1512AM certainly fits the single market operator for the current AM FM conversion program, not sure why they’re not pushing for FM.
1 possible reason - 1512AM is a retransmission service, born when 6GE 1008AM Geraldton switched to FM in the 1990s, becoming Triple G 96.5. Much of the Mid-west region lost access to a commercial radio service then. 1512AM certainly fills the gap. Gets out very well!
Interestingly, 1512AM retransmits 98.1FM Geraldton. Originally 98FM, now Spirit radio, and not the original service the locals lost when 6GE switched to FM. Different owners back then I think, now WA news has it wrapped up.
Yeah 2017 remote WA LAP I think suggested using 104.7. An unused HPON frequency in Morowa, with lifted restrictions. 1512am may still have been the best option to achieve the coverage, even with increased power. Not sure.
Testing my memory here, but both Triple G and 98fm both had similar 35+ playlists and programs in the beginning. Quite good listening actually. Makes me think they had separate owners competing for the same audience. Not 100% sure.
Coincidently, tropo this morning on the west coast brought Spirit Radio in on 104.7fm… Turns out 104.7 is used elsewhere in the Spirit network, this time presumably Jurien Bay, as Green Head and Lancelin Red FM and Spirit stations where also there.
Always easy to ID Red FM and Spirit - no stereo pilot and shocking 64kbps sounding audio.
If it’s only mono, it wouldn’t even need to be 64kbps.
But Rebel and Breeze seem to manage stereo on their satellite fed TXs, and I think Flow does as well. A shame that Red and Spirit can’t manage to do the same.
Mind you, they are hardly the only offenders when it comes to poor audio on translators. 4CC Agnes Water was still relaying straight off AM the last time I heard them. Not to mention the 2NM mining relays. If it’s right across the remote WA network that’s pretty poor, though.
Went to Pointer Gap Lookout (it’s about 18kms north west of Milton) earlier this afternoon and managed to receive these stations via my car stereo:
Triple M Sydney & WSFM
2GO Gosford (Very faint, but it was audible).
Move FM Lithgow
I didn’t check to see if I could receive any other long-distance stations. I’m surprised that I was able to receive those signals, because Pointer Mountain doesn’t have good line-of-sight to the north.
Yes, local content that I’ve heard out of Bunbury and Geraldton sound fine. Possibly indicates the bottleneck is in the satellite feed. Networked programming is easily identified by its audio quality even on my local 621am Spirit.
It’s just north of Little Forest where 106.7 2ST/t transmits from. Was there any overload from it? 99.7 2UUU/t also used to tx from there but are now down at the Ulladulla water tower; coverage has suffered as a result.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. The first 2-3kms of Porters Creek Road (which starts from the Highway) is of a reasonable standard, but it gradually deteriorates for the remainder of the 10kms. Parts of the road are unsealed. I actually took the photo above just a few hundred metres away from the Pointer Gap Lookout carpark and that’s not even the worst of the road.
If you do decide to drive up to Pointer Gap Lookout one day, take a lot of precaution. I can’t stress that enough. The road itself is only just wide enough for one car for most of it’s length and there are a few blind corners near the summit, so be prepared to pull over to the side if you have to. I nearly had a head-on with a d***head Ute driver which was speeding around a corner and didn’t leave enough room for me to stop/pass them. Very few people drive along the road though (that ute was the only car I passed), so you should be fine.
Also, the road is signposted as 80 km/h, but there’s absolutely no way you could travel that fast along most of it’s length. I was doing just over 10 km/h over some of the unsealed sections! The road is doable in a 2WD drive (my poor 2002 Nissan Pulsar was really put through it’s paces earlier today, lol), just as long as you drive to the conditions and take your time driving up there.
To be honest, I actually didn’t check to see what the reception of 106.7 2ST was like while I was up there, which is something that I regret not doing. I wish I had of done a proper FM DX while I was at the lookout. That said, I actually recorded the signal strength of 2GO and Move FM on my phone, so I might share/upload those files at some point.
I’ve been on similar roads before and yes, the “weekend warriors” in their 4WDs/utes think they own the road and bugger anyone else. It’s probably popular with the Ulladulla yoof who want a bit of alone time with their significant other, too
The top of Pigeon House Mountain would be interesting too, though you’d be limited to a portable such as the Tecsun PL-390.
