There look to be TWO new Warkworth mining transmission sites (both operated by United Colleries) in the Radcomm database
Details
Wambo Mine 2 km NNW, WARKWORTH NSW
97.3 2HVR (ABC Upper Hunter)
98.5 2JJJ (Triple J)
99.3 2VLY (Power FM)
as mentioned by @ozbark above - and all 20 watts max
also found …
Wambo Mine 8km WNW, WARKWORTH NSW
92.1 2HVR (ABC Upper Hunter)
93.7 2JJJ (Triple J)
95.7 2VLY (Power FM)
all 20 watts max
confirmed - not on air
Has anyone ever been down in a mine pit and tried FM reception there? I’m guessing that’s the reason for having on site (or near on site) FM relays. The mines up in the Hunter Valley are mostly open cut.
Exactly, and the TXs would need to be close to the edge so you get line of sight down into the mine.
Given they’re on private property, you’d need to get access to even try DXing, but I don’t think you’d get much at all given you’re basically in a hole.
It’s a nice day for a drive, so I’m about to hop in the car for the first time since I got back from overseas and go to the Upper Hunter to see what new sites are on air, get RDS info for 94.9 ABC etc.
I’ll post my findings here when i get back this afternoon.
The things you can do when you’ve retired
Just got back!
There was some enhancement about today as well, which was both good and bad (bad because they interfered with some of the mining relays along the Golden/New England Hwys).
So mining TX notes
Bulga Mine
89.3 Power FM, on air, but audio still VERY low (has been like that for ages)
90.1 ABC Upper Hunter, on air sounding OK
90.9 Triple J didn’t seem to be on air, either that but with no audio, but did have News Radio Wollongong cutting in and out over it too
(Liddell was meant to be an SFN of sorts with the same allocations as Bulga (except with 2NM on 89.3) but weren’t on air and are no longer in ACMA listings either, probably got switched off when that power station got decommissioned in 2022).
Mt Warkworth Mine (existing Charlton Ridge site as in the current ACMA Excel listings)
94.5 Power FM, 95.3 Triple J, 96.1 ABC Upper Hunter, all on air and sounding fine with Power and Triple J in full stereo! Sounded pretty decent too.
None of the newer Wambo Mine TXs (as noted further above) are on air yet.
Ravensworth Mine
91.7 Triple J, 93.3 2NM and 94.9 ABC Upper Hunter (RDS now confirmed!) all on air.
(see RDS thread for notes on 94.9)
Mangoola Mine - these are on air but are not using the frequencies they should be
89.3 ABC Upper Hunter (should be using 90.5 as per ACMA listings)
90.1 2NM (should be using 88.9)
90.9 Triple J (should be using 89.7)
All were on air and sounding OK with stereo pilot, but couldn’t verify audio as Triple J wasn’t playing any music
Glendell Mine
2NM 99.1 on air, 2JJJ 100.9 not on air.
As for DX highlights, stopped at Aberdeen on the higher side of town. Heard some Coffs Harbour and Wollongong ABCs. Also confirmed 2YOU still on 96.3 at Quirindi (despite the latest ACMA listing showing a change to 99.5).
Also stopped at the Apex Lookout at Singleton Heights on the way back. There I heard Pulse 94.1 Wollongong and some faint SW Slopes ABCs fading in and out.
Quite a bit of activity tonight, mostly weak, but some rarer ones as well in stereo.
Some started out stronger early and then faded, and returned later, others were the opposite. Most frequencies occupied
88.1 2RDJ Burwood - weak
88.3 both 2UUS Camden and 2ABC SW Slopes at different times
88.5 2RRR Ryde - weak partial RDS at times
88.7 2MWM Northern Beaches - good
88.9 2RE Taree - fair partial RDS
89.1 2BLU Katoomba more dominant, 2ABCRN SW Slopes occasionally
89.3 2GLF Liverpool, fair at times, 2VLY Bulga as well
89.5 vacant
89.7 2RES Waverley, fair to good
89.9 2HWK Windsor, consistently good, but woeful audio again
90.1 2NBC Narwee, partial RDS, 2HVR Bulga as well
90.3 vacant
90.5 2HD local
90.7 2JJJ SW Slopws, fair to good
90.9 2PNN Wollongong, very strong at times
91.1 1CMS Canberra, weak to fair and first time RDS catch!
