Though 100.7 doesn’t seem to be an issue for ABC RN Mt Dowe vs Hit Toowoomba.
2 Likes
95.5 MHz from Mt Kynoch with the same specs as 4RGD would cause issues with Rebel at Chinchilla, also 95.9 MHz is assigned to the 4WK translator at Dalby, also too close.
3 Likes
Toowoomba’s FM allocations are all a mess, none are on consistent spacings.
Also interested to see how on earth they find space for more FM stations in Canberra, Newcastle or Murwillumbah.
4 Likes
Absolutely it’s a mess.
Surely though with Canberra and Newcastle they should be able to find some frequencies. They’re not adjacent to a major capital really. We need to embrace 0.4 and even 0.2 spacing for neighbouring markets. Cities like London manage with 0.4 spacing even in the city itself.
3 Likes
Absolutely! It works just fine in the US as well. Even within the same markets in places like Los Angeles. And as you say, London. More ACMA cluelessness.
2 Likes
I don’t get the 0.4 spacing argument. We basically have that already with 0.8 spacing in each market and the adjacent markets offset and fitting in on the 0.4 spaces. I don’t see how crowding the existing stations in one market closer together makes any difference. All the freed up frequencies couldn’t be used because the adjacent markets would need them. Interested to hear an explanation of what the difference would be.
And one point on London stations being at 0.4 - most of those stations are only broadcasting at 4kW - the level of the community stations in Brisbane.
4 Likes
Indeed. It would require a nation wide “restack” to be effective. Quite costly and with little benefit.
2 Likes
This may work in Canberra, move the Tuggeranong relays to 0.4 of Canberra. The high powered CT frequencies and SW slopes maybe troublesome.
But you could potentially have 107.5, 106.7, 105.9, 105.1, 103.5, 101.1, 100.3, 99.5.
This would free up 95.1, 95.9, 99.1, 99.9 100.7, 107.1
Basically you could convert all existing Am stations to Fm, you may struggle to find relays for all of them.
1 Like
Mount Alexander already has the infrastructure in place for a high power FM transmitter, but reception in Ballarat would be variable. Other options could be Mt Tarrengower, One Tree Hill near Clunes, or Smeaton Hill. The latter two could work OK for Ballarat. Clunes not so much for Bendigo, although 98.3 in Bendigo covers the city.
1 Like
Some regions would benefit a lot. Particularly south east Queensland. The problem is the Gold Coast stations are on the same 0.8 spacing as Brisbane and they shouldn’t be. They should be on 0.4 spacing with the Brisbane stations. It would free up a lot of spectrum in Brisbane if they were. But yes a restack would be required. Restacks in congested areas like SEQ make sense, but not worth it nationwide.
4 Likes
Definitely the best solution for SE Queensland with Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast on 0.4 spacing to Brisbane, but Richmond / Tweed and Lismore would need to go 0.2 spacing to Brisbane / Gold / Sunshine Coast. 0.2 spacing from Sunshine Coast would work, but definitely not 0.2 spacing from Gold Coast and Brisbane.
This could also force Darling Downs on to 0.2 spacing from Brisbane / Gold / Sunshine Coast or you will have CCI issues to the Gold Coast with Tropo.
3 Likes
Would be nice to up the power of some of these transmitters that the ABC have and make some redundant.
For example why does the Sunshine Coast need 2 sets of ABC services??
3 Likes
Black Mountain at the northern end covers Gympie as well.
Probably not possible to find one site that covers from Caloundra up to Gympie
1 Like
News Radio is already on the same frequency of 94.5 for Gympie and Nambour. Why not do the same for Local Radio and Classic FM. That would free up a couple of frequencies.
2 Likes
Though I’ve noticed when up that way, there is a fair amount of CCI on 94.5 between Marcoola and Peregian. Perhaps they didn’t want to risk reception complaints relating to that for their more popular stations like Triple J or Local Radio.
I could make a case for NewsRadio to be on one frequency such as 98.5 in Lismore, Gold Coast, Nabour, Gympie and Wide Bay (with appropriate swapping of services).
3 Likes
It would make DXing more boring though, you’d never really know what you are receiving.
It would at least free up say 95.7 for a Brisbane FM conversion.
4 Likes
Needed badly.
Who’d get it though if they bothered?
ABC Local, 4BC, 4BH or Switch?
I’m sure ABC Local would like to convert, and there would be a lot of interest from commercial operators to launch another commercial FM service.
1 Like