So I take that to mean there’s no chance of a change in frequency and/or TX site for Coast FM in the foreseeable future?
ACMA revised down ERPs in many of its licensing instruments as the DTV licensees weren’t taking it up.
No, not because we can’t, but because there’s no money in the budget for it, new studios will be first within the next 18 months.
Change of frequency is becoming harder to find, especially now ACMA keep temp. licensing 91.6 in the Sydney CBD, we’d most likely be restricted in power to the south, rather than them stop using that frequency.
91.7 is/was the only reasonably safe/clear frequency available for us, there’s others available, but they also have a good chance of co-channel interference, so moving to one of those is pointless.
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Perhaps it needs some political clout, Central Coast has marginal seats. Time to lean on the minister.
Would be great to secure the old NBN audio carrier freq and hopefully end the 91.6 temp transmissions.
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89.5 could be a decent option. The only potential issue is adjacent channel splatter from 2RES, but this would only be an issue for certain spots near the coast in good tropo conditions. If 2ST bags 91.7 MHz to replace 999 AM- which seems likely given current ACMA policy on the matter- that frequency would suffer just as many issues as 96.3 does now.
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89.5 is an offset to the standard Central Coast/Newcastle frequencies (just like 96.3). 89.3 is a standard CC frequency, but there’s 2GLF at Liverpool on that, I have also considered 90.1 as a second choice to 91.7.
If 2ST went 91.7 from Nowra, we might be OK, but if they go 91.7 from Knights Hill along with 94.9 Power FM, we’d be in trouble.
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What’s the issue with using a “non standard” frequency? That happens in a lot of places, Tamworth, Taree, Nelson Bay, Nowra just to name a few, they’re even in less congested areas.
That’s what I’m assuming. They would probably keep the 102.9 tx at Bowral, though, to maintain split programming during the morning. The tx power to the north would be similar to Power FM today. The current 91.7 tx at Huskisson would go, along with possibly 106.7 at Ulladulla (there’s no Power FM translator down there after all).
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You’re not the full 800KHz separation from the adjacent channel, theoretically you can be closer, but you depend on all operators sticking to their 75KHz deviation & 200KHz wide channel as per licence conditions.
NewFM when it goes astray, doesn’t interfere with Star 104.5 or even ABC ClassicFM, if Star was to go the way of NewFM, both Triple M & 2Day would suffer interference in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney.
As it stands now 96.3 is only 200KHz from both 96.1 Katoomba & 96.5 Cessnock, at various places our signal overlaps with the signal from both other services & at 200KHz channel bandwidth, that means our channel top & bottom butt’s up against or overlaps both services on 96.2 & 96.4, this can cause adjacent channel interference to all 3 stations.
I filter our signal to keep it within bandwidth & deviation as much as possible, so we don’t interfere with the other stations, I can only hope they do the same, but I don’t think they do.
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Thanks.
Though using a frequency lower than 91.7 shouldn’t be an issue since there aren’t any other stations on the Coast below 92.5…?
Another point is that most modern radio receivers are better at handling adjacent channel interference (e.g. from 96.1 to 96.3) than older receivers.
There’s none on the CC, but there’s plenty around Sydney we could interfere with, the CoastFM signal currently travels well within the Sydney area.
That’s ok as long as the adjacent channels don’t go outside the 200KHz bandwidth & overlap.
If they overlap, even the best radio on the market won’t cope with the interference, because part of the adjacent channel will be in-band & will interfere with the station you’re trying to receive.
Yes, even the gold standard Sony XDR series tuners suffer from splatter ±200 kHz from an over-deviating tx. That’s not to mention tx spurs which can really render even the most selective tuner useless; 2DAY and 2MMM had strong spurs ±250 kHz from their nominal frequencies in 2009 which pretty much wiped out reception of stations like 103.9 Canberra and 105.1 Orange on the XDR-F1HD.
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@Radiohead Northern Blacktown area, apparently not far from @Ant5476 whom generally reports similar catches. My location is blocked to the East however which is handy for reducing strong signals from Artarmon (unhelpful though for DAB or everyday TV/FM). Location favours Wollongong over central coast also. 94.1 for example is from the gong, not Central Coast.
I have an “omni” fm antenna (that is not quiet omni, I’d say it has more of a fig 8 pattern) which is split between the Sony XDR and Onkyo stereo amp. The Onkyo tuner is very good but comparatively the XDR is slightly more sensitive and definitely the winner for adjacent channel rejection. The XDR is sometimes able to pull out 103.3 TAB Upper Hunter right next to 2CBA, the Onkyo can’t.
The Onkyo is probably quicker to decode RDS though and it can still tune 200KHz from strong locals (e.g. it will resolve 105.1 Triple M Orange).
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89.5 would reluctantly be my pick of those options also, the problem being 2RES as dxnerd has pointed out. 90.1 just as bad as 89.3 due to 2NBC. Yes 89.5 is offset but when 2ST moves to Knights Hill (proposed) 91.7 will have the exact same problem that Rhema and Power FM have now.
They’ve (2NSB) just done a TX upgrade and moved to a new (much higher) site. 3x mixed pol array and new BW processor/transmitter. Quiet a noticeable improvement out this way. I used to get Brock clean but now it’s ‘even Steven’.
Without putting much thought in, how about this arrangement for Bathurst/Lithgow?
95.1 - 2BS
98.3 - Brock (may be something to move to allow this, can’t remember what)
99.5 - MoveFM (shift Cowra to 99.3 and remove Wentworth Falls)
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98.3 is currently broadcasting ABC Newsradio in Bathurst.
As for the others, don’t forget that 2LT is also earmarked to convert to FM as part of the AM-FM conversion program, so there needs to be a spare frequency for that too. The Licence Area Plans for both Bathurst & Lithgow are set to be open for consulation sometime within the next couple of months, so we’ll find out on what frequencies that ACMA will allocate for both 2BS & 2LT.
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What’s required is a wholesale re allocation to accommodate full coverage frequencies for FM conversion of BS, LT and end the compromised 107.9 for Lithgow also.
It won’t happen of course, ACMA have shown no interest in doing so, it would lessen FM congestion around Sydney. Perhaps they don’t have the budget for it or would like a specific budget allocation for it.
LAPs open for comment are the perfect time to submit a wider suggestion that the allocations could be better served if there was a wide area re organisation.
It is SO needed! Such wasteful allocation of frequencies in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane / Gold Coast.
But it no doubt suits incumbent broadcasters which quiver at the thought of more competition. So much for free enterprise.
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My comment was not so much to unsettle incumbent broadcasters but to correct historical anomalies and blunders made by ACMA and its predecessor regulators.
Remove co chanelling where coverage is limited by interference such as B Rock and 2NSB or where adjacent or second adjacent markets are 0.2 away from each other
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Mt Barrow ABC’s coming into Melbourne as usual…
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94.5 News Radio from Sunshine Coast has been received in Brisbane better than usual this week. (I wish it wouldn’t, prefer the wide coverage of ABC Lismore from Mt Nardi)
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