AM and FM DX (2015-2025)

Radio, Print, and Online General Radio and Digital
10954

That’s quite impressive, especially from a tube driven transmitter. Has to be pushing 40 years old at least by now, if not more. I have to wonder how many valve / tube driven transmitters are still in operation, there can’t be all that many nowadays surely

4 Likes
10956

Here’s my updated complete annotated 2025 Sydney AM bandscan:

My previous 2020 bandscan for reference:

I’ll post some more comments when I have the time, but since the last bandscan, we’ve seen a number of AM stations having gone off air and switch to FM (e.g. 2EC, 2MG, 2ST, 2GF, ABC RN Goulburn) . Also a few more signals coming in from China.

3 Likes
10957

Adding to my previous post…

International reception:

  • 657 kHz | Wellington, NZ (2232 km, 50 kW) | Rhema
  • 765 kHz | CNR-5, Liuzhi, China (8201 km, 600 kW)
  • 783 kHz | Voice of the Strait, Fotan, China (7351 km, 600 kW)
  • 909 kHz | CNR-6 Zhangban, China (7377 km, 600 kW)
  • 1080 kHz | NewstalkZB, Auckland, New Zealand (2152 km, 10 kW)
  • 1386 kHz | Radio Tarana, Auckland, NZ (2152 km, 10 kW)

Stations no longer active:

  • 2EC Bega 765 kHz
    • ABC RN Goulburn 1098 kHz
  • 2GN Goulburn 1386 kHz
  • 2MG Mudgee 1449 kHz
  • 2RE Taree 1557 kHz

Questions:

  • Is there a reason the high-powered ABC stations are generally concentrated around the lower part of the AM band?
  • Is SENTrack Wollongong on 1575 kHz off air? I didn’t seem to catch it in my bandscan.
  • Anyone able to help ID any of the indistinct stations in the list?

Observations/Notes:

  • I seem to get a harmonic of ABC 702 Sydney on 1404 (i.e. double the frequency). Not sure if it’s something internal to my receiver.
  • When ABC NewsRadio 630 is loud, I also get clipping across several hundred kHz either side of 630.
  • To identify co-channeled ABC stations from one another, I used the seconds before the news to determine if it was RN, Local Radio or News Radio (based on checking what was on the Sydney frequencies just before the hour), which usually only left one possible option for each frequency.
  • Where there was more than one station audible, I listed the strongest one; if they were about equal, then I listed both.
  • ID/news themes were generally recorded at one of three times on 22/2/2025 (12am, 1am or 2am).

Full bandscan listing: (International reception in bold)

