"Ian Jackson"

On 405-lines, we could certainly get the French positive mod 819-line,
14MHz wide signals - but these were displayed as two stretched, tall
images, side-by-side. And, of course, there was no sound, as the sound
(AM) was 11.15MHz HF or LF (depending on the channel number). Under
conditions of strong sporadic-E propagation, Band 1 French signals were
receivable in the UK at considerable distances and, in fringe areas, could
totally swamp the wanted signal.

I have an ancient copy of "Practical Television" that includes an article
"Receiving French TV". This was an account of an installation created for
someone (not himself a DX TV enthusiast) who actually wanted to watch French
TV. Even though the customer lived on the south coast this was real
fringe-area stuff. The installation included a modified French 819-line TV
(modified to increase gain, reduce bandwidth and improve synchronisation)
and two specially made high-gain aerials, one for vision, one for sound.

On 625-line PAL, UK-standard sets can't really make anything at all of the
French positive mod, AM sound 625-line signals (SECAM if colour).

Anyone who actually *wanted* to receive French TV wouldn't use a UK-standard
receiver to do it!

David.