what is it with radio relaunches in 2018 and this song? It was Sea FM Bundaberg’s first song when it rebranded as Triple M a few months back.
Yes it seems very lame.
Off topic but I think a couple of the best launch songs were Cool Change (FM104) and FM/Steely Dan (96FM).
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Interesting that 3YB is still using the same/similar playlist as 3HA/3CS (News Talk and only the hits you love) but using a Edge FM style Better music, more of it tagline
A video of the relaunch is on the 3YB facebook page
3YB-FM will probably cause some grief to 7BU’s translator at The Miff (Smithton) when the warmer months arrive. The nearby Lileah ABC stations have been known to relay FM from Mount Gambier at times during intense ducting; they usually relay 103.3/104.9 Waratah off air.
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Currently on Flinders, VERY poor 7SD coverage, really needs a FM translator of either 7SD or LA FM off Mt Barrow.
Yep my travels around that area, tells me St Helens is abit of a radio black hole apart from ABC Radio.
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94.5 Chilli FM (Weldborough) gets into St Helens absolutely fine; there’s no need for an additional translator in town. I would support coverage equivalence for 7SD, though.
Flinders would almost get 3GG (531) clearer than 7SD, even in the daytime! I’d love to try my big loop on one of the Bass Strait islands- Sydney AM stations round the clock anyone?
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I must say that wasn’t my experience last time I was in St. Helens, however, I wouldn’t rule out my D-Max being the issue. The FM tuner can be described as ‘adequate’ at best.
I will try this tmw, any other you would like me to try??
7SD was very poor on the way to my accommodation, not really any better or worst than 3GG on 531.
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Awesome Chris. Never been to Flinders but a Scottsdale local for years. The trouble with the LAFM transmission from Mt Barrow is that it’s currently only 5Kw and the antennas are directional towards Launceston.
Just slightly off topic how well is ABC 91.7 Mt Barrow received? This is a really powerful transmission, 192Kw from memory. I would image digital Tv may be more marginal and weather affected.
I echo your thoughts re Chilli St Helens, coverage is average at best (car radio Nissan Patrol). Probably not helped by the relative low power of the transmission and the distance inland. I suspect it was put up at Weldborough years ago only because it could receive a good off air signal from the Mt Horror Scottsdale transmitter.
There’s a reason why the ABC have translators at Weldborough AND St Helens…
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I was staying on the point at Steiglitz with a great LOS west (I could even get 7LA/Chilli well). Nevertheless, 94.5 was pegging the signal meter and I had it on the car radio through town without any trouble. My car radio is pretty good, though. I concede there could be black spots around town due to the harsh terrain but that would also be the case with an in-town service.
Here are some targets for you to try during the day (reply in DX thread if possible):
576 2RN Sydney
594 3WV Horsham
603 2RN Nowra
666 2CN Canberra
702 2BL Sydney
738 2NR Grafton (it was amazingly strong at Bridport)
765 2EC Bega
810 2BA Bega
846 2RN Canberra
882 3RPH Warrnambool
918 2XL Cooma
1053 2CA Canberra
The more exotic catches like Brisbane were only just there on the loop so I wouldn’t expect reception on a ‘barefoot’ radio.
I work in the Comm’s Industry and if you ever get a chance to sneak up Barrow, you will be shocked at how the FM array is actually mounted on the BA site. I wish I had a photo to share, but its mounted on the concrete section of the tower using the tower as some what of a reflector Westward. I remember reading somewhere that the ABC services off Barrow are the most powerful FM services (at install) in the country…Commercials are much lower power to not spillover into other LAP’s. I am not 100% sure if this odd array carries all FM services or just the commercials.
The Eastern side of the Island gets LAFM/Chilli off Barrow OK, Not great, but OK. ABC North Tas is OK on the Eastern side of the Island, but is clean as a whistle on on the Western Side, probably understandable due to the Mountain range that runs up the centre of the lower part of the Island.
I noticed the vast majority of home in Whitemark are running large UHF TV antenna’s pointing at Barrow, but the rest of the Island seems to be generally serviced by VAST…Lots of dishes on roofs, not just NBN Sky Muster ones.
Agree…Cheapest solution to a coverage problem…Don’t blame the broadcaster for that, the ACMA probably let them do it.
Slightly off topic also, but knew a bloke who worked on the ABC service in the Fingal valley, and said there were issues with the installs at St. Helens and Fingal with interference from New Zealand.
To stay within the ‘AM to FM’ title of the chat, I have always wondered why the ABC and BA haven’t applied to change St. Helens and Fingal Services to FM…
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I’ll see how I go, bit short on time tmw, got a plane to catch, but will try.
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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