Newcastle stations coming in clear tonight on my phone’s FM scan. Am in a highrise in Parramatta.
2 Likes
My general rule of thumb is the tropo is generally past its peak within 24 hours of the cool change happening.
2 Likes
I am talking about the pre-frontal (hot) airmass though. There will be NE’lys during the initial phase of the heatwave (conducive to tropo), potentially hot NW’lys before the change (bad for tropo) and then a southerly change (can be good for tropo). Post southerly is usually bad for tropo as you point out.
There’s a bit of activity from the south into Newcastle tonight. Sydney is very strong, most community stations receivable including 2BAC Bankstown in nulls of Port Stephens FM, which doesn’t happen very often here. 105.7 JJJ is one of the strongest of the Sydney ABCs/commercials, which is unusual, it’s normally one of the weakest.
Wollongong is also strong, not as strong as Sydney though. But the duct isn’t getting much further south, 2ST and 2BAB only mono, Power FM not coming in as easily, but it is there. Mt Wandera ABCs very weak, as is Canberra.
3 Likes
I have been playing closer attention to HHH FM. I have noticed in around the Hornsby shire it interfering with SWR FM. This morning listening to SWR on Pennant Hills Rd near the pub you can hear it interfering, then last night closer to the transmitter up around Waitara you can hear it fighting. Before the changes it really only fought with SWR around the pub at Waitara which is right next to the transmitter.
It still struggles a bit to get the footprint south towards into Carlingford/West Pennant Hills, due to the location and height of the transmitter. The Hornsby/Ku Ring Gai shire is a difficult shire to cover. You do need repeaters in my opinion, like they have for the Northern Beaches. You definitely need one at Wiseman Ferry area and Brooklyn (but probably nor “worth it”). Pennant Hills is not really needed but one could argue West Pennant Hills needs one. I couldn’t find the coverage map of HHH FM online. I know it has been posted here before. Not sure how south the official coverage area should go.
It might be obvious to most but what I find with these low power transmitters you may get very large differences within very short distances. It can really vary greatly.
Community radio does not have a lot of money to fix this problems, but I guess they could put the transmitter on top of one of the apartment blocks at Hornsby would be ideal. Not sure if that is allowed in this day and age. Another option is on top of the tower at Pennant Hills (maybe Beecroft or West Pennant Hills that location is on the border) near the water tank and made it directional, boosting the power a bit. It would be impossible to serve Brooklyn though. I went there on the weekend and DAB and Sydney FM is average. HHH has no hope.
2 Likes
That’s what I was thinking they should do, a bit more height could make a significant difference to its coverage all other things being equal.
The current Waitara site seems to be an odd choice.
According to website.
"Moving to Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre is a big and significant step. This will enable Triple H to have a complete upgrade of equipment and facilities. Please be assured we will be back in action as soon as possible and you will hear your favourite programs. Look out of the launch date in 2021 where we will open up to the community to visit. "
I don’t think it means a transmitter difference in location, but the sound you can tell. Maybe they are using a wider bandwidth. I guess since December 2000 there were less apartments around making it an odd choice in today’s world but back then it was probably the only location available.
2 Likes
I’ll need to tune in around Lindfield again. I don’t think it is great. I always thought Northside radio 99.3 was the local there.
1 Like
There might be some overlap - but yes, Lindfield is only one suburb up the highway, so I’d be very surprised if it’s not in the 2NSB licence area too.
1 Like
I would argue “the redzone” for HHH is more the heartland (also with reception) except for the gaps as what has been mentioned. I think Northside FM would have better coverage around Epping/Beecroft and parts of Pennants Hills/Thornleigh than HHH . My view Thornleigh/Normanhurst up to Berowra across to Turramurra is the area where a portable radio should not have issues getting a clean signal (with some exceptions as there are quite a few deep valleys in the area).
The western side of the licence is patchy (good in parts) but bad in others ie along the Old Northern Road. I think the terrain of the Berowra Valley National park affects it a bit and some big apartments to the west and north west of the transmitter would affect the coverage westwards and northwest. For Cherrybrook it depends where you are.
1 Like
No Wollongong enhancement at my location, but if you’re getting enhancement, you can try decoding RDS from Pulse 94.1, Power 94.9, Wave 96.5 and Vox 106.9 also:
3 Likes
I’m pretty sure HHH would have almost no signal up at Wisemans Ferry. Also note how the SW part of the licence area isn’t too far away from SWR territory, though the immediate border is 2CCR (Alive 90.5).
1 Like
Mt Dowe ABC very strong tonight, Coffs ABC and commercials
93.5 PNN and 95.1 GEM Inverell
96.3 JJJ, 97.1 RN and 98.7 ABC Classic Middle Brother
105.9 2CBD Glen Innes
Edit: later JJJ 102.3 from Cenn Cruaich + Rockhampton.
Racing Radio 95.9, GGG 97.5, Gunnedah
Breeze Tenterfield RDS
4 Likes
VOX FM 106.9 @ local strength, 105.3 Kix Country from same site @ much stronger strength. Very localized enhancement as per Hepburn Maps.
Tried for 89.3 Rete Italia with FM Co-channel phase in SDR# without luck.
But 92.5 2BL Gosford there under Music FM.
1 Like
Despite the heatwave conditions in S.A, Mix102.3 is coming in nice and strong this morning in Renmark. Thought the heatwave conditions would’ve knocked out any chance of tropo
2 Likes
Still lots of enhancements into SEQ this morning. Mt Dowe is particularly clear.
2 Likes
I know if flog this topic like a dead horse 
. I just tried to get SWR on my NAD hifi (over 15 years) an old fashion hifi component, SWR does suffer interference with HHH fm pretty much unlistenable with the old fashion hifi system. It seems HHH FM bandwidth has widen resulting in this “issue”. Its a pretty good tuner. NAD C422 Tuners user reviews : 4.5 out of 5 - 4 reviews - audioreview.com
I use an aerial similar to this one.
2 Likes