AM and FM DX

Same here. Though when it’s transmitting from Artarmon, it’s noticeably better, and then usually the strongest of the Sydney stations.

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Received faint 90.7 Triple J and 91.5 News Radio from the South West Slopes a short while ago. All other services from that site on 88.3, 89.1 and 89.9 blocked by low power Sydney suburban stations.

Some good tropo about this morning too. Strong signals from Sydney and Wollongong in particular.

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Very strong Fm from Wide Bay tonight plus DTV on Channel 10. ABC’s from Rockhampton and other close by signals are strong. To the south some enhancement as well.

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Yes I had quite strong tropo on Sunday morning and Sunday night too. It was purely coastal and was enhancing all the Newcastle, and Wollongong national and commercial fm stations.

All Newcastle commercial and national fm stations were received very strongly on Sunday night.

What was also interesting was inland signals were much weaker then usually with 107.9 Move Fm quite weak and in mono where it is normally received in stereo at my location.

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North America had big carriers last night but little audio. 1380 had a talk station & one playing choir music. 1500 had talk - assumed KSTP. Big hets on all 10khz channels above 1360. And that was just with my FM yagi. Was a bit late to set up a longwire as I had to go to bed - early starts for work.

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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.

Nice MW catches from the west just the same.

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I thought 1512 was effectively going to convert to FM on 104.7?

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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.

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5Kw on 1512 is bound to get out better.

103.1 RED FM at Morawa is only 100 watts, so if that is a guide, it won’t give much coverage.

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That’s the whole point, AM for wide coverage. Batavia Coast Broadcasters likely spent good money back then on the AM site.

As for 1512 relaying 98FM, you’d have to look back to the history of when the FMs were brought under common ownership and what format each took.

Correct, Seven West own the stations now, from WAN’s purchase.

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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.

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Ooh yeah. Horrible audio. You have to wonder why in this age they would still broadcast with that quality.

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I don’t wonder. I know. It’s money and they don’t want to spend it.

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Cheap satellite feeds? Surely the local stations like Bunbury and Port Hedland sound ok?

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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.

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It’s a pity as Spirit have a very good playlist.

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.

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I agree mate. This is one format that Triple M should look at.

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AMDX was pretty special last night with these incredible loggings (all with my FM yagi at that!)

1690 WPTX Lexington Park MD - https://youtu.be/yYMZ1W-GBds
1580 KBLA Santa Monica CA - https://youtu.be/UL_te21Ay38
1500 KSTP (ESPN radio) St Paul MN - https://youtu.be/fOzvy0yLzfI

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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.

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