yeah about 150m ASL
This one:
Was also using this antenna on a 5m mast:
4 Likes
Donât often see the omni directional FM antenna installed: Here is one on Netflixâs Heartstopper
4 Likes
Calling all nomads, grey or otherwise:
Is there any low powered FM on the Nullarbor Plain? There has never been anything listed for Eucla, for example. I think the westernmost FM in South Australia is the Flow FM relay at Penong. At the other end I think Norseman has a couple of low powered ABCs?
2 Likes
Eucla would be the most populated locality between Penong and Norseman, so if nothing there, highly unlikely to be anything anywhere else.
Norseman was planned/licensed for a Hit Esperance relay on 101.7, not sure if that has ever been on air.
3 Likes
There could be a few âunofficialâ relays on odd (read: even) frequencies at a few of the roadhouses.
@Radiohead has been everywhere else, man, so perhaps this could be your next trip?
2 Likes
yes, Hit Esperance was on air in Norseman the time I visited that town in 2012.
3 Likes
Interesting that Norseman relays Esperance rather than Kalgoorlie; itâs slightly closer to the latter than the former. Iâm currently âdrivingâ just north of Esperance on my YouTube road trip. Iâve had to cheat a bit and put on Rebel FM as the local options there are pretty pathetic. Rebel/Breeze have that Australia wide satellite licence donât they?
96.3 Kalgoorlie doesnât stream anymore so the next non-commercial option is 101.3 York! There are no community stations in the Central Wheatbelt towns (Merredin, Southern Cross etc.) as far as Iâm aware.
2 Likes
I thought they were only licensed for âRemote Easternâ, so essentially QLD and N.NSW, so not sure if /how that would qualify them for a national satellite feed?
A part of me wouldnât mind doing the drive across the Nullarbor, though itâs a LONG wayâŚ. And then there is the matter getting back homeâŚ.
2 Likes
I did it in 2012 from Melbourne to Perth and back, had to rely on my iPod for driving music. The SA part of the Eyre Highway is well covered by ABC North and West on 693 kHz during the day. And at night you can get 594 ABC Wimmera, 621 RN Melbourne and 774 ABC Radio Melbourne between Norseman and Balladonia as clear as local stations. Also managed 1116 SEN and 1377 3MP (but weaker) from the same location.
5 Likes
Was there anything much between Norseman and Eucla during the day? Iâm guessing anything from Esperance or Kalgoorlie (on AM most likely) would have been pretty weak and disappeared west of Fraser Range?
2 Likes
So at Eucla there is a tiny powered translator of I think ABC Goldfields/Esperance (definitely WA regional anyway) - nothing on FM between Eucla and Norseman. Then you start getting the Flow FM repeaters a bit east of Yalata.
On the AM side (daytime), Esperance and Kalgoorlie AMâs gone between Balladonia and Caiguna. Also during the day Iâve gotten 729 RN from Adelaide to the west of Eucla (very faintly) and then once into SA 693 ABC Local from Streaky Bay and then 765 5CC slowly come in stronger and stronger, as well as 891 from Adelaide. In fact even at Israelite Bay with a portable radio and loop 5CC and 5RN come in during the day. By the way yes the Melbourne AMâs like 1116 and 1377 have always gotten well into regional and outback SA in the early evenings.
6 Likes
Thanks for those detailed notes. 5CC could potentially reach Eucla during the daytime on my large loop, perhaps even further. Port Lincolnâs southerly location ensures a water path to most areas on the Bight (since they are further north).
3 Likes
4WK Warwick Qld received in Mt Gambier SA.
6 Likes
Gee not a bad effort it receive it all the way down there
4 Likes
In Jindabyne for the annual ski trip, and back to my favourite dx spot, the high hill above Jiindy Airport.
Strong tropo ducts are forming already after the cold front, Perisher is going for a week of plus 7âc days.
I finally have Sydney fm in Jindy on the car radio-
Some exceptional catches
101.7 WS fm,
102.5 2MBS
103.2 Hope fm
104.1 2Day fm
105.7 Triple J
106.5 KIIS the strongest
Sydney from just above the noise floor to moderate
102.9 2ST very weak just above noise floor
94.9 Power fm weak
Illawarra nationals moderate to strong
93.5 Eagle fm 107.7 GN Fm moderate
95.1 2BS weak
i98 just above noise floor on peaks.
Canberra weaker then normally so the signal is probably being reflected above me.
And lastly the view
Update 90.9 News Radio received right into Jindy town centre, just above noise floor.
