Digital Radio - Technical

I checked tonight my signal levels on all the three multiplexes & all showing normal ,unlike that time when we had that SFN issue. I’m close to city & not out in your area.
Maybe the above helps?

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I will try a rescan tomorrow to see if that helps.
The reception issues were observed in all of our vehicles.

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My hifi through the 10 element band 3 VHF yagi is showing normal too on all multiplexes unlike last time when there was SFN issues. So the reception issues are slightly different from last time. Anyway if the rescan restores all the multiplexes back to normal strength I will look like a goose!!!

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Definitely reception problems at the NW Sydney Translator.
Here at Bowral in which I assume the signals come from Artarmon. DAB was at its usual levels of around 35-45 on the Sony in the backyard.

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Sounds like there might be a problem at Winmalee, one of the TXA techs lives out Riverstone way & I think listens to DAB, surprised he hasn’t noticed anything?

The microwave link between Artarmon & Winmalee was due to be upgraded (bigger dish & higher up the tower at Artarmon to reduce/alleviate dropouts from weather inversions) the week before I left TXA, but it never happened, I think it finally got done late May?

Maybe this issue has been there since the microwave link upgrade was done? I believe the microwave link Artarmon-Winmalee is now very stable, whereas before if was a real problem, but this could be some microwave timing issue now, not necessarily a GPS transmitter timing issue?

The Winmalee modulators might need some timing delay adjustments, it could be out a fraction of a second now after the upgrades, microwave signal delay now might be slightly shorter or longer than it was before?

Keep sending reception info & I’ll contact the TXA tech team on Monday.

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Thanks @RFBurns, unfortunately I did not get to travel to Berowra today and check the dab+ reception across a wider area of Sydney.
I am again working the same areas as yesterday Rouse Hill, Quakers Hill, Stanhope Gardens, Woodcroft.

First thing I did this morning was a rescan of the radio, and adjusted the telescopic antenna to maximum signal strength length.
Yes our work trucks have dab+ tuners with the old telescopic antennas. When the signal strength and quality was fine we could receive dropout free reception even with the antennas at full length.

Reception seems better today then it was yesterday, where dab+ reception was unlistenable. The signal strength is still below what it normally is, probably around 40-50% and not as affected with LOS to the west.

The signal is fluctuating quite madly from almost full signal to a dropout even when the vehicle is parked,

To answer your question from yesterday, the ABC multiplex C is the strongest, with the two commercial multiplexes A and B at the same strength, but weaker then the ABC multiplex. The ABC stations were still experiencing dropouts, probably slightly less then the commercials. These dropouts were occurring in areas where the signal is normally fine.

The Gorilla Digi is the station suffering the most with the most dropouts, and areas of no signal.

The best digital reception I received this morning was at the top of the ridge at Parklea with excellent LOS towards Artarmon and a slightly obstructed LOS to the west.

I am stumped with what is going on, but I hope this information helps.

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I spent 8 years living in Woodcroft and my DAB reception around the house was patchy the majority of the time. Even in the 2nd story of the house I couldn’t get Gorilla.

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I went for drive out to Box Hill today, didn’t notice any real bad reception in the Kia Carnival. It may have dropped out a little bit around Withers Road I think. Had ABC Sports on most of the time. A little bit of Coles Radio.

At the park itself at The Gables with a portable walkman radio (using the wire as reception) you are on the edge of the digital cliff, in the car it was perfect. I think pretty normal Perhaps I should have picked a park further south. I definitely had more issues when the timing was out around Castle Hill.

Anyway that is my report sorry it is as bit short on detail :slight_smile: .

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Back in the work truck today and again traveling the same areas as I was last week.

Can confirm reception is back to 100% signal in most places including Gorilla Super Digi, and no dropouts, even with prefect LOS to the Blue Mountains. The signal now jumps up to 100% with clear LOS to the Blue Mountains in the Ponds, and is not dropping out now. It looks like the SFN is working again without issue.

If TXA / BAI have not made any changes to the service then the problem has rectified its self.

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No changes have been made AFAIK, that’s good to know it’s back to normal.

Let me know if it goes bad again, & note what the weather is like too at the time, wondering if a temp inversion could be bending the Winmalee signal up or down away from the areas in question?

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Could be the aging equipment? I remember you mentioning it needs an upgrade soon of the DAB equipment. Anyway good its ok. I really appreciate @RFBurns being on this forum and offering help… :slight_smile:

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That was what I was thinking, possibly weather related, but there has not been any significant tropo lately, and nothing local to cause cochannel.

I will let you know if it goes pair shaped again.
Living in a difficult reception area for dab+ with SFN’s to provide coverage, if something goes wrong our coverage goes to shit.

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No, but a cold air mass siting in the West Sydney basin could bend the signal one way or another, up or down from normal.

Don’t need tropo, but a temp inversion between Artarmon & Kurrajong Heights & or Razorback, can cause issues with the DTV signals ether getting to the translator sites, or back from them (for off air monitoring at Artarmon), same thing could be happening with the DAB+, but the DAB+'s signal’s normal travel from Winmalee is shorter than the DTV from Kurrajong/Razorback, so the point of failure is probably around the areas you’ve had problems.

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Just checked my WU PWS at Stanhope Gardens, and the closest PWS to the Winmalee transmission site. I am at 78m ASL and the TX site at Winmalee is approximately 280m ASL.

There’s been some temperature inversions between both sites over the last five days but not massive. Generally speaking in the range of about 2-4’c. Today’s inversion again fits within that range.

So still not sure what caused the issues over the last few days.

I do remember some extreme inversions between my location and Kurrajong Heights in the past. One summer a few years back when we were using Kurrajong Heights an extreme tropo event knocked out reception completely, and you can see the escarpment from our roof top. Either the signal bent up or down and overloaded my masthead amp. After this we have been using Sydney ever since without problem.

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I thought I was having unusually poor reception this afternoon but looks like there’s a fault with ABC’s services

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Yes major issues with ABC/SBS DAB+ this afternoon, issue at Telstra I believe, was causing a major pain with the transmitters right around the country.

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I thought I was going insane!

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Insane, maybe not. But you’re on MediaSpy, so you might be half way there :wink:

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If you read the TV threads, sure. I like to think the Radio, Print & Online sub forum is a better quality discussion; definitely sane.

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Strange one on Melbourne DAB - ARN have added a “Gold 1043” and “KIIS 1011” station, redirecting to their existing “Gold 104.3” and “KIIS 101.1” stations.
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I’m not aware of an issue with receivers and full stops? Likewise, I don’t listen to KIIS, but Gold certainly ID as “104 point 3” - so can’t just be a branding shift?

These station redirects seem like dangerous territory, some seem fair enough - like flipping a frequency around or letting a station group with other network stations - like the Triple M/MMM 105.1 stations. But how long before you just see the list spammed with duplicates?

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