As requested I have generated through Nautel some additional coverage maps for the 2GN fm conversion. These are to check for adjacent channel interference from Sky Sports Radio Yass on the west boarder of the Goulburn Licence area, and also if 97.9mhz could be used instead of 107.7 for 2GN.
Looking at the projected coverage of 2GN fm at 17.5kW towards Yass, and the 100w Yass Sky Sports Radio service on 107.9, splatter from SKY Sports radio could occur around Jerrawa and Gundaroo on the western boarder of the LA, but if does not look like it will be severe.
Lastly the media spy alternative frequency of 97.9 for 2GN could be used without causing co-channel interference to 2VLR. The coverage of 2VLR goes a little way south of Cowra, so if 2GN was to use 97.9 it may need to have some restriction in that direction only. However it still could broadcast at 40kw in all other directions to give similar specs to Eagle fm, and avoid potential co-channel interference from 2GO.
I thought Sky Sports Radio was using a little more than 100 watts at Yass. Unless the interference spreads as far as, say, Gunning (a sizeable town), the ACMA aren’t going to care all that much. They subtly hint at the issue by referring to possible coverage loss on the western boundary, as posted by TV_Expert a while back.
I still think using first adjacent channels in adjacent licence areas isn’t a good idea and violates the ACMA’s own planning principles.
97.9 remains a better alternative imo. To compensate for the power limitation to the NW to protect Forbes, the 106.1 Crookwell translator could increase power and move to a better site.
I did the calculations, it is 229km from Goulburn to Parkes so there would have to be restrictions in that direction for our proposed 2GN Fm frequency of 97.9.
The proposed 107.7 frequency is at 35Kw in that direction, so if 97.9 was to be used it would have to be around 20kw based on car coverage projections to avoid interference in the Parkes coverage area. So the Crookwell translator would need to be switched on for 2GN.
That is true about the Great Diving Range. My 40KW car coverage projection for 97.9 put some very weak car coverage near the start of the Parkes licence area. That is why I dropped it down to 20kw. To conservative??
Another one of similar distance is Sydney to Taree for 107.3 2SER / Max fm.
2SER is at 25KW in that direction. So probably could get away with a higher ERP of 20kw for 97.9 towards Parkes then.
The existing cochannel on 95.5 at Parkes with Wagga wouldn’t be all that much further separated than Parkes and Goulburn either. Both of those are high power. They do cross over somewhere between West Wyalong and Temora.
Yes it’s on air but it has pretty poor coverage. It basically only covers Crookwell town and its immediate surrounds with any strength. It’s 100 w ERP omnidirectional from ‘Hay Street Reservoir’ which is within Crookwell’s town limits.
Crookwell is in a valley with the higher hills of the Great Dividing Range surrounding the town. The 2 watt ABC stations transmit from Wades Hill which is on the western side of town with a good view across the district. 2GN could move to this site with perhaps 500 watts DA to the W/NW to better cover the NW flank of its licence area.
There is also an Eagle FM translator on 103.7, also from Hay Street.
Can confirm that 558 AM 7BU is off, and 900 AM 7AD appears to be low power. Travelling on the North West Coast of Tasmania today noticed the changes. The 900AM service is running a loop to advise the new FM service.
The FM services sound fantastic, however there are significant coverage holes where the AM’s used to boom in. To be fair, not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
It appears both Burnie CBD repeaters for SEA and 7BU are on, along with both services in Smithton. However nothing in the Stanley area.
Yes, the loop on 7AD started about 12 noon last Thursday. I’ve been checking daily to see when it disappears. I’m not sure if they’re slowly turning down the power or not as the coverage seems to be noticeably less each day. There are areas within Devonport now which struggle to receive the signal.
Expect much more of this across regional Australia. This is a dud cost saving exercise that does nothing for radio or the communities they once were eager to serve.
When generations have listened to local radio through good or bad ownership and to soon have their service disappear, for these small markets, it’s a decision licensees will rue as once large rural populations lose coverage.
Yes, ACMA and current licensees care only about coverage within the licence area of communities over 200 people, there’s much more to Australia than that.
I reckon the simplest thing to do would be to move 2NCR from 92.9 to either 105.1 or 106.7 and use 92.9 for the high powered 2LM service from Mt Nardi. An ERP restriction towards Toowoomba may be required but coverage wouldn’t suffer too much because of the existing 2LM service at Kyogle (104.3).
2NCR currently runs 6 kW OD on 92.9; I think you could get away with these specs on 105.1 or 106.7.
Always the ABC or any signals over Bass Strait, they’ll find alternatives.
Eventually, licensees will bleat to the govt, who in an attempt to porkbarrel regional seats (both parties do it), will splash the cash for translators.
Agree.
Of course, with much of what ACMA publish in their consultation papers directly lifted from the reports the licensees submit, detailed discussion of co-channel and adjacent channel planning is not discussed.
Its interesting to me that one of the reasons for AM to FM conversion was that the AM masts were at end of life, yet the 7AD AM mast now supports the FM Array. The wind loading would have to be greater with that hanging off the top…