  • 531 kHz | 2PM Kempsey (357 km, 5 kW) | Radio 531
  • 540 kHz | 4QL Longreach (1352 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local QLD – Western Queensland
  • 549 kHz | 2CR Cumnock (249 km, 50 kW) | ABC Local NSW – Central West
  • 558 kHz | 4GY Gympie (882 km, 5 kW) | 4GY
  • 567 kHz | 2BH Broken Hill (927 km, 0.5 kW) | 2BH
  • 576 kHz | 2RN Sydney (19 km, 50 kW) | ABC Radio National
  • 585 kHz | 2WEB Bourke (645 km, 10 kW) | 2WEB
  • 594 kHz | 3WV Horsham (855 km, 50 kW) | ABC Local VIC – Wimmera
  • 603 kHz | 2RN Nowra (135 km, 10 kW) | ABC Radio National
  • 612 kHz | 4QR Brisbane (762 km, 50 kW) | ABC Local QLD – Brisbane
  • 621 kHz | 3RN Melbourne (705 km, 50 kW) | ABC Radio National
  • 630 kHz | 2PB Sydney (19 km, 10 kW) | ABC NewsRadio
  • 639 kHz | 2HC Coffs Harbour (429 km, 5 kW)
  • 648 kHz | 2NU Tamworth (355 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local NSW – New England North West
  • 657 kHz | Wellington, NZ (2232 km, 50 kW) | Rhema
  • 666 kHz | 2CN Canberra (228 km, 5 kW) | ABC Local ACT – Canberra
  • 675 kHz | 2CO Corowa (480 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local NSW – Riverina
  • 684 kHz | 2KP Kempsey (372 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local NSW – Mid North Coast
  • 693 kHz | 3AW Melbourne (723 km, 5 kW) | 3AW
  • 702 kHz | 2BL Sydney (19 km, 50 kW) | ABC Local NSW – Sydney
  • 711 kHz | 4QW St George (701 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local QLD – Western Queensland
  • 720 kHz | Multiple overlapping ABC radio services
  • 729 kHz | 5RN Adelaide (1158 km, 50 kW) | Radio National
  • 738 kHz | 2NR Grafton (532 km, 50 kW) | ABC Local NSW – North Coast
  • 747 kHz | 4QS Toowoomba (758 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local QLD – Southern Queensland
  • 747 kHz | 7PB Hobart (1045 km, 3.5 kW) | ABC NewsRadio
  • 756 kHz | 2TR Taree (268 km, 2 kW) | ABC Local NSW – Mid North Coast
  • 756 kHz | 3RN Wangaratta (505 km, 10 kW) | ABC Radio National
  • 765 kHz | CNR-5, Liuzhi, China (8201 km, 600 kW)
  • 774 kHz | 3LO Melbourne (705 km, 50 kW) | ABC Local VIC – Melbourne
  • 783 kHz | Voice of the Strait, Fotan, China (7351 km, 600 kW)
  • 792 kHz | 4RN Brisbane (762 km, 50 kW) | ABC Radio National
  • 801 kHz | HPON Gosford (78 km, 5 kW) | SENTrack
  • 801 kHz | 5RM Renmark/Loxton (962 km, 2 kW)
  • 810 kHz | 2BA Bega (327 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local NSW – South East
  • 819 kHz | 2GL Glen Innes (468 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local NSW – New England North West
  • 828 kHz | 3GI Sale (591 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local VIC – Gippsland
  • 837 kHz | 4RK Rockhampton (1170 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local QLD – Capricornia
