And 206.352 MHz would be 9C, which is one of the two frequencies that ABC/SBS would normally use for DAB+.
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Yes.
I assume the ‘Scientific’ category to be for testing & result observance later.
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Since ABC and SBS opted out of the Mt Tamborine DAB+, it’s likely they have both drawn a line on their non-ionising radiation spend. If ABC is done with DAB+ (they also won’t pay for new DAB+ transmitters to replace EOL gear) it’s not looking good for DAB+ which is a real shame. ABC have even come out and stated that they are going to transition to an online distribution model as soon as they can.
CBAA is unlikely to have the expertise to maintain DAB+ transmission gear themselves let alone access to the test gear you need. A lot of community stations no longer have any members who can even maintain FM transmitters.
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From what I’m hearing the ABC is interested in everything if someone else pays for it, in other words it doesn’t come out of their Government funded budget. they’ll happily continue with AM/FM & DAB plus any other “broadcast” you want to include if some else is paying.
They already won’t pay for new DAB transmitters that are past end of life a the main metro sites only, TXA owns all the national DAB transmitters at the DAB infill sites.
I think the ABC transmission contract is up for renewal mid next year & if BAI get it they may fork out the money to replace the transmitters as they are currently having difficulty keeping them on air due to age & lack of spare parts available. Thing is it’s not likely any one else will bid for the contract given what I stated first sentence, BAI might decide they don’t want it any more either, so then the ABC is stuffed.
The CBAA have 1 guy essentially who looks after all their DAB equipment Australia wide & all the multiplexers, etc. are the original’s which are about 15 years old, again like the ABC stuff, past end of life, & the CBAA wouldn’t have the funds or expertise to go it alone & build a DAB multiplex anywhere, they’d be looking at over $1 million to build a new DAB multiplex in one location.
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I can’t imagine any of the radio broadcasters putting up money for something like a Rhode & Schwarz ETL with the DAB+ plug-in to enable them to do their own maintenance. Be interesting to see what the commercial radio tech’s at Mt Tamborine have available? - possibly there is a SDR receiver around that at least gives them a spectrum and perhaps a constellation.
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Yes I’ve heard them say that too. I think it’s extremely premature. I’m sure one day everything will be online only, but that day is far from now. I think if they rush it they will regret it. Once everything is online only there is just SO much competition, it’s kind of like committing suicide IMO. Terrestrial broadcasting is the only edge they have at the moment and their content simply isn’t strong enough to compete in the online-only world. They are delusional if they think otherwise.
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Not having much to do with the Brisbane TXA team & as I haven’t specifically asked, I think while the Mt Tamborine DAB site is owned by the local broadcasters & not TXA like the other metro markets, I think TXA might maintain that DAB installation too?
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Quite likely - I am not aware of many commercial radio techs that do RF maintenance anymore and definitely not DAB+.
ARN and ACE may still do RF work, SCA is all at BAI, 7 Regional and Win TV is at BAI, SRN sounds like they only have a couple of techs left and NQRadio and Rebel have owners that are also technical. 9 Radio may still do their own AM transmitters
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I know a few people who work for companies that have the ABC as tenants in their buildings - it seems to be a corporation edict to spend zero dollars on anything that they can get someone else to pay for.
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The art of Broadcast Engineering is certainly a dying art
SRN also have in house techs that maintain all their AM/FM gear
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A few weeks ago there were some software updates done on the Commercial/Community DAB transmission multiplexers at all the Metro sites to enable more stations to fit in each multiplex, up from 31 to 36, (side note: there are technical reasons for the number of stations that can fit on a multiplex, not related to the number of capacity units or bitrates).
They seemed to have gone well, but there’s been reports of issues from listeners, who listen on a Toyota Car radio, & seemingly only in Melbourne & no one knows why?
Have any of you had any trouble with reception in any state, on any multiplex, on any radio over the last 3 weeks?
This issue is constant apparently & renders reception un-listenable as it breaks up constantly. We’re not talking bad reception from a poor signal area, it would be happening all the time in every location.
Let me know here, with full details if you have issues.
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Does this mean the Nova/Smooth Networks can have they’re whole Slate of Digital Channels on DAB+ Now?
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No, not necessarily, because most of the multiplexes already had 31 stations on them, so there can only be another 5 added, shared across everyone, & they are still capacity unit/bitrate limited per network mux capacity.
9A in Sydney was already over the limit, as it had 34 stations on it, so only 2 more can be added to it.
As long as Nova/Smooth don’t exceed their allotted mux CU/bitrate capacity they can reduce the bitrate of each station to a minimal bitrate & put more on if they wish, but I’d say there’s an agreement between networks, so no one can put 24 stations on at 12k & only leave space for others to have 12 stations shared between them.
The reason there’s a limit on the number of stations that can go on each multiplex is, that all the data isn’t/can’t be transmitted simultaneously, it’s all sent in a particular order consecutively (audio & other data) over a time period & if there’s too many stations, a particular part of important data won’t be received within the correct time period (as per the transmission standards) & some/all radio receivers will think that one or a number of stations don’t exist on the mux & will say the station is not available & won’t play it, the receiver may also delete it from the mux list of available stations to tune into. (This is the shortened, least technical explanation I could come up with to describe it).
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That means theoretically another 10 stations can be added on 9A and 9B in total in Sydney , as there are currently 62 stations on there, in total.
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I drive a 2017 Camry with DAB and have not had any issues at all and im a channel surfer.Im mostly on the Badgally antenna in STH West Sydney.
I can report that since the recent repairs all is good…thanks RF Burns.
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No issues for me either in a 2023 Camry in-car stock radio on the Melbourne muxes. Been tuning around last few days but all stations performing as normal.
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