Surely Guyra isn’t needed with Thunderbolts Cave Rd being so close?
3 Likes
Possibly not as bad as for US stations that have multiple frequencies and are mandated to give a full ID every hour. But it gets messy if you have an ID of 100.3 and 98.1 FM
2 Likes
I did see the 2TM repeater locations and wonder whether approvals had been sought to access the sites in question. I believe SRN has their own tower at Soma though
2 Likes
Hope that’s correct, wouldn’t want to see a repeat of the 2AD saga.
2 Likes
From what I understand SRN use the Seven (ex-Prime) site at Tamworth & never paid rent there either, Tamworth will be in the same boat as Armidale.
3 Likes
If they aren’t paying rent how’s the service still on air?
1 Like
Also some very bad intermodulation from the local community stations there too.
1 Like
By legal luck more than anything, landlords are stuck in legal battles with them, as much as they want to, can’t just go & turn them off &/or remove the transmitters from site.
I don’t think SRN is paying their site rent at Mt Sugarloaf Newcastle either & I know they aren’t paying the rent at Homebush Bay for the 2SM transmitter.
5 Likes
I think it’s a bit dangerous to do that in large market like Newcastle where there is more at stake… eg. I’m sure 2HD will go FM at some point, but they’ll be refused permission to install more gear like at Armidale.
They could move to the Rhema site, but given their bad reputation for allegedly not paying rent, no one would take them as a tenant.
And I would think it will be harder to build their own site in the Sugarloaf Range?
Could they sink into a mountain of debt over all of this (legal fees etc as as well as backpay of rent) and end up in receivership?
6 Likes
I’ve read the link provided here recently for Armidale and am appalled. It’s a poor/incomplete document itself.
Lacks all detail of the main site. Lacks projected coverage of the new main site and translators. Would any Mediaspy member be able to estimate coverage for the four sites via the Nautel tool used here previously? Won’t open for me.
Driving along the Pacific Hwy around Kempsey, 100.3 used to be fortuitously available in patches, is that still the case? For all we know, the site may have changed long ago and not updated/very slow to amend the radcom database.
A better main site should be developed within proximity to the Little Duval site.
I disagree with the inefficient use of spectrum and to establish so many sites.
When you have a licence, you should understand the moral obligation to select an engineering solution that covers your licensed area in full rather than cherry picking coverage to towns.
As an aside, doubt also the sites will be linked by RDS for smooth handoff between sites.
When 2AD was well maintained as directional AM station (before the second mast collapsed), signal was good across the tablelands. At most, a Walcha translator was a help. This current proposal is completely the reverse to this and inefficient. Should not be allowed.
This may be the one time I am furious enough to make a submission. The conversion is beyond substandard, it’s piecemeal, inefficient, inadequate and should not be approved.
7 Likes
They obviously don’t have Essential Energy as a host anywhere - they’re approaching the point of being ruthless about tower access.
5 Likes
BOG have already been denied access at Armidale too, i would think Essential will be in the same boat as other landlords and have to go through the sane legal battles to be able to turn off power or remove BOG equipment. Seems like a different situation to simply not paying the electricity bill and getting disconnected that way.
4 Likes
I believe EE’s tower license agreement allows them to easily evict and remove equipment
3 Likes
My pleasure coverage maps of estimated coverage from Thunderbolt Cave Rd for 94.3 2AD and 100.3 fm.
I have choosen the mobile site as the nominal transmission site at 1320m, but mostly likely SRN will build their own tower, somewhere along this road to avoid paying rent to a third party.
10KW, 5KW, 2.5KW and 1KW coverage maps for the pre approved specs for 2AD.
10KW over 45-255’
5KW over 25-45’ and 255-275’
2.5KW over 5-25’ and 275-295’
1KW 295-360’ towards Guyra
For 100.3 just refer to the 10KW map as I understand they will keep the same specs.
In Armidale coverage issues from the Thunderbolt Cave Rd site will be on the north side of town, a car radio should still receive it ok from the main site. I guess the repeater is more for people on the north side of Armidale with poor quality radios.
Also note how far north the new site is, it’s much closer to Guyra than Little Duval, this may help 100.3 towards Glen Innes assuming it moved to this site with the same specs of 10KW OD.
5 Likes
Yes, there’s also a DTV repeater at Kellys Plains for those on the north side of town that are shielded from Little Duval.
Yes, and that the mobile site probably wouldn’t given SRN the antenna height they need as mobile sites are usually for more localised coverage.
2 Likes
Yes the antenna height for the fm conversion of 2AD at Liittle Duval was 75m, so would need a larger tower at the new site.
2 Likes
I won’t mince words: that 2AD proposal is an absolute farce. I especially don’t want any FM transmitters in Guyra; it’s an excellent DX location.
3 Likes
Yes, ACMA should be telling 2AD to get their $h!+ together as there is absolutely nothing wrong with the specs they have now, it’s worked for 25 years.
5 Likes
Fantastic effort @Ant5476, much appreciated. Fascinating reading.
As the forum allows more responses beyond 
, I’ve chosen 
to represent even further effort, akin to a standing ovation.
4 Likes
@dxnerd @Radiohead let’s all email BCP@acma.gov.au before 18 November and tell them.
Eg. Dear BCP re Armidale 2AD conversion.
2AD from an inadequate high power site, supplemented with three otherwise unnecessary infill sites is an inefficient use of spectrum and should not have been proposed by ACMA, let alone appearing as all but a formality to approve.
The FM spectrum is a finite resource and as one well sited allocation for 100.3 is sufficient, the same should apply for 2AD.
The public should not be disadvantaged by a licensee who is in dispute with a site operator. The conversation to Little Duval should wait until resolution of the dispute.
—-ends—-
Plenty more I could add, this is a starter for conversation here.
6 Likes