BBC Radio Shite (pic heavy)

[BorniteIdentity]

1 hour ago, Timewaster said:

Resurrection again!

 

Particularly shite promotional car for what a some people would say was a pretty shite station.

Also spot the Nissan Patrol tow car.

 

Factoid. 

When UKRD bought X-Cel FM we used that “Burger Van” OB unit a couple of times. It was entirely kitted out with stuff from Tandy. Absolutely dreadful all round. 

[Timewaster]

Why doesn't that surprise me?

 

The titles of these is supposed to be an abbreviation of scrap book, however never  truer words spoken.

These photos are pretty poor but you can make out the MK2 Transit and fully liveried Punto.

 

[Dan302]

I remember the Cortina at the museum of Lincolnshire life, it's not currently on display but they do still have it stored somewhere.

[Datsuncog]

Missed this thread the first (and second) time around: great to catch up with it though.

BBC Radio Ulster were still using their Cortina estate until at least about 1996, to my recollection - I seem to recall seeing it down in Bangor to cover the start of the Circuit of Ireland rally. Like a goon, I saved my precious camera film for the rally cars, so all I have are smudgy streaks of Escort Cosworth, rather than a glorious Cortina with its UHF mast standing tall.

These days BBC Northern Ireland seem to use mainly VW T5 vans for radio broadcasts, and an increasingly scabby-looking fleet of Mercedes Sprinters for TV outside broadcasts.

[UltraWomble]

Formerly "The Bee" ...

and now  2BR have some suitable cars:

 

One of the presenters ran around in a liveried K11 Micra for a few months but I cant find a photo of that.

[martc]

On 8/6/2019 at 7:10 PM, BorniteIdentity said:

Factoid. 

 It was entirely kitted out with stuff from Tandy.

'Nice action.'

[BorniteIdentity]

Not BBC but this is entirely and completely amazing. Better still, it’s out there somewhere. 
 

[adw1977]

Possibly the only vehicle I've ever seen with bigger indicators than headlights.

[bezzabsa]

if anyone has a mast going free lemme know LOL

Amateur Radio 2&70 yagi would go noice on one of them...have a big sunroof in the pickarse so no need to cut holes LOL

[BorniteIdentity]

More hardcore porn - again from the world of ILR but this time we head to Cornwall.
 

Pirate FM’s R8 and R19. Magnificent(ly shite)

[808 Estate]

I rather like this Ford A series 4x4

This is a good site for ex OB wagons.

https://becg.org.uk/

 

[Mr Bump]

3 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

More hardcore porn - again from the world of ILR but this time we head to Cornwall.
 

Pirate FM’s R8 and R19. Magnificent(ly shite)

They had a helicopter outside when I went down just after launch. Nice to see Jasper Parrot featured in that pic. UKRD had just the best liveries for their sales cars...

 

 

[BorniteIdentity]

Commercial radio again - but my mate dug out this photo yesterday.  I would say this was Mercia FM in Coventry around 1996.

[Timewaster]

11 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Commercial radio again - but my mate dug out this photo yesterday.  I would say this was Mercia FM in Coventry around 1996.

Nice work with the Land Rover font on the bonnet.

[BorniteIdentity]

More old shite.

[808 Estate]

TV rather than radio, but this looks stunning.

 

[mk2_craig]

It's still around, and still beautiful. 

[Longbridge Apologist]

Absolutely delighted to see this thread resurrected AND to find so many other former/current fellow radio professionals here on the beige site.

*Rememeber, professional only means you are getting paid...

[Longbridge Apologist]

On 3/10/2017 at 3:12 PM, BorniteIdentity said:

 

I remember having to go to Mildenhall to cover MINOR counties cricket (Newbs get all the gr9 jobs eh) and - due to the distance from Bury - was given a yagi, a couple of U-Bolts and a compass!  I did it though!!

I had no idea Capital/Leic Sq/GCap/Global had some 405's.

[Vantman]

I found this picture on my laptop and thought it might belong here--

 

[808 Estate]

Pinched from another forum.

[Dan29]

14 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

Wrongly engined Transit 

1990 MK4 FORD TRANSIT CUSTOM 2.0 190 LWB VAN **DIRECT BBC RADIO - 54,000 MILES** | eBay

 

 

[wesacosa]

[motorpunk]

1 hour ago, wesacosa said:

That's a bloody brilliant picture, I love it!

[GrumpiusMaximus]

My Grandad was a BBC Research Physicist at the Kinsgwood Laboratories and there's a very good chance he was involved in the design of these.  He was definitely involved in some of the very earliest Outside Broadcast vehicles.  Set up test rigs in vans to test UHF and VHF signals too and was part of the colour TV  research and implementation team.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/people/e-w-taylor?Type=Publications&Decade=1960

https://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/publications/bbc_monograph_34

The PDF has pictures of the set up for signal testing.  This one is from 1961.

[quicksilver]

Not radio but it is a BBC vehicle.

This looks utterly terrifying. Trying to concentrate on looking through the camera while a 2CV pitches and rolls behind you must take balls of steel.

More about it and other BBC camera cars at https://becg.org.uk/2020/06/06/the-roving-eye/, including the original XM of which the one shown at the NEC is a replica.

 

[quicksilver]

And while looking for more pics of the 2CV I stumbled across this unholy mash up of a DS, a boat and a Volvo 340. Apparently it was a camera car in France but that's all I know.

 

[sierraman]

10 hours ago, quicksilver said:

Not radio but it is a BBC vehicle.

This looks utterly terrifying. Trying to concentrate on looking through the camera while a 2CV pitches and rolls behind you must take balls of steel.

More about it and other BBC camera cars at https://becg.org.uk/2020/06/06/the-roving-eye/, including the original XM of which the one shown at the NEC is a replica.

 

That wouldn’t happen these days, looks like there’s nothing even to strap the cameraman in? First bend and he’d have been off, he must have had legs like Charles Atlas to brace himself on the bends with that. 

[quicksilver]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

That wouldn’t happen these days, looks like there’s nothing even to strap the cameraman in? First bend and he’d have been off, he must have had legs like Charles Atlas to brace himself on the bends with that. 

That's what shocked me the most - none of those camera cars right up to the 1990s appear to have had any form of restraint at all on the cameraman's seat, not even a basic belt. It looks like sitting on a plastic school chair 8ft up in the air; one slip and you're done for, and they talk about doing up to 80mph!

If they were still in use now, H&S would insist on a full rollcage, racing seat with full harness belt and the cameraman would have to wear a helmet and probably motorbike leathers too just in case he fell off. Then the car would roll over at the first bend because of all that weight on the roof. Remote ball cameras are so much safer.

[808 Estate]