Great list, I did note a mistake on 96.5 though.
Not that it’ll be moving any time soon ACMA are dragging the chain on saying yes possibly or no way, but that list now gives me something to think about as to what frequency CoastFM Gosford might be best to change to, furthest away, least power, least likely to get co channel or adjacent channel interference from, maybe 91.7 isn’t the best option now with 2ST using it, but maybe it is?
Thank you and fixed!
Yes there are a few empty channels in southern VIC so maybe not…unless you get some Tassie or Warrnambool tropo to fill those gaps. But there are a few parts of southern VIC where you can get troposcatter reception of Tassie most of the time, going up to Mt Donna Buang comes to mind.
I reckon 89.5 would be the best option for Coast FM. There are the Hunter Valley mining relays on 89.3 to consider but given that 107.7 is used again for SBS Muswellbrook, this shouldn’t be a problem. It’s not on the conventional Newcastle/Central Coast raster but neither is 96.3.
I’ve found that you can get good reception of Central Coast stations with RDS here in Sydney:
Does anyone know why? I was able to get Today’s Country, Radio 50 Plus and Rhema with RDS.
Simply because that area near Lucas Heights is elevated (around 150-200 m ASL). You also get stuff like Orange 104.3 around there.
I agree with the choice of 89.5 as the best solution for Coast FM. You only have low power Goulburn and Grafton to compete with. And low power Wauchope if Rebel gets its way.
@RFBurns another factor to keep in mind re 91.7 are the temporary Chinese/Islam broadcasts from Sydney on 91.6. They could cause some issues.
The whole cochannel situation in this area caused by VHF 3 needs to be reallocated / remapped too.
To much risk of CoastFM adjacent channel interfering with the 2 stations in Sydney either side of 89.5, ACMA would cripple the signal South to stop that happening, not so much them interfering with CoastFM.
Going by the list 91.7 is still probably the best, on channel & adjacent channel stations are far enough away physically to not be a problem except in extreme troop.
Need to try to secure that though, if 2HD Newcastle converts to FM they’ll likely get 91.7 as it’s a high power frequency available to Newcastle area.
91.6 Temp use in Sydney would be no longer used if CoastFM went to 91.7, the Chinese would have to find another frequency.
When the Newcastle LAP was last revised in the late 90s, 91.9 had been set aside for Triple J in Port Stephens. That might make using 91.7 at 20kw off Sugarloaf problematic.
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2018C00806
Not sure if that’s still the case, but they’ve had more than enough time to get that to air!
Edit: Oh and there’s a Triple J mining TX at Ravensworth near Muswellbrook using 91.7 as well.
I feel 91.7 is still the best frequency for Coast fm. Here 2ST is only received with the strongest of tropo (NW Sydney) and even with that it wouldn’t put a dent in the proposed 91.7 Coast fm signal here.
Probably less CCI than 2RPH and the station that now calling itself 93.3Fm.
I would certainly go with 91.7. Only negative for me is you will block NZ tropo / Skip.
2GLF 89.3 and 2RES 89.7 would probably be OK within their licence areas. You’ve already got 88.7 Bilgola next to 88.9. 89.5 would certainly be better for Coast FM than 91.7; 2ST would still cause some grief in tropo season. I agree that the ACMA would consider a DA pattern on 89.5.
They probably would go with the 500W restriction towards Sydney, which is listed on the ACMA website but not enforced.
As the other community stations have an Omni directional antenna, they would have to have their own dedicated antenna. Maybe they could get a mixed antenna instead of a vertical if they have to change specs?
Time to bump the DX thread to the top. I’ve been playing AM DX the last few weekends - Footy, footy, footy and more footy - not that we care so much here on the West Coast. All the WA AMers where there, SA, Victoria and as far north as Newcastle 1233 and 1512. No NT or Queensland for some reason.
1 frequency of interest, 1494. I wanted to see what DX opportunity may be lost if/when SEN Spirit 1494 Margaret River goes to air (should be a permanent station at my place). No coincidence, AFL Nation, from 2AY Albury. Good signal too. Early morning yielded a weak foriegn language on 1494.
Have you ever got 909 VOA Botswana at your location? Best in the early morning. I think they sign off around 0500 AWST (0700 over east).
That’s interesting… last time I was in WA, I had 1548 4QD from Emerald on the in built ferrite rod antenna of my Sony radio, but didn’t get the NSW ones you mentioned.
Re 1494, that’s been allocated for ages, like 1548 for 6EL at Collie, I would be surprised if either of them ever gets to air now.
Yes. An easy beachside early morning catch. VOA 1530 São Tomé is way stronger. 909 AM is Chinese (I think) in the evening.
Oops, forgot about 1548. Yes, that is the sole all night QLD station. Can even get it inside my house.
RE: SEN 1494 Margaret River, first mentioned by the station to be in air by the end of last year. Still nothing. Might be time to go for a drive to see if there has been any movement at the Metricup broadcast site.
Yes, I imagine that is the only station that has reasonable all night reception indoors everywhere in Oz (aside from those towns that have 1539/1557 that may create splatter).
If say we were in wartime and Australia could have only 1 station on air overnight, that would be it.
Says a lot for the future on AM. 
Thanks for that. Do you use a loop or other improvements to receive Africa?
909 is the 900 pound panda CNR6 from Fujian. It signs off in the early hours AEST. Aiming right at Taiwan; Australia just happens to be in the line of fire.
Just the car radio parked up at the beach is sufficient. I’ve just splashed out on a TEF6686 chip portable with a 1 meter telescopic antenna. Thats what I used for 2AY and is equally capable for Africa and other internationals - in the front yard at my place. I’m yet to take it to a prime DX spot.
Equally good on FM. Minor enhacement this morning and the TEF6686 and telescopic hearing JJJ Perth the same as my 3 element vertical up 6 meters.
That’s a nice looking radio! A decent DX unit with proper RDS!
Does it have an FM stereo indicator light? (I couldn’t see one in your pic).
What is the FM sound quality like using headphones?
