Horrible weather in Canberra yesterday with significant flooding in Bungendore; not surprised that there were issues. Lightning in the mix as well.
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Yes there was a pic taken at 12.30am yesterday showing a huge lightning bolt strike hitting the black mountain tower. I’m surprised not more radio services were not taken out yesterday.
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I’ve seen photos of the ABC Canberra AM site taken yesterday, the main 666 & RN mast is submerged in a lake of water & so is the RN backup mast.
Not brilliant photos, but it looks like the water is high enough to short across the mast base insulator & has got into the Antenna Tuning Unit, also at the base of the masts, therefore the water will short the antenna & nothing will come out of it.
Looking at the photos, it looks like the masts are based in a hollow spot, with the surrounding land higher than the mast base & all the water has pooled around the mast base & become a small lake.
Considering the masts don’t look like they’re built very high off the ground, I guess this area never floods or was never expected to flood & maybe over the years the surrounding land has built up higher than where the base of the masts are, so now they’re in a potential lake bed?
Yes I’ve seen the photo of the lightning strike on Telstra Tower too, it was a big one.
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Did a day trip from Coffs up to Yamba today.
These notes taken in Pacific Parade around 1pm, which oddly turned out to be a better spot than near the Lighthouse, where I found a few localised spurs from 2TLC, going up as high as 106.7! These didn’t exist in Pacific Parade.
88.9 2RBR good
89.5 2GF was strong here as you’d expect.
89.7 2TEN suffered minor splatter from 2GF but was still OK. No RDS though.
90.7 ABC News Coffs good
91.5 Triple J Coffs good
92.3 ABC Coffs good
92.9 River Lismore OK, no RDS
93.5 2TLC Yamba strong
94.5 ABC Local Lismore good
95.3 ABC Classic Lismore good
96.1 JJJ Lismore good
96.3 JJJ Taree weak (no 94.7 or 95.5 though)
96.9 ABC RN Lismore good
97.1 ABC RN Taree fair
97.9 ABC Coffs good
98.5 ABC News Lismore good
98.7 ABC Classic Taree fair
99.5 ABC RN Coffs good
100.9 ZZZ Lismore with RDS
101.5 SKY Grafton fair
101.7 ABC Classic Warwick OK
101.9 Paradise FM Ballina weak
103.3 JJJ Warwick OK
103.5 ABC Classic Armidale weak
103.9 2GF Maclean still on ai, strong
104.1 2CHY Coffs, OK but not with RDS
104.3 2LM Kyogle OK
104.7 FM1047 Grafton strong
105.1 Hit Kempsey OK no RDS
105.5 Hit Coffs OK with RDS
106.1 Classic Brisbane faint
106.3 Triple M Coffs OK with RDS
106.5 ABC RN Warwick fair
106.7 Triple M Kempsey OK no RDS
107.1 SKY Coffs weak
107.7 Triple J Brisbane weak
107.9 OK not sure if this was 2AIR Coffs or 2COW Casino
On AM
531 2PM Kempsey fair
585 2WEB Bourke weak
612 4QR Brisbane fair
639 2HC Coffs good
684 2KP Kempsey good
693 SEN Brisbane fair under some splatter from 2KP
711 4QW St George fair
720 2ML Murwillumbah fair
738 2NR Grafton strong
792 4RN Brisbane fair
819 2GL Glen Innes OK
855 4QO Eidsvold weak
864 4QR Toowoomba weak
882 4BC Brisbane weak
900 2LM Lismore
963 4WK Warwick fair
972 2MW Murwillumbah weak
1008 4TAB Brisbane fair
1116 4BH Brisbane fair
1188 2NZ Inverell weak
1197 4BI Brisbane very weak under 2GF
1206 2GF Grafton strong
1242 4AK Tooowoomba weak
1296 4RPH Brisbane weak
1548 4QD Emerald very weak
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There was a light NE’ly on the North Coast today but I guess it was fairly shallow, so no tropo. From Woopi Headland I usually hear Brisbane (96.5 and 97.3 are best), River 94.9 and sometimes even Hot 91.1 Scumshine Coast. It is generally the best spot around Coffs for QLD FM.
The path from Woopi to Brisbane is pretty much straight north over land, though. You bypass the eastern bulge of Byron Bay.
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So which stations provide the best in car highway coverage along the NSW Coast (Princes and Pacific Highways)?
I’ve done a bit of traveling from border to border in NSW over the years, here are my estimates. Doesn’t include translators, main transmitters only and represents stable reception without breaking up.