91.3 2MAC Campbelltown, consistently good
91.5 2PNN SW Slopes, weak to good
91.7 2ST Nowra, good with RDS at times
91.9 1WAY Canberra, had with partial RDS, but mostly weak
92.1 2MFM Sydney, good
92.3 2MCE Bathurst, only heard once, but weak
92.5 2BL Gosford, good
92.7 2BAB St George’s Basin, gave way to 1ART Canberra later, both fair to good at times
92.9 2ABC Sydney, good with RDS
93.1 2WZD Wagga Wagga, had with stereo earlier, but no RDS, faded later, had 2GEE Mudgee as well, no RDS
93.3 2SNR Gosford, strong with RDS
93.5 2SNO Goulburn, good with RDS at times
93.7 2LND Sydney, good with RDS
93.9 2LFF Young, only heard briefly
94.1 2CCM Gosford, strong with RDS, couldn’t seem to null in 2LIV Wollongong though
94.3 HPON Goulburn, only heard occasionally
94.5 2FBI Sydney, good with RDS
94.7 2PNN Taree, fair to good
94.9 2GCB Gosford, good with RDS, couldn’t null in 2WSK Nowra
95.1 2PNN Port Stephens, good, but could null in a weak 2BS Bathurst no RDS
95.3 2PTV Sydney, good with RDS
95.5 2MRR Taree, good
95.7 2ABC Illawarra, strong at times with RDS
95.9 2NC Port Stephens, good
96.1 2ONE Katoomba, good with RDS
96.3 2CCC Gosford, strong with RDS
96.5 2UUL Wollongong, strong at times with RDS, strong enough to wipe out 2CHR Cessnock
96.7 2ABC Upper Namoi, fair in stereo at times
96.9 2SYD Sydney, good with RDS
97.1 2ABCRN Taree, good, could only get a whiff of 2MG Mudgee in a null.
97.3 mostly 2ILA Illawarra, strong enough to dominate 2OLD Lake Macquarie, but the latter could be nulled in at times
97.5 2HD Port Stephens, fair to good
97.7 2SBS Sydney, good with RDS
97.9 2ABCRN Goulburn, weak to fair
98.1 2WIN Wollongong, good with RDS, but could also null in 2VLY Muswellbrook with RDS at times too.
98.3 mostly 2ABCRN Port Stephens, but able to null in a weak 1XXR Canberra occasionally
98.5 2OOO Sydney, good with RDS
98.7 2ABC Taree, good
98.9 2JJJ Wollongong, good to strong with RDS
99.1 2UUS Windsor mostly, but was able to null in 2NWR Upper Namoi at times
99.3 mostly 2NSB Chatswood, with RDS at times, I think I did hear some 2BXS Bathurst in a null
99.5 2ICE Katoomba, good in stereo
99.7 2RFM Newcastle, local with RDS
99.9 2SWR Blacktown, fair with RDS at times
100.1 2HHH Hornsby, fair stereo later
100.3 2MCR Campbelltown, good stereo at times
100.5 2RPH Newcastle, local
100.7 had 2PQQ Port Macquarie in stereo, fair at times, no RDS. Also heard 2ABCRN Upper Namoi weak to fair
100.9 mostly 2PSR Port Stephens, fair with RDS
101.1 2LT Katoomba, good in stereo
101.3 2CFM Gosford, very strong RDS stereo
101.5 2GLA Forster, good with RDS, but able to just null in 2JJJ Canberra weakly
101.7 2UUS Sydney, was only fair at times given they are still using the side mount array at Artarmon, reception not as good as Gore Hill or SCA Artarmon stations
101.9 mostly 2ABC Batemans Bay, fair stereo, also heard 2JJJ Orange weak
102.1 2JJJ Local
102.3 mostly 2ABC Canberra, fair to good, no RDS. Also heard 2JJJ CW Slopes
102.5 2MBS Artarmon, similar to 2UUS
102.7 2ABC Orange, in stereo at times, fair
102.9 2KKO Newcastle, local
103.1 vacant
103.2 2CBA Sydney, same notes as 2UUS and 2MBS
103.3 HPON Muswellbrook, fair under 103.2 splatter
103.5 2BA Batemans Bay, fair mono
103.7 2NUR Newcastle, local
103.9 mostly 2PNN Canberra, but did hear a bit of weak 2EEE Eden earlier
104.1 2DAY Sydney, good to strong with RDS
104.3 2ABCRN Orange, fair
