AM To FM Conversions

Odd that 106.9MHz 2ABCRR Crookwell isn’t also on the outages list.

If you click on the down arrow to the right, you’ll find that 2ABCRR Crookwell is also on the outages list.

Off-Topic, the reason it’s not on top of the list is because ABC Radio Canberra has their outage before Crookwell does.

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Question, would 94.9 be better suit for Brisbane than Ipswich?

Interestingly, 94.9 was initially proposed as one of the two new Brisbane commercial FM frequencies in the early 2000s (instead of 106.9).

The only reason why that didn’t happen is because 106.9 was deemed unsuitable for use in Ipswich due to being sandwiched between ABC Classic and Triple J as they were not all at the same site and thus created interference issues for 106.9, so 4QFM/4MIX was moved to 94.9 to solve that, and 106.9 was moved to Brisbane instead.

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Yes very true. 4QFM actually requested a better frequency. They actually wanted to move their transmitter as well but that was denied.

94.9 is on the Brisbane “spacing” of frequencies though as are the Gold Coast commercial stations 92.5, 90.9 and 102.9 and also community station 94.1 among others.

Interestingly 102.9 was offered to 4BH had they converted in the early 90s. They were originally allocated 96.5 but wanted a frequency closer to Triple M and B105 (and QFM 106.9) at the time.

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2CHY Coffs Harbour is on 104.1. That may be the reasoning for 2GF needing another frequency eg 89.5? That frequency would also necessitate a change for 2TLC Yamba (100.3).

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Would a change to 89.5 require a new TX array being 15 MHz below its current location?

What is the need for 2TLC on 100.3 to move?

Thanks @Paul_Covo_Covington and others for commenting

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This is out of my field but I believe that the current 2GF FM103.9 Array points East and is a lower power than 104.7 which points back towards Grafton.

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According to the Grafton LAP, 103.9 is at 5kw to the north over the 270° to 360° and 0° to 90° sectors with only 1kw towards Grafton. 104.7 has the 40kw beam on the 120° to 300° sector, so yes what you’re saying is correct. I guess that explains why I can hear 104.7 clearly in Ebor, west of Dorrigo.

Elevation of Ebor would help too? :wink:

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I have received FM104.7 in Port Macquarie (despite the nearby 2BOB Taree being on the same frequency).

And also on the Gold Coast and in Newcastle during tropo openings.

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Sounds right, it was always for improving night time coverage to northern population centres such as Maclean, Yamba, Iluka etc from memory of the explanatory doc.

Has the ERP operated at 40kW? @Paul_Covo_Covington, have I read on a previous station website version or contribution here that it’s roughly 10kW north and 20kW south?

Correct, easy catch at Robina and Varsity where I’ve tried. Soon as Mt Moombil comes north, 104.7 is likely too.

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Not always. You cannot hear any of the Coffs Harbour commercial FM’ers there at all. Armidale is even quite patchy there.

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Agree, it’s the terrain path over elevation that makes the difference.

Coffs/Sealy Lookout has many ranges behind it on the path to Ebor, hence no signal.

Ebor is at the top of the Clarence Valley, those big falls drain into the catchment, there may be a lucky shape of terrain in the area that the signal reaches up to. I’ve received Grafton in elevated spots on the Armidale to Grafton drive, whether it was around Ebor or somewhere nearby, I can’t remember, I was racing the sunset to get off the mountain roads and into Grafton owing to flooding at Kempsey (pre new road project).

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Which now marks the end of commercial AM radio in Tassie.

It’s the end of an era.

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Not quite, as 7SD will remain broadcasting on 540AM, as well as being on FM.

But yes, it now means that every commercial radio station in Tassie is available on FM.

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Oh didn’t realise that.

You’d think with 3 FM transmitters they wouldn’t need to keep AM.

It’s been said that 7SD wants to keep their AM service to serve Flinders Island, as its new FM service wouldn’t reach into there that well.

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That’s a good 140 kms as the crow flies from Scottsdale, I would have thought nightfade would be an issue there.

I would have thought that they’d be better off with a 4th FM transmitter there and feed that off air from 95.7. It’d be cheaper in the long run?

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