To be honest I forgot to check DAB at Coles Bay (which has no Coles, or Woolies for that matter). The analogue from Hobart is fairly strong there so it would be a chance. The weather was so awful driving down the coast today that I couldn’t really get out of the car to test it. MMM 107.3 was struggling even at Swansea, though.
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Are you safe there? Tassie’s bad weather made national news today:
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All good here, thanks. I’m lucky that I’m halfway up a hill. I just had a drive around the local area- some minor flooding at Lauderdale and a few trees down about the place but nothing major. Parts of the CBD were inundated overnight so I didn’t want to contribute to the traffic chaos.
At Rosny Hill just now, no reception of 97.7 Tasman FM or the 7RGY translator for Kingston on 98.5. Both were heard strongly yesterday, so I suspect both were victims of the weather last night. JJJ is back on air after being knocked out (open carrier) this morning. All the commercial FMs+7THE and Edge FM 99.3 were unaffected.
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Great to know you’re well.
DAB+ still on?
The ABC were advising people to tune to DAB for JJJ this morning, so I assume it’s on. My DAB radio is on the back seat of the car so it gets neglected and since there are only ABC/SBS services, there’s nothing unique to listen to. I ‘pinky swear’ I will check it down at Ida Bay tomorrow.
7THE ‘Hobart FM’ are announcing a DAB service coming soon, so I’m guessing another mux will switch on shortly?
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Mine is usually running from there or the front passenger seat if no passenger.
This is very encouraging news that the community stations will be on when the multiplex switches on.
I hope the Gold Coast community broadcasters take note, be ready.
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And not take 9 years like JOY in Melbourne!
It’s a different situation with the Gold Coast community stations though - they have a licence that covers the whole of the Gold Coast while JOY doesn’t have one to broadcast to all of Melbourne.
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And whilst the Brisbane and Gold Coast licensees are in a standoff, it’s time 94.1 get a move on with a permanent licence application that ends in success otherwise they’ll be left off the digital or renting if any are prepared to.
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DAB+ reception at Ida Bay was excellent; three bars on the Sangean DPR-45 using only its very short whip antenna. This is 100 km south of Hobart by road. The analogue from Mt Wellington suffers from multipath at various points through the Huon Valley, most severely in the lee of Vince’s Saddle just north of Huonville. Reception then returns to suburban grade in Huonville itself before deteriorating to rural grade (still good) reception south of Geeveston.
7THE (Hobart FM) was non-existent at Southport and Ida Bay on its nominal frequencies of 92.1 and 96.1, yet the spur/mixing product on 106.1 was clearly heard! This must mean that it is generated at Mount Wellington despite 7THE not transmitting from there any longer. 106.1 is mainly 7THE with weak audio from Ultra 106.5 in the background. The same occurs on 106.9, though this is weaker (could not be received at Southport). When and if 7THE transmits on DAB, you will have the curious situation of no reception on analogue- save for the spur- yet crystal clear reception on digital. I’ve only ever achieved this with 2LND Koori Radio on the southern side of Nelson Bay.
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Reception of Rete Italia at your location is surprisingly good, as they are not radiating at full licenced power and their AM masts are rusting. The station is directional (the old 2GO site at Chittaway Point).
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Just got back from a long day trip to Strathgordon/Gordon Dam, and Lake Dobson (1040 m) which is in Mount Field National Park west of New Norfolk. At the former, I sincerely doubted whether any analogue FM stations would make the long journey through the wilderness to Strathgordon. I was surprised by strong Hobart and Launceston FM, even at the dam itself. I was even more surprised by a decode of DAB at a high spot just outside the dam precinct! The base of the Gordon Dam is a very long way down a steep gorge; at the bottom I don’t think you’d get much FM on a portable radio. There’s no access all the way to the bottom but you can walk on the dam wall (I didn’t, as I was pushed for time).
At Lake Dobson, Hobart DAB was ‘easy peasy Japanesy’ at 3 bars strength. Both locations are very photogenic and I recommend checking them out if you have a (rare) fine day on the west coast.
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What a surprise, SCA letting an AM site fall into disrepair. They’ve done it with 4TO and many others.
Camerons are no better.
Terrible, terrible shame to let great AM sites rust to inoperability.
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Yes, even here at Charlestown, about 46 km in a straight line from Chittaway Point, the 801 AM reception has a lot of static.
Not as good as it should be.
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Agreed! Isn’t that apparently happening to 7BU? Wonder what condition 3MP’s site is in too, as it’s not operated by one of the big transmission site companies. And the station has next to no revenue to support it. Just hanging on the coat-tails of SEN.
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I definitely had 801 Gosford as it was running Italian programming.
I’m at Triabunna waiting for the Maria Island ferry. DAB is no problem here at 3 bars strength and I suspect the same or better on Maria. I tried to get up Mt Wellington this morning but the road is still blocked due to storm damage. Given the forecasts (showers tomorrow, -3 on Weds), I probably won’t make it up there this trip.
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Correct and 7AD, similarly exposed to the maritime winds.
We are in a bad way in Australian broadcasting when the bean counters are getting their mitts into engineering, vital stage of it that it is.
Coverage of 2GO on 801 was great north to Charlestown when it was the sole service. Extended coverage was the reason for the TX site & freq move to Chittaway Bay and to now have it struggling is a sad chapter.
Where’s your thermals? Put your hiking shoes on 
Very wet condition Sept 17 when Nearmap shows the wetlands had inundated the mast bases. The TX building appears to be on higher ground, same level as nearby houses.
As of 18 Feb this year, there appeared to be a work site established, still there 22 Mar, other work in the wetland, might not be related.
Grass has been mowed around the masts too.
@dxnerd sounds like a great end to your trip.
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The spur on 106.1 makes it to Triabunna as well! I didn’t bother taking the DAB radio over to Maria since the results would be better than Triabunna due to the maritime path. I would love to take the AM loop out there, though (not practical on the ferry)!
The final destination of this southern Tassie sojourn will be Bruny Island. I expect DAB to be stronger out there than Ida Bay. I will have the loop with me and will do a ‘high noon’ groundwave test from the eastern side of the island.
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I’m more than up to it clothes wise but I don’t fancy driving up the winding road up there in black ice; the showers tomorrow could freeze overnight. From what they’re saying on ABC Hobart it’s quite a mess up there, so it will probably be days before the road reopens.
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Yes, I wouldn’t like to hike up there in summer let alone now.
Be good if the BA guys took some photos.