2EEE / 2EC Bega - from Narrabara to Narooma = 159km
2EEE / 2EC Batemans Bay - Cobargo to Jerrawangala = 189km
2WSK Nowra - East Lynne to Waterfall = 214km
2ST Nowra - East Lynne to Albion Park Rail =:152 km
2UUL / 2WIN Wollongong - Tomerong to Berowra Heights = 222km
SYDNEY - Kiama Heights (Billys Lookout) to Doyalson Interchange = 225 km
2CFM, 2GOS, 2GGO Central Coast = Waterfall to Twelve Mile Creek = 244 km
2KKO, 2NEW, 2XXX Newcastle = Doyalson Interchange to Bulahdelah = 138km
2RE, 2MVB Taree = Myall Way Turnoff to Thrumster = 168km
2PQQ, 2ROX Port Macquarie = Nabiac to Barraganyatti - 172km
2PQQ, 2ROX Kempsey - Kew to Woolgoolga = 198km
2CSF, 2CFS Coffs Harbour- Kundabung to Maclean = 237 km
2GF, 2CLR Grafton = Woolgoolga to Broadwater = 151 km
2ZZZ Lismore = Maclean to Surfers Paradise =:198 km
Those with TXs closest to the Highways and no significant power restrictions in any direction seem to fare the best, like Coffs Harbour, Sydney and Central Coast.
Where as Newcastle, Taree and Grafton fare among the worst due to nulls and in Taree’s case, being located inland.
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What this also shows is that you can effectively ‘skip’ a region’s stations if you want to, e.g. use Power FM Nowra from East Lynne to Waterfall, then switch to Sydney or even the Central Coast.
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Also for comparison is ABC NSW coastal coverage. Have chosen the highest power signals for each site.
ABC South East (Brown Mt) - Cann River VIC to Moruya = 280 kms
ABC South Coast (Mt Wandera) - Cobargo to Kiama Heights (Billys Lookout) = 256 km
ABC Illawarra (Knights Hill) - Batemans Bay to Berowra Heights = 320 km
ABC Sydney (Gore Hill)- Billys Lookout to Doyalson Interchange = 225 km
ABC Newcastle (Mt Sugarloaf) - Berowra Heights to Coolongolook = 235 km
ABC Mid North Coast (Middle Brother) = Raymond Terrace to Nambucca Heads = 319 km
ABC Coffs Coast (Mt Moombil) - Kew to Woodburn = 338 km
ABC Northern Rivers (Mt Nardi) - Glenugie to Yatala QLD = 278 km
Compared to the commercials, goes to show what extra power and in some cases a bit more elevation can do.
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I dare you to come inland and find a bigger commercial FM signal than NOW FM Moree 
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You’re right!
It’s harder to compare inland signals since the roads there aren’t always straight-ish eg. the highways change direction somewhat at Narrabri.
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Sticking to the Newell (National Highway 39) 25kM South of Coonabarrabran NSW to 40kM (North or East of Goondiwindi) thats aprox 420 km
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I thought you were saying 98.3 doesn’t make it to Goondy?
Are you including 88.7?
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Depends on weather your talking average or advanced reception
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Average. Stable in car reception.
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Most Truckies tell us 98.3 is good from Captains Mountain (West of Millmerren QLD to the Tooraweenah turnoff south of Coonabarrabran NSW) and some tell us they can ride it as far as Gilgandra so even on the crappest car radio were still talking more than 350km
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Mt Dowe has excellent HAAT, height above average terrain. This assists with coverage.
Mt Lofty, Mt Barrow and Mt Wellington are also great examples of this. As is Mt Canobolas.
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Yes. And that’s why Mr Hat (HAAT) works there 
Mount Dowe and Mount Canobolas are both extinct volcanoes; the volcanic soil is what drives agriculture in the Liverpool Plains. You need an extinct volcano to have a ‘peak alone’ to such a degree.
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The Bluff near Port Pirie in the Southern Flinders Ranges also - coverage of 5AU (now FM), Magic and the ABC FM’s would get you reliably from the northern Adelaide Plains right up to Hawker (about 300 km), and quite a ways around the top of Spencer Gulf and into Eyre Peninsula if you really want to get the most out of mileage 
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You can also add Mount Cootha in Brisbane to that. The coverage for the Brisbane stations is exceptional at only 12kw ERP.
I’ve picked up the Brisbane stations as well as River 949 on a wireless radio at Byron Bay lighthouse which is quite high up, but still approx 200km away.
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They don’t call it Mount Cooties for nothing. Easy to catch.
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