104.5 2GOS Gosford, very strong RDS stereo
104.7 heard 2BOB Taree earlier in fair stereo, 2ROC Canberra later, fair stereo with partial RDS
104.9 2MMM Sydney, good to strong with RDS
105.1 mostly 2ABCRN Batemans Bay, fair, also heard weak 2OAG Orange
105.3 2NEW Newcastle, local
105.5 2SBS Canberra, fair stereo, no RDS
105.7 2JJJ Sydney, good with RDS
105.9 weak 2GZF Orange
106.1 2ABC Newcastle, local
106.3 heard both 1MIX Canberra, fair with partial RDS and also 2PNN CW Slopes, fair
106.5 2WFM Sydney, same notes as 2UUS
106.7 HPON Orange, weak to fair
106.9 2XXX Newcastle, local
107.1 heard HPON Eden with partial RDS earlier, gave way to 2WKT Bowral with RDS later
107.3 heard both 2SER Sydney and 2MVB Taree, both fair stereo with partial RDS
107.5 weak community earlier, suspect 2EAR Moruya
107.7 2GGO Gosford, local
107.9 mostly 2ICE Lithgow, fair to good, but did heard TCBL Dungog fair as well.
Great log. Amazing how you can get Eden in just moderate enhancement. Remind me, are you now using a TEF?
Yes, non LNA blue one. Most of these catches wouldn’t be possible on the Tecsun or any other radio I have. I think i got lucky last night as no one else reported anything much.
It’s all down to location. Unfortunately I have to drive up the hill for decent tropo DX (which isn’t typically high on my priority list).
Rockhampton at fair strength today but very variable.
Thankfully I live on one, and 6 floors up… great LOS to the south and west in particular… on a good day with a pair of bincoulars, I can see down to the Somersby TX towers (62 km away) from my balcony.
Forgot to report but it was mostly the usual enhancement stuff of Gosford/Newcastle last night. Did get 2NBC on 90.1 as well as RDS on 88.9 with Skid Row overpowering Braidwood FM. Sorry about the lack of photos.
Thanks, am looking forward to my first full summer with the TEF… as I only got mine towards the end of the last tropo season. Hopefully it’s a good summer for it.
Dairy Farme lookout in canberra i can get wagga wagga Star fm 93.1fm
Welcome to the forum.
93.1 Wagga is a relatively easy catch in Canberra provided you have a good view to the west. Mt Ainslie and Red Hill are the best spots in the city limits. Generally Canberra is fairly poor for DX though due to its location in a topographic bowl
I still haven’t seen you out on the balcony with your radios & antenna hanging over the edge when I drive past though.
I was also up there not long ago.
Some observations, mainly pertaining to FM LPONs.
I can confirm that 87.6 Faith FM has RDS from Wyee.
87.8 heard at Morisset was presumed 3ABN
88.0 I didn’t have time to ID but presumed Raw FM Wyong, as heard at Morisset.
Both the RAW FM outlets on 88.0 at both Gosford & Wyong were stronger than the Faith FM outlets on 87.6 from same locations. I believe both groups share the same transmission hut/tower.
All the above were in mono (i.e. no stereo pilot)
97.3 2OLD still in mono too (i.e. no stereo pilot).
Of all the above, only Faith FM Wyee had RDS.
I have no idea if 87.6 Faith FM from their Lake Macquarie TX has RDS.
Some of the stronger Sydney FMers were heard in Morisset, but I didn’t have time to do logs on those.
88.0 is RAW FM here in north eastern Lake Macquarie (Charlestown).
I’ve never heard Faith on 88.0 here.
Oops typo. Thanks for that, 
I meant to type 87.6 Faith FM Lake Macquarie.
I’ll correct it now.