AM and FM DX

It could also be Mount Gambier.

Bunbury is unlikely from Victoria

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Cheers for that.

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Maybe we should restrict the chatter here to actual DX or unusual reception.

Hearing 2CA in Victoria is no big deal. You can do that every night in Melbourne. Was driving around last night listening to it. Just as you can hear the low frequency AM stations from northern Tasmania through the day.

Just a thought.

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819 2GL (ABC New England/Northwest) 10kW OD

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Somehow picking up what appears to be audio from someones TV on 87.7 MHz using my RTL-SDR, heard ads for coles, SBS promos, King of Queens, Bananas in Pyjamas and a few things I couldnt identify. How is this possible?

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By someone using one of those FM transmitters that are used in older cars (that donā€™t have Bluetooth) in order to stream audio to their car radio.

Ah yes forgot about those, I guess in this case they were streaming it to a radio in their unit as I doubt they were sitting in their car watching TV.

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Thatā€™s funnyā€¦ Thereā€™s only a very small number of cars that have a digital TV tuner, but the thought of someone using it in their own garage made me laugh :rofl:

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A bit unusual for this time of the day but there is some tropo coming into my location in NW Sydney at present.
All Newcastle Fm stations received with KO as normal the strongest of the commercials. To the south Highland Fm stronger then normal, and a weak Eagle Fm also received.

The Hepburn forecast chart has a intense duct to the north east of Sydney, so late afternoon evening should be the go.

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Iā€™m back in Hobart for a short visit. I only have my Sangean DAB pocket radio with me and I donā€™t have a car either.

Managed to get a window seat on the way down so had some interesting DX. The standout performer was Mt Canobolas; it lasted all the way to Bass Strait. At one point I was getting Melbourne and Orange simultaneously. Coonabarabran was very strong flying south off the Illawarra. Sydney (WS FM) was receivable to about Eden, where a brief bit of 3MGB took over.

I fly back on Friday afternoon but I will have a middle seat unfortunately.

Addendum: My Hobart cabbie had SBS Chill on!

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Tropo tonight from New Caledonia. RRB on 99.0 at Boambee Headland, Sawtell. Had it the other day too at the same location. No other stations from there were received.

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Had Gladstone commercials last night - a change form the more common ABCs from Mt Hopeful.

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So you only got Gladstone at 1kw but not Mt Hopeful at 80kw?

Thatā€™s interesting, must have been a very coastal opening, as Hopeful is further inland.

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Yes . Mt Hopeful was present earlier in the night.

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Was Bundy present, or is that pretty much a permanent fixture with your set up?

Bundaberg is permanent - commercials, TAB and community stations. Rockhampton seems to be present at least at a low level on many nights with the current hot weather.

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The NEW FM ā€œspurā€ has returnedā€¦ in a different form, this time itā€™s making a mess on 107.7 from Maitland down to New Lambton Heights (where the 2GO FM signal is strong enough to mask it completely). Which also thankfully means I canā€™t hear any evidence of it here at Charlestown since 2GO is very strong here too.

At Metford (near Maitland) it was bad enough to cause the NEW FM RDS station name to appear on 107.7 and you could tell what song they were playing.

I have also noticed that the SNR on NEW FM here at Charlestown has dropped considerably.

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Thatā€™s bad.

I put it down in the past to a faulty TX, maybe a Tube on the way out, but unless theyā€™ve switched back to the old TX as reserve, this shouldnā€™t be happening with the new TX, it has to be something at fault after the TX?

I was at a mates house in Edgeworth tonight, pretty close & in full view of Mt Sugarloaf, with 2GO protected somewhat from Munibung Hill. In this area, yes NEWFM is strong, but 2GO should be able to be received well in stereo.

Iā€™ve got a video of the car radio tuned to 107.7 & you can hear NEWFM & only NEWFM, itā€™s fuzzy but the stereo pilot was flashing on & off.

I canā€™t post the video here, but I started on 107.7, then switched straight to 105.3 & yes itā€™s definitely NEWFM on 107.7.

@gordo92 can you come back down to Newcastle & sort this out, maybe bring Alan B down with you, this has been going on for years at various times of the year & at various strengths & bandwidths.

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NEW FM has been much better in the last 18 months (since they switched on RDS) - the only other problem I notice these days is some over deviation onto 105.1 and 105.5.

Will mention this issue to the powers at beeā€¦ Sadly Newcastle is not my area to look after and is looked after by another tech based in Newyā€¦ There is some adjustments that I am sure were made after i left the cityā€¦
I will mention the issue and see if I can get the tech to see if he can find if there is a issue and what it might be.

Louder Processing and the retiring of the old NEC and replacement with a 5kw Solid State transmitter would have added to the improvement.

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