Went out with the portable FM setup (Sony XDR-S3HD/preamp, Hills omnidirectional antenna). 2JJJ Coonabarabran reached 3 bars on peaks (525 km). In the other direction, Mixx FM Horsham was just audible (342 km). NewsRadio Canberra was in yet nothing from JJJ 101.5. JJJ Ballarat was strong on 107.1; weak Power FM on 103.1.
Interesting to hear Orange and Mildura mixed on 104.3. Also heard a large Ms reflection from 4JJJ Brisbane over Mixx Swan Hill.
Must be the 1000kW Chinese station beaming towards Taiwan & we’re getting the edge of the lobe in eastern Australia.
On FM I caught 93.9 Young in early evening for several minutes, nothing else around in terms of DX on the band.
Managed to hear 2DU Cobar (972) tonight in Hay. Clear with Dubbo ads. Must be directional to the south.
Driving out west on the M4 2BCR FM got interference from Bathurst?
89.9 FM Hawkesbury isn’t the best reception there. In a park on the Nepean river SWR out shines 100.7 FM.
I also found that 972 was better to the west than it was east as well when I passed through there.
We managed to catch 909 VOA Botswana in the clear this morning from Hay with the ‘yankee doodle’ sign off (0700 AEST; 2100 UTC). Videos to follow.
It was worth freezing our butts off in -1C to get!
Just to confirm - we caught VOA Botswana signing off with “This is the Voice of America Washington DC” then the Yankie Doodle Dandy - heard at quite good levels too!
The 909 frequency also had co channel flutter from distant signals which could not resolve audio but goodness knows where on the globe they were coming from!
Daytime MW propagation is very good out there with signals as far away as Brisbane (with loop) could be heard (612 4QR)
How far would a 1MW AM station typically reach during the daytime?
To give you an idea on how the Temora translator frequencies are a poor choice - even at Springdale (18km from Temora), these are still battling with the Albury transmitters on both 104.1 & 104.9
going through the 909khz recording atm, there is another station with unknown language, combined with the music played, sounds like its from North or central Africa. Mixes heavily with VOA Botswana.
BTW - we also heard a music station mixed with Auckland NZ which we think could be Kenya on 1386
i was using my phones FM radio app and scanned for freq’s in Newcastle, funny that a got a station with nothing on air (silent, but no static; 91.0.) I really don’t know what the station was??
There is no station on 91.0 here in Newcastle … your radio may have detected some interference or spur that can create the impression of a silent station.
Having listened to the other station that came up on 909khz, it has smatterings of English, so I am leaning towards India on 909khz, which is 100kW. It is unlikely that Algeria or Iran would have any English mixed in with its dialog. But Hindu does! (having listened to R.Tirana Auckland 1386)
When driving on the Illawarra Highway down the Macquarie Pass and when going up the Princes Motorway from Albion Park I got some brief periods of having a talk station (at least it was always someone talking) coming on top of 954.
Any ideas of what it could have been?
Almost certainly Hamilton NZ. Not sure which network is on there now. There is also 954 Dunedin which airs music (Coast).
There are no other Aussies on 954 kHz; 4CA Gordonvale is off air. Many years ago I had a similar experience on the F3 around Morisset; I thought it was 4CA but it was probably New Zealand.
Cheers, looks like it’s TAB Trackside.
I thought NZ Trackside transmitters were turned off since circa April 2020 due to COVID19 & suspension of racing?
Have their transmissions resumed?
Perhaps someone over in NZ can confirm.
Yes Trackside closed down, which is why I’m unsure of what is on there. They have put Newstalk ZB on a lot of the frequencies- to keep them active I suppose. 558 Invercargill is one example.
Actually, Newstalk ZB replaced Radio Sport, which shut down in late March in similar circumstances. However, as from today, Gold (a new radio network) will take over those frequencies.