Their audio currently sounds like they’re feeding it audio that is not suitable for am broadcast (no frequency cut-off). There’s sibilance & the actual modulation is low/poor. I’m not sure if they’ve re-commissioned the other 2 masts ? For a period of about 7-8 months, RETE Italia on 801 kHz was splattering to the shithouse 100 kHz either side ( 700-900 kHz AM was listenable, and I was 12 KMs from the site .
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Just got back from a 2 day ship cruise down the South Coast (from/returning to Sydney). The boat was probably about 30 kms offshore and I made the following noteworthy DX catches from my outboard cabin whilst facing the coastline.
Wollongong
Most noteworthy catches here were the Mt Cenn Cruaich ABCs, at least on 102.3, 105.5 and 106.3
Nowra-Ulladulla
Here I got SNOW FM over SBS Sydney, something I didn’t expect.
Though Far South Coast ABCs were only faint.
RN was still causing Power FM some grief on 104.3, but the latter won out pretty quickly.
Also got B Rock from Bathurst.
Canberra ABCs were received OK, Hit 104.7 and Mix106.3 were weaker but there.
Batemans Bay
Here got Power 102.5 at pretty decent levels. But the best “catch of the day” (no pun intended) was weak reception of the Gippsland ABCs on 96.7 and 100.7. That was a nice surprise.
Then the boat turned around and then being on the “other side” of the ship, reception was significantly worse meaning getting even the nearby stations was difficult, though Illawarra ABCs were okay from Nowra up to north of Wollongong.
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I did some DX’ing on a cruise ship en route to New Zealand in October 2015. As I was out in the middle of the Tasman, there was no chance of any FM but at night, just about all of the east coast could be heard on the rear deck of the ship. Once we got closer to NZ, the NZ stations were fighting for space with the Australian ones.
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Interesting observations. You did well getting Gippsland at Batemans Bay as it’s notoriously tough getting it on land down there, though I did get it weakly from Tuross Head on a very good tropo day in March (with Sydney DAB and Coffs FM booming in). Snow FM is usually dominant on 97.7 once you get south of about Milton; the same with Power vs 2MBS on 102.5.
And as an aside, I was unaware that short cruises to the South Coast even existed! I know ships call in at Eden from time to time.
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It wasn’t supposed to be a short cruise in that sense, it was supposed to go north east out of Sydney for 3 days but was cut to a 2 day cruise south of Sydney due to the high seas on Friday.
And yes, being off shore seemed to help with the Gippsland catch to reduce to impact of terrain, at 200kw it was always a chance I guess 
That was my first ever Victorian DX catch into NSW (not counting getting Shepparton at Mt Parnassus Lookout in Gundagai which would be permanent reception there).
Gippsland easily sneaks around the bottom of NSW and probably to NZ in intense tropo; the path towards Batemans suffers from severe attenuation due to terrain as you point out.
I was wondering about those high seas; it’s definitely rougher out in the Tasman than what I experienced on Bass Strait in May.
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Are you refunded one third or can claim via travel insurance?
I have been wondering about that… I will have to ask my travel agent, and yes, I do have travel insurance.
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A cruise to New Caledonia or Norfolk Island would be mighty interesting in the warmer months. Rowdy passengers would definitely be an issue with the former, though, and I’m not sure a cruise to Norfolk even exists!
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Some of these SBS retransmissions get out a fair way.
The Port Macquarie one on 107.7, I heard that on the car radio on the Pacific Highway just north of Taree yesterday and I am hearing it now at Coffs Harbour Jetty.
Still not bad for 250 watts I suppose.
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Yeah, that one is an easy catch from Coffs provided you have a good LOS southward. Because it runs SBS Chill it provides a good alternative to the commercial dross.
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Boambee Headland at Sawtell is a good spot for DXing, both AM and FM.
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Coffs Harbour Jetty looked to be a pretty decent spot too, particularly where I was at Gallows Beach, where I could see down the coast to Mt Yarrahapinni.
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If you have time I’d recommend driving up to Woolgoolga Headland. You can usually receive everything from River 94.9/97.3 Brisbane in the north to Middle Brother in the south. 91.1 Nambour often comes in via As and sometimes you can get Sydney via weak As or Tr. It’s relatively warm with a NE’ly blowing down here today so Sydney may be a chance.
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Up on the Gold Coast now.
I might try these on my way back home next week.
Up to Mt Tamborine you go. Very interesting what can be received, easy to null the local sites by getting ‘under’ the beam or just getting off the plateau.
Good radios can separate 100.6 to 100.7 and so on.
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I think that might be the 2nd SBSFM outlet that I’ve heard of that is carrying a different SBS program to that licenced. Makes it a little more challenging for DXing doesn’t it. Looking at the 107.7 licence it says 2SBSFM (or usual SBS FM radio program feed). I wonder if it is actually legal to use any SBS program or only that of the specific SBS callsign?
With ABCRN & PNN you can usually rely on these FM transmitters broadcasting in mono, but the SBSFM network of council owned licences seams to be a mix of mono & stereo transmissions as it pertains to stereo pilot carrier no/off. Question: Are the SBS program transmitters run by councils supplied by SBS or an SBS approved singular company? Or are councils free to choose any transmission equipment of their choosing?
I note that the SBS radio transmitter list is now missing from their website, but can still find it in their Annual Report (available on their website).
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Did a bit of DXing tonight whilst in Surfers Paradise.
Main catches were:
ABC Local Radio Wide Bay 100.1
ABC Radio National Wide Bay 100.9
SEA FM 101.9 Fraser Coast
All were weak, and no RDS on the last station.
Triple M Fraser Coast was blocked by the Radio 97 translator at Mullumbimby.
Same for the other Wide Bay ABCs on 97.7, 98.5 and 99.3, blocked by nearby stations.
All Sunshine Coast stations were received in stereo, RDS decoded on Hot 91.1 and Sea 91.9, but not Mix FM as the splatter from Gold FM was too much. Not sure if Sunshine FM or Salt106.5 have RDS, I’m guessing not (the signal seemed to be clear enough to see that, but nothing was there).
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They do have RDS.
Null the locals out, north/east sides of buildings work well, and the options from north increase dramatically.
Point west for Sunshine and Salt and you’ll instead receive the Mowbullan nationals. South west brings in the Passchendaele Ridge nationals.
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I have a great LOS to the north, and shielded from the south and south west. But no protection from Tambourine.
I will go for a drive up to Tambourine over the weekend and up to Brissy on Monday or Tuesday.
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