2CHY Coffs Harbour was off air for over an hour around 11am-midday today (probably longer). RDS dropped out too.
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Sounds like thereâs too much reflected power overloading the TX. Thisâd explain why it keeps cutting in out, as the TX overheats from the reflected power and then cools off once it shuts down for a while. Possibly a failing antenna or some other problem in the mast e.g. moisture in one of the coax joins etc.
We had problems like that with our two previous antennas. Turns out it was because ZCG antennas are garbage. Changed it out for a refurbished secondhand antenna made by a company that shut down about a decade ago (forget which one) and itâs been flawless ever since.
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I was thinking along the same lines. 
Would be a worry if the station sent the TX away for repair & no fault found & reconnected TX only to find original fault condition & left it like that.
But if it was a lightning strike, could be/have been multiple faults between antenna & TX that all need/ed to be investigated & resolved.
The stationâs basically been off air for quite some weeks now.
I know of one community station that has no volunteer technician & I do wonder how they manage. Iâve no idea of Triple Hâs funds for repair either or tech service accessibility. No updates on their Facebook page.
Just monitoring again (just now) & TX on for two minutes & off again for several minutes.
Canât comprehend why they donât just leave the TX powered off until fault resolved.
That said, some community stations are better resourced or managed that others.
UPDATE: Just looked at their website & they say theyâre back on air.
Oops! They were a bit presumptive.
Perhaps looking like a unresolved coax/antenna problem as youâve mentioned @radiolurker
Surely a reflected power or SWR meter should have been used or observed upon reconnecting the TX though.
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It could just as easily be age-related wear and tear, especially if one of more parts of the antenna and/or coax run had worn out i.e. insulation around joins, corroded connectors etc.
Depending on where theyâre situated, it could either be CBF emergency grants or via a state-based community radio association such as SACBA in SA. But even if money isnât an issue, thereâs the issue of convenience⌠itâs far more convenient to have a tech or two as part of the stationâs volunteer cohort and/or access to techs who work exclusively with community radio than it is to find a tech on a commercial basis.
Even if you do have techs, sometimes it helps to bounce stuff off techs from other stations for a second opinion. It really helps if thereâs an organisation like SACBA or SCMA that have techs that arenât tied to a particular station, thus they get to see a wide range of different setups across their member stations.
Unfortunately, techs arenât getting any younger and itâs a bit challenging to encourage younger people into it. Not so much the IT and networking side, but itâs the RF side that kids donât seem all that enthusiastic about.
Iâm surprised nobody has considered turning the power down until the reflected power reaches an acceptable level. A weaker signal thatâs stable has to be better than a stronger one that keeps cutting in and out.
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Hope News (Hope 103.2) has a reporter (Sally Anne Young) on scene at the CBD Hill blaze
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Quite likely the community stations in question have no technical support - even if the did from an ex-IT or telco worker its quite unlikely they would have broadcasting skills like setting audio levels on a program chain and adjusting a compressor/limiter. A number of community stations have burned volunteers over the years too.
Eventually the ACMA will get onto them and issue a warning notice which if they ignore will have them taken off air. Same with transmitter off/on all the time - ACMA will ask for the licence back.
EMR spectrum is a public resource and nobody has an entitlement to it - if they cannot meet their licence conditions they need to turn off and return the licence.
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I drove past the transmitter at Waitara for Triple H. It is on air at very low power. It starts to fade around Westfieldâs Hornsby (lots of multipath). I think lots buildings now around doesnât help the signal anyway given those apartments are higher than the transmitter itself. Although at full power it is normally good around Hornsby CBD (considering its an easy walk 10 min - 15 min walk to the transmitter). Basically you canât get much around Normanhurst or Thornleigh (this tune into the car radio). It seems like though it is consistently on air now. Although I got no signal at home now so I canât be sure.
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She begins on her new role tomorrow (Monday 5th June).
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Espousing the wonderful musical variety youâll hear many community radio stations, I had a chuckle to myself when hearing this song from Sheila Hancock for the first time as broadcast by 107.1 Highland FM this afternoon.
Sheâs now in her 90âs.
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Recorded in 1963 and still very much relevant now to nicotine addicts.