  • 846 kHz | 2RN Canberra (228 km, 10 kW) | ABC Radio National
  • 855 kHz | 4QO Eidsvold (951 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local QLD – Wide Bay
  • 864 kHz | 4GR Toowoomba (712 km, 2 kW) | Triple M Darling Downs
  • 873 kHz | 2GB Sydney (14 km, 6 kW) | 2GB
  • 882 kHz | 3RPH Warrnambool (898 km, 2 kW) | Vision Australia Radio
  • 882 kHz | 4BC Brisbane (749 km, 5 kW)
  • 891 kHz | 5AN Adelaide (1158 km, 50 kW) | ABC Local SA – Adelaide
  • 900 kHz | 2LM Lismore (616 km, 5 kW)
  • 909 kHz | CNR-6 Zhangban, China (7377 km, 600 kW)
  • 918 kHz | 4VL Charleville (962 km, 2 kW)
  • 927 kHz | 3UZ Melbourne (683 km, 5 kW) | RSN Racing & Sport
  • 936 kHz | 4PB Brisbane (762 km, 10 kW) | ABC NewsRadio
  • 936 kHz | 7ZR Hobart (1045 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local TAS – Hobart
  • 945 kHz | HPON Bendigo (694 km, 2 kW) | RSN Racing & Sport
  • 954 kHz | 2UE Sydney (14 km, 5 kW)
  • 963 kHz | 4WK Warwick (666 km, 5 kW) | 4WK
  • 963 kHz | 2RG Griffith (458 km, 5 kW) | Triple M Riverina MIA
  • 972 kHz | 5PB Adelaide (1152 km, 2 kW) | ABC NewsRadio
  • 981 kHz | 2NM Muswellbrook (187 km, 5 kW) | 2NM
  • 990 kHz | 4RO Rockhampton (1154 km, 5 kW)
  • 999 kHz | 2NB Broken Hill (924 km, 2 kW) | ABC Local NSW – Broken Hill
  • 1008 kHz | HPON Canberra (228 km, 0.3 kW) | Sky Sports Radio
  • 1008 kHz | 4TAB Brisbane (760 km, 10 kW) | Radio TAB
  • 1017 kHz | 2KY Sydney (14 km, 5 kW) | Sky Sports Radio
  • 1026 kHz | 3PB Melbourne (683 km, 10 kW) | ABC NewsRadio
  • 1035 kHz | 2EA Wollongong (67 km, 2 kW) | SBS Radio
  • 1044 kHz | 5AU Port Pirie (1188 km, 2 kW)
  • 1053 kHz | 2CA Canberra (226 km, 5 kW)
  • 1062 kHz | 5MV Renmark/Loxton (965 km, 2 kW) | ABC Local SA – Riverland
  • 1071 kHz | 3EL Maryborough (Vic) (742 km, 5 kW) | Gold Central Victoria
  • 1080 kHz | 2MO Gunnedah (341 km, 2 kW)
  • 1080 kHz | NewstalkZB, Auckland, New Zealand (2152 km, 10 kW)
  • 1089 kHz | 3WM Horsham (836 km, 5 kW)
  • 1098 kHz | 4LG Longreach (1352 km, 2 kW)
  • 1107 kHz | 2EA Sydney (13 km, 5 kW) | SBS Radio 1
  • 1116 kHz | 4BH Brisbane (758 km, 6.3 kW)
  • 1125 kHz | 1RPH Canberra (228 km, 2 kW)
  • 1134 kHz | 2AD Armidale (383 km, 2 kW)
  • 1143 kHz | 2HD Newcastle (134 km, 2 kW)
  • 1152 kHz | 2WG Wagga Wagga (358 km, 2 kW) | Triple M Riverina
  • 1161 kHz | 7FG Fingal (904 km, 1 kW) | ABC Local TAS – Northern Tasmania
  • 1170 kHz | 2CH Sydney (14 km, 5 kW) | SEN Sports Radio
  • 1179 kHz | 3RPH Melbourne (683 km, 5 kW) | Vision Australia Radio
  • 1188 kHz | 2NZ Inverell (466 km, 2 kW)
  • 1197 kHz | 4YB Brisbane (739 km, 0.5 kW) | Switch Brisbane
  • 1206 kHz | 2CC Canberra (228 km, 5 kW) | 2CC
  • 1215 kHz | Indistinct
  • 1224 kHz | 2RPH Sydney (23 km, 5 kW)
