You can zoom in on this image to make out the FM array.
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Been up there a couple of times, quite a setup… To get the coverage they have it wouldn’t surprise me if the national broadcasters used an FM array behind the cylinder protector or similar.
Edit: ACMA state the ABC FM antenna is 70m high, 20m higher than LAFM.
Indeed, considering RN is on FM in St Helens from memory. You could argue that Fingal isn’t required as it receives quite adequate reception from St Mary’s. Just a carry over from the old days I think. Pretty sure it’s callsign is 7FG.
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That mountain range is the reason the Flinders Island Airport has recorded a maximum temperature of 41.5C; the island isn’t as flat as one thinks.
It’s on 96.1 MHz and transmits out at Stieglitz. My Tecsun was getting 70 dB at my accommodation! 7FG is still on air on 1161 kHz but has fairly poor coverage; the tx is just on the Conara Junction side of Fingal iirc.
Trust me, they seem like it.
And that’s coming from someone who has never been to Tasmaina!
Not quite.
7JJJ 90.9
7NT 91.7
7PNN 92.5 and
7ABCFM 93.3
all run 190kW ERP.
ABC stations in Bendigo, Victoria run ERPs of 250kW
and ABC stations in Mt Gambier, SA run ERPs of 240kW
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Not a bad idea, however, it may cause adjacent-channel interference with ABC Southern QLD from Passchendaele (near Stanthorpe) on 104.9, which transmits at 80kW ERP.
FYI, here are the distances from Mt Nardi to the nearest transmitters whose station broadcasts on 105.1:
Glen Innes: 203km
Kempsey: 254km
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The harsh topography between Stanthorpe and Lismore might ameliorate the adjacent channel interference- perhaps to a level no more severe than that from/to B105? I haven’t travelled west of Lismore to gauge how strong the Stanthorpe majors are out there. I assume the westernmost extent of the 2LM licence is around Tabulam.
Certainly, 105.1 (or 106.7) are the most viable frequencies at this point- unless a near total reassignment of the FM band is carried out in the region.
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I think maybe B105 might be a problem for 105.1
Years ago I noticed when heading south you’d lose the Brisbane FMs completely around Tweed Heads but they’d come back again around Byron Bay.
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By the same token, 106.7 would be problematic for a proposed 2LM FM service due to Nova being next door.
Other alternate frequencies for 2LM that would be ideal, but is problematic due to potential adjacent-channel issues, is 97.5, which is in-between 97.3 from Brisbane & JJJ from Gold Coast.
99.1 would probably be the best frequency, where it not for the 1kW-powered SBS Radio service in Lismore itself (ie. not transmitting from Mt Nardi) that operates on 98.9. Otherwise, it’s far enough from Rebel’s 99.4 service in Mt Tamborine (in terms of frequency spacing) & RN’s 99.5 service from Coffs Harbour (in terms of distance + frequency spacing).
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97.5 probably too close to the local Radio National outlet on 96.9?
106.7 maybe too close to SBS Nimbin on 106.3?
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Beyond the Bonalbo flea powered service, coverage of FM 94.5 is difficult in the Upper Clarence as it’s the back of the antenna. FM 104.9 is the strongest ABC local radio service in the area.
None of the planning for Lismore has been done with 0.2 steps in mind. ACMA planned the whole stretch from Gympie to Lismore in one release in 2000 to remove conflicts. The quality of planning has deteriorated with the ABC requesting unplanned allocations at their two Sunshine Coast sites.
All current Mt Nardi services are on a consistent pattern of frequencies (shared with Passchendaele). The 2LM allocation should follow suit and other services be reallocated.
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Is the narrowcast 91.1 that IIRC is listed in the Lismore licence plan on air?
Pretty sure it isn’t, there was no evidence of it driving along the Pacific Hwy when I was up there in June, but probably wouldn’t be suitable for a 2LM FM conversion due to 90.9 on the Gold Coast, and ABC Local Radio Bonalbo on 91.3.
I think the 91.1 HPON specs are for a lower power than 2ZZZ and at a site closer to Lismore, so it would be fine at low power.
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Thanks!
That site is pretty much right in the middle of Lismore.
Re 2LM, They have a Translator on 104.3 witch they wont need with 50kW off Mt Nardi so maybe 104.3
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Probably too close to the Radio 97 repeater on 104.1 near Currumbin.
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Hat, ZZZ does not have ERP of 50kW remember?
Mt Dowe is still the chest beater.
To leave 104.3 on air is to continue the idiotic decisions of ACMA of very inefficient spectrum planning as seen in Tas and Bathurst leaving the FM translators on due to a compromised main site spec.
However, 104.3 would be the most popular station in the upper Richmond valley as all the Mt Nardi signals suffer multipath and terrain. It’s why there’s a TV translator for Kyogle. Nearby community stations such as Casino are heard better in Kyogle etc than the Nardi signals.
This is the in force for Lismore:
According to this link, 2BS’s proposed conversion to FM in Bathurst appears to have been given the green light by ACMA, as its new LAP came into force yesterday.
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Total waste of spectrum to retain the translators and have compromised specs for the main site not in line with the existing FM service there.
An ‘offline’ submission from potential owners SCA?