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I donât think many community radio stations in Australia have quite the same sense of humour as our UK counterparts⌠let me know otherwise 
Can we get a count on how many bayFMâs there are? Too many⌠lol
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Three - Geelong (93.9), Byron Bay (99.9) and Brisbane (100.3)
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And, whilst not in the same category, thereâs also Triple Mâs Geraldton, WA outlet with the callsign of 6BAY.
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They need to play more Australian artists, like Ewe am I and Wool Crash Opera.
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Oh very funny & witty 
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For those interested in 92.5 2WYRâs current standingsâŚin a quick skim through i can see several false statements and BS in the submitted responses, but hey at least ACMA have acknowledged it publicly now and deemed a breachâŚfor what happens now tho, who knows.
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Looks like 5THE FM is trying to get back on the air via a TCBL after ACMA refused to renew their licence last year. This was due to concerns about the stationâs âmanagement and financial capacity to continue providing a service which would meet the needs of the communityâ, and I recall seeing some discussion about this in this thread at the time.
ACMA has recently issued a licence to 5THE for an STL from their studio in Millicent to Mt Burr, and is is expected to seek applications for a new permanent community broadcasting licence in December.
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Very different landscape here in community radio in the Aus⌠Good read none the less for our UK counterparts.
The wording of the article and the word âpromiseâ⌠doesnât sit well with me. Promises get broken all the time⌠and you donât promise anything⌠unless you know you can deliver or fulfill that promise. Especially in community radioâŚ
Hope everyone is having a great weekendâŚ
Tall poppys for lunch 
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2023 CBAA Community Radio Awards Now Open
The CBAA is pleased to announce the launch of the 2023 CBAA Community Radio Awards. Every year we celebrate the outstanding work of community broadcasters across the country and as we take stock of a changing media landscape, we invite you to share your achievements and milestones with the sector.
"This has been a landmark year for community broadcasting, as the sector charts its course over the next 10 years with the Roadmap 2033 project and the governmentâs review into sector sustainability.
And you have continued your vital work of informing, entertaining and connecting with communities around Australia. Every week, you bring local music, culture, and content that brings comfort and connection to millions of Australians.
We invite you to reflect on the past 12 months and celebrate your achievements for the 2023 CBAA Community Radio Awards. While we look forward to the future, take a moment to look back on the contributions of your peers and let us know who most deserves recognition.
Weâre looking forward to seeing your entries, hearing your stories and celebrating your accomplishments."
Read the awards booklet to confirm the criteria for each award as well as to review the full terms and conditions.
AWARDS FOR STATIONS
- Excellence in Indigenous Engagement
- Best Station Production
- Best Station Fundraising Campaign: Small Station
- Best Station Fundraising Campaign
- Excellence in Community Engagement
- Excellence in Ethnic and Multicultural Engagement
- Excellence in Outside Broadcasting
- Best Special Event Broadcast
- Outstanding Small Station Award
- Tony Staley Award
AWARDS FOR RADIO PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES
- Best Radio Program â Music
- Best Radio Program â Talks
- Excellence in Innovative Programming and Content
- Best New Radio Program
- Contribution to Australian Music â Radio Program
- Contribution to Australian Music â Initiative
- Excellence in Indigenous Broadcasting
- Excellence in Ethnic & Multicultural Broadcasting
- Troy Garner Excellence in Sports Programming
- Excellence in News & Current Affairs Programming
- Excellence in Creative Audio
- Excellence in Digital Media
- Best Online Content
- Excellence in Training
AWARDS FOR INDIVIDUALS OR TEAMS
- Excellence in Music Presenting
- Excellence in Journalism
- Excellence in Technical Services
- Excellence in Technical Innovation
- Outstanding Volunteer Contribution
- Outstanding Youth Contribution
- Station Leadership Award
- Michael Law Award
HOW TO ENTER
- Go to https://cbaa.awardsplatform.com/
- Create an account or log in if you already have one.
- Once logged in, select the category you wish to enter and click on âStart Entryâ.
- Fill out the entry form with the required information and upload any necessary files.
- Review your entry to ensure that all information is correct.
- Submit your entry by clicking on the âSubmitâ button.
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No program content on 89.7 FM from 2RES due to a power failure in Waverley area for some time. First noted this yesterday evening.
More info on: Eastside Radio 89.7FM
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