  • 1233 kHz | 2NC Newcastle (140 km, 10 kW) | ABC Local NSW – Newcastle
  • 1242 kHz | 3GV Sale (584 km, 5 kW) | Gippsland Gold
  • 1251 kHz | 2DU Dubbo (293 km, 2 kW) | 2DU
  • 1260 kHz | 3SR Shepparton (572 km, 2 kW) | RSN Racing & Sport
  • 1269 kHz | 2SM Sydney (14 km, 5 kW) | 2SM
  • 1278 kHz | 3EE Melbourne (684 km, 5 kW) | Magic 1278
  • 1287 kHz | 2TM Tamworth (311 km, 2 kW)
  • 1296 kHz | 4RPH Brisbane (748 km, 5 kW) | Reading Radio
  • 1305 kHz | 5RN Renmark/Loxton (965 km, 2 kW) | Radio National
  • 1314 kHz | HPON Wollongong (65 km, 5 kW) | Sky Sports Radio
  • 1323 kHz | 5DN Adelaide (1152 km, 3.3 kW) | Cruise 1323
  • 1332 kHz | 3SH Swan Hill (705 km, 2 kW)
  • 1341 kHz | HPON Geelong (758 km, 5 kW)
  • 1350 kHz | 2LF Young (257 km, 5 kW)
  • 1359 kHz | Indistinct
  • 1368 kHz | Indistinct
  • 1377 kHz | 3MP Melbourne (689 km, 5 kW)
  • 1386 kHz | Radio Tarana, Auckland, NZ (2152 km, 10 kW)
  • 1395 kHz | 5AA Adelaide (1148 km, 5 kW) | FIVEaa
  • 1404 kHz | 2PK Parkes/Forbes (281 km, 2 kW)
  • 1413 kHz | HPON Shepparton (572 km, 0.5 kW) | Vision Australia Radio
  • 1422 kHz | HPON Melbourne (714 km, 5 kW) | 3XY - Radio Hellas
  • 1431 kHz | 2RN Wollongong (67 km, 2 kW) | ABC Radio National
  • 1440 kHz | 1EA Canberra (228 km, 2 kW) | SBS Radio 1
  • 1449 kHz | Indistinct
  • 1458 kHz | 2PB Newcastle (140 km, 2 kW) | ABC NewsRadio
  • 1467 kHz | 3ML Mildura/Sunraysia (826 km, 2 kW) | River 1467
  • 1476 kHz | 5MG Mount Gambier (1022 km, 1 kW) | ABC Local SA – South East SA
  • 1476 kHz | 4ZR Roma (851 km, 2 kW)
  • 1485 kHz | 5LN Port Lincoln (1398 km, 0.2 kW) | ABC Local SA – Eyre Peninsula
  • 1494 kHz | 2AY Albury (442 km, 2 kW)
  • 1503 kHz | 3KND Melbourne (684 km, 5 kW)
  • 1512 kHz | 2RN Newcastle (139 km, 10 kW) | ABC Radio National
  • 1521 kHz | 2QN Deniliquin (594 km, 2 kW)
  • 1530 kHz | 2VM Moree (510 km, 2 kW)
  • 1539 kHz | HPON Sydney (13 km, 1 kW) | SENTrack
  • 1548 kHz | 4QD Emerald (1202 km, 50 kW) | ABC Local QLD – Capricornia
  • 1557 kHz | HPON Renmark/Loxton (962 km, 0.5 kW) | Kix Country
  • 1566 kHz | 3NE Wangaratta (502 km, 5 kW)
  • 1575 kHz | Indistinct
  • 1584 kHz | 4CC Rockhampton (1181 km, 0.5 kW)
  • 1593 kHz | HPON Melbourne (683 km, 5 kW) | SENTrack
  • 1602 kHz | 2CP Cooma (309 km, 0.396 kW) | ABC Local NSW – South East
  • 1602 kHz | 3WL Warrnambool (913 km, 0.25 kW) | ABC Local VIC – South West
  • 1611 kHz | Vision Radio Network (Various transmitters)
  • 1620 kHz | Radio 2Moro (14 km, 0.4 kW)
  • 1629 kHz | Indistinct
  • 1638 kHz | ‘2ME’ Radio Arabic (13 km, 0.4 kW)
  • 1647 kHz | Indistinct
  • 1655 kHz | Indistinct
  • 1665 kHz | ‘2MM’ Greek Radio (8 km, 0.4 kW)
  • 1674 kHz | Indistinct
  • 1683 kHz | Hellenic Radio (6 km, 0.4 kW)
  • 1692 kHz | No signal
  • 1701 kHz | Voice of Charity (15 km, 0.4 kW)
5 Likes
10958

