineering Department, produced in 1959. It probably found its way to the BBC because there was a close association between P.O. Engineering and BBC Communications Department. (P.O. Engineering eventually became British Telecom.)

c1974 paper on Digital Sound Signals: The present BBC Distribution system and a proposal for bit-rate reduction by digital companding. New Jan 2024.

Miscellaneous

IBA Technical Reviews cover many aspects of broadcasting technology and these high quality publications can be downloaded here. They are on the NTL Pension Association website and can be found, along with other items of interest, by selecting Memorabilia at the top of the page.

Outside Broadcast and ENG

Propagation

Development of the BBC AM Transmitter Network
Updated to Rev.6a 28/5/07 with some revised text and additions to the Appendix listing of the 1926 Geneva Plan and 1929 Prague Plan.
This is a document compiled by Clive McCarthy from various public domain sources which are duly acknowledged at the end of the article. It is quite possibly the most thorough single document summarising the development of the network with regard to frequencies, powers and service areas. Clive worked as an engineer at Television Centre and produced this document as a result of personal interest. It is believed to be correct but accuracy is not guaranteed. Please note that BBC Research & Development is the ultimate authority on BBC service planning matters.

Sound

The Digits behind BBC FM by Jim Lesurf
This is an excellent description of developments which made high quality stereo radio broadcasting available throughout most of the UK. It covers the original PCM system and NICAM.

Television

World Analogue Television Standards and Waveforms
An excellent description compiled by Alan Pemberton and contributed to bbceng.
(It was originally on a separate website and is now in the form of a single PDF file. As a result some of the links are broken.)

The PAL Receiver: developments and progress
PROC. IEE, Vol. 125, No.6, June 1978
The paper describes how in 1967 colour television was promoted in the United KIngdom by all interested parties and it describes the public's enthusiastic response during the first nine years of colour transmission. It recalls the American and French colour-system experiments and the subsequent PAL colour system that Dr. Walter Bruch introduced. Examples of engineering development in colour receivers are given, with descriptions of colour tubes, components and circuit techniques.
This paper, co-authored by G.H. Sturge and P.A. Tingey, is not published on this web site, but please email for more information.

Transmitters

Contributions by David Porter:

Tricks of the Trade: 61 articles published in "Signal", regarding transmitter systems and one studio system.

The Marconi BD272 and B6124 HF transmitters - a video tour, preceded by an introduction to Woofferton transmitting station.
Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (BD272); 8 and 9 (B6124). Click on the links to view each these videos, which were uploaded to YouTube by the presenter David Porter.

UK MW & LW Broadcasting: the first 95 years. Reproduced with kind permission from www.wrth.com .

Woofferton - 70 Years on the Air. Reproduced with kind permission from www.wrth.com .

Why did Radio One have a separate frequency for Bournmouth, Poole and surrounding areas?

HF Curtain Arrays. Reproduced with kind permission from www.wrth.com.

The Development of HF Broadcast Antennas. Reproduced with kind permission from www.wrth.com.

The Development of HF Broadcast Transmitters. Reproduced with kind permission from www.wrth.com.

The Further Development of HF Broadcast Transmitters. Reproduced with kind permission from www.wrth.com.

One of the last ex-BBC BD272 senders (93) described by David Porter shortly before the sender's removal from Woofferton transmitting station. This video is in a series made by TX Factor, Episode 29. It includes Antennas at 22:00 (min:sec), BD272 sender 93 at 29:50, RIZ sender 94 at 46:37 and the control room at 50:50.

Tech performance of long chains of UHF transmitters PROC IEE 1978. This paper was produced by the Independent Broadcasting Authority, not the BBC. However there was a close association between the BBC and IBA regarding this topic.

List of Technical Reviews

Acoustics