Not really AM or FM DX, but yes the weather pattern of the last few days have been causing us no end of trouble, with TV translator services around Sydney & the Central Coast.
All TV Translator sites are fed off air from the main VHF signals at Artarmon, we’re getting transmitters shutting down left, right & centre, as the input reception fades, because the VHF signals are refracting & dropping short or going over the top of the sites.
Razorback, Vault Hill, Bouddi have been the worst. Kurrajong Heights hasn’t ben too bad.
Unfortunately there’s not a lot we can do at present, but wait it out.
Yes, I am also getting some strong North Coast signals, so I plugged my Tecsun into the TV antenna on the roof of my apartment building, which I think is combo VHF Band 1 & UHF antenna, so the North Coast signals are coming in on the side of it.
These are those signals I’m getting (in addition to Middle Brother - Taree area signals that I normally get).
90.3 Triple M Laurieton
90.7 ABC News Radio Coffs Harbour
91.5 Triple J Coffs
92.3 ABC Coffs
92.7 SKY Sports Radio Port Macquarie
93.5 2PM Port Macquarie
97.9 ABC Classic FM Coffs
99.9 Radio Rhema Port Macquarie
99.5 ABC Radio National Coffs
100.3 2RE Forster
100.7 Triple M Port Macquarie
102.3 Hit Port Macquarie
103.3 SKY Sports Radio Muswellbrook
103.9 2WAY Port Macquarie
105.1 Hit Kempsey
105.9 2NVR Nambucca Heads
106.3 Triple M Coffs
106.7 Triple M Kempsey
107.1 SKY Sports Radio Coffs
Sydney and Wollongong signals also pretty strong on that.
I’m also getting Triple J Taree too, which is normally Coast FM Gosford indoors.
Nothing from the north west on the TV antenna though.
That was the key to identifying the reception of the mystery Polynesian language station.
I checked the band recording for other stations at the time found RDS decoding for Edge FM as well as 3SCB from Melbourne that sent me to Wyn FM at Werribee. They broadcast a Samoan program that matched the broadcast time. The confusing part at the time was the recording was from my north facing antenna - when I switched to south I received Hills FM from Adelaide.
Tropo at its peak earlier this evening I had Triple J from Middle Brother at local strength. Can anyone on the Central get Coast Fm tonight?
Triple J Coffs Grafton on 91.5 being received in stereo at present, weak Hit 102.3 Port Macquarie under the splatter of Triple J and 2MBS. Newcastle Fm backing off a bit now.
The only enhancements from the south is Highlands Fm, 92.5 Community station Moss Vale and Power Fm over Rhema Central Coast.
The trop fest continues…
I am now getting some inland ducting!
Appearances from ABCs on the Central.West Slopes, Orange and Canberra.
Though I have to move around my flat a bit to get them all due to co-channeling (as Canberra has ABC Classic on 102.3 whilst on the CW Slopes it’s JJJ). Canberra ABCs are best received in the bedroom, whilst Orange & CW Slopes are in the living room.
Given these results I tried connecting to the TV antenna again as it’s also pointing inland, and CW Slopes was noticeably better, but no Orange or Canberra. Though it did pick up the ABCs from Merriwa, and the Upper Hunter ABCs on 104.9 and 105.7 were received instead of Sydney stations.
Coastal tropo not as strong as yesterday, Coffs ABCs still there though weaker than last night, South Coast ABCs seems to have gone for now. Sydney also.weaker than yesterday, Wollongong a bit weaker too.
Had some good E’s and inland tropo reception over the past few days here in Coffs. 99.3 Streaky Bay SA was noted (1785km) as was Central and North Queensland. ABC stations from Mount Dowe were strong. 2GGG was noted as well but quite weak, no sign of Now FM. Armidale FM was very strong and Gem FM Inverell was noted too. Hit 91.9 Warwick, ABC FM Stanthorpe and the SEQ powerhouse River 94.9 noted.
On a side note, a DX’er based in the Monaro region reported reception of Mix 94.5 Perth and the Geraldton commercial stations.
Wollongong now in at local strength levels, over 50db.
This has totally annihilated reception of my nearby Lake Macquarie FM, even though I have perfect LOS to their Tx at 25km away. Moving the antenna doesn’t bring it back at all.
Tonight’s another good one for FM DXing here in Sydney with reception of the Newcastle and Mid North Coast ABC stations coming in again.
Central Coast reception is also stronger than usual with Coast FM being received on 96.3 instead of Triple J Mid North Coast and in one spot of the room, a weak but fairly listenable 92.5 ABC Central Coast + NewsRadio instead of i98FM Wollongong.