I think the reason might be that lower AM frequencies travel further in the daytime and are better at penetrating the concrete jungle.

Higher frequencies have the advantage of travelling further at night.

Missing stations might be

720 - a mix of any of 3MT Omeo, 2MT Murwillumbah and 2RN Armidale, maybe even 6WF Perth?
1215 - KIX Country Bowral?
1359 - HPON Mildura?
1368 and 1449 - ?? must be O’seas with 2GN and 2MG gone. HPON Mandurah WA too far / low powered
1575 - VOI Thailand?

4 Likes
10959

That’s part of the reason, also they followed the USA “Clear Channel” block, where the lower part of the band only has/had high powered stations & only 1 or 2 stations on each frequency across the country, putting lower power on higher frequencies meant they could stack more stations closer in distance on each frequency.

They may well have been those, but I thought they would be more likely in your location 1341kHz Sky Racing from Newcastle at 5kW & 1413kHz SBS AM from Newcastle at 5kW, considering you had all the other Newcastle stations, even the ones at lower power?

3 Likes
10960

Low level enhancement so far tonight.

Received all ABC Coffs stations, Hit102.3 Port, harder to get here partly because of Classic Canberra.

3 Likes
10961

Has been off air since last year when it was moved to 87.6
My guess is most likely Newstalk ZB Northland.

3 Likes
10962

I posted a video of the bandscan in the post before the one you quoted. There’s audio of both stations IDing so they’re definitely Geelong and Shepparton.

2 Likes
10963

Another great night for DXing on MW, this time I used the TEF to try my hand at these.

585 2WEB (excellent)
765 5CC (fair)
792 ABC Alice Springs (fair)
801 SEN Gosford (weak, strong CCI from 5RM but could make it out)
819 2GL (good)
864 Triple M Darling Downs (fair)
873 2GB (weak, fading in and out, some splatter)
918 4?? (fair, has same log as 4LG)
981 3HA (weak, moderate CCI with 2NM)
1044 5CS (good)
1071 Gold Central Victoria (good)
1080 2?? (fair)
1098 4LG (fair)
1125 1SBS (very weak)
1143 2HD (fair, moderate CCI with unknown station, same playout as 4LG)
1161 ABC South East Narracourte (good)
1188 2NZ (fair)
1197 5RPH (fair)
1323 Cruise (fair, fading in and out)
1341 3GL (weak)
1350 2LF (weak, splatter with RSN 1359)
1404 2PK (fair)
1413 SBS Radio 1 Newcastle (fair)
1431 ABC NewsRadio Wollongong (weak)
1440 SBS Radio 1 Canberra (weak, splatter from River1467)
1503 3KND (fair)
1512 ABC RN Sydney (fair)
1530 2VM (good)
1548 4QD (good)
1566 3NE (fair)
1593 SENTrack Melbourne (weak)

The TEF really does a great job on MW, especially with a good aerial for it.

3 Likes
10964

Nice bandscan! 918 is 4VL Charleville.

1 Like
10965

918- 4VL Charleville
1080- 2MO Gunnedah
1143- 4HI Emerald

Also 8AL is on 783 and not 792; 792 is 4RN Brisbane and it’s an Aussie clear channel. You may hear Hamilton NZ on that as well.

2 Likes
10966

It’s actually 1RPH Canberra.

It’s actually ABC RN.

That’s actually from Newcastle.

2 Likes
10967

Once again @TV-Expert saves the day. Missed those, thanks.

Though there was a proposal to indeed put NewsRadio on 1431 in Wollongong and they ran a test loop for about a week to that effect. I believe the loop directed listeners to either 576 Sydney or 603 Nowra if they wanted to continue listening to RN. The ABC must have got a lot of complaints as they returned RN to 1431 very quickly.

This was well before 90.9 started; 90.9 was planned for a long time but couldn’t start due to WIN3. That switched off in 2012, so I’m guessing the loop was sometime in the late 00s. You know who will probably remember the year.

1 Like
10968

That’s what I do. :wink:

I remembered this was in 2009. From what I can recall, there was a notice about it on the Illawarra Mercury at around that time.

2 Likes
10969

On the Mildura webserver right now and 3MBS is in on 103.5 from Melbourne/Mount Dandenong. I make that nearly 500 km.

Lots of other tropo signals on the band too, some of them at excellent strength.

Edit: at 1945 UTC 89.9 The Light also IDed.

4 Likes
10970

RDS now from 3MBS:

image
image1228×488 107 KB

3 Likes
10971

Nice catches

Looks like there was also a bit of sporadic E as well, the autologger got 100.7 4US from Rockhampton more than a couple of times.

2 Likes
10972

Screenshot_20250225-070644
Screenshot_20250225-0706441080×330 238 KB

Also I’ve never seen the spectrum lit up like this, an amazing sight to see.

5 Likes
10973

Thanks, I was trying to go by memory as I didn’t hear an ID for them or couldn’t tell

2 Likes
10974

It’s not the Rockhampton station. It’s Riverland Life FM from Loxton. It’s using the default FFFF PI which caused the server to log it as 4US. That was very likely me tuning to it.

4 Likes
Radio Data System (RDS)