8 Likes
You may have been better off taking the mountain bike and hiking boots (and TEF tuner).
3 Likes
The snow actually wasnât that bad. Perisher got 30cm last night so although thin in many places quality was quite good up high.
Weather was lousy, fog, whiteout conditions and windy. It was 1c in the car park at Perisher and overcast, but a balmy 12c clear and sunny in Jindy. The alpine heat wave starting tomorrow is kicking the tropo into gear. Sydney fm reception from above Jindy airport is a first on the car radio. Heading back to Sydney tomorrow but will go back up to the lookout for some more dxing before leaving Jindy.
If you look at the pano photo on the left hand side there is a gap in the mountains, this is north. This gap allows permanent reception of Canberra and the Illawarra national fmâs, and the extreme Sydney fm dx signals to be received at the lookout.
3 Likes
There have been next to no lower level snowfalls this winter; Selwyn has had to close and the bottom of Thredbo is basically mud. I wanted to go to Thredbo Village on a snow day for lunch but that hasnât happened. Glad you were able to salvage something.
The Foehn effect is amazing in the Snowies- you can literally watch the showers evaporate on the Kalkite webcam.
The high isnât quite in the right position for intense tropo yet; Bungendore is still in the westerly stream with a mild night. Looks like it will be better later in the week after another weak front.
3 Likes
Except that early season snowfall when it snowed in both Jindy and Bungendore.
Yes it is amazing, the resorts are only 30-40kms from Jindy but while it is cloudy and snowing up there it can be partly cloud or even clear in town.
When I arrived on Friday morning it was 8c in Jindy 939m and cloudy but when I drove up the first major hill on the Alpine way the temperate dropped to 5âc, and by Penderlea 1260m it was sleeting.
The Fohn effect is not significant driving to and from Thredbo, but very significant when driving to and from Perisher. The temperature lapse rate can be quite significant up and down. It was 11c between Perisher car park and Jindabyne, possibly 13c as it was -1 at the top of the resort.
Back to dxing now, went back to the Jindy airport lookout on the way home, more typical reception today. Canberra fm much stronger and the high powered Illawarra fmâs including Power fm were at moderate to good strength on the car radio.
The Illawarra fmâs including Power fm were receivable from Cooma Airport right into Cooma, but very weak in Cooma.
Bega commercials Power fm / 2EC receivable near Mt Gladstone and Bunyan,
which brings me to the Mt Roberts intermod.
It has moved from 98.5 to 94.5, probably when 2XL fm converted to 96.1 fm. It is not as bad as before but it is still quite significant and itâs received when there is LOS to Mt Roberts, particularly bad at the Big Dipper south of Bredbo.
There was also some inland tropo this afternoon, I had XL fm off and on over CADA to the Penrose turnoff. I donât understand how it is so much stronger than Snow fn to the north when it has lower ERPâs to the north than Snow fm???
Snow fm is stronger to the south than XL fm.
CADA was first received over XL fm at Eaglehalk, and then was booming into Lake George. Brock was also quite good from Eaglehalk to Goulburn, a tropo enhancement.
GN fm had complete reception failure and was replaced by Triple M at Woodlands north of Berrima.
Canberra fm was receivable but patchy all the way to the towers at Horsley Park, and then back in again around Stanhope Gardens and at moderate strength near Castle Hill.
I spent my time down the snow listening 50-50 to XL Fn and Snow fm.
I generally prefer new music and dance music to older Classic hits, but OMG the playlist of XL fm and Snow fm are very good, XL fm is far superior to 2ST, and Snow fm is probably the best pure CHR station in Australia.
Also Mix 106.3 is sound good and similar to the old Fm 104.7 of the mid to late 90âs. Pity that had to interrupt the music for NRL coverage.
Lastly Hit 104.7 sounds so much better when they run their own logs on the weekend instead of the Regional Hit logs.
5 Likes
Yes and at the time, I said to myself that this would probably be the only snowfall this cool season (it was in May, so not even winter). The Blue Mountains have only seen sleet, possibly the worst winter for snow in their history. There may be one of those freak spring snowfalls this year to compensate (hereâs hoping). Oct 2012 was a ripper in Bungendore and Braidwood as well as the BMs.
I havenât really observed that XL is stronger than Snow travelling north, but then again my car radio sometimes has trouble around 98 MHz with birdies. XL is definitely weaker than Snow in Bungendore and itâs roughly on the same bearing as the Southern Highlands etc from Mt Bob.
3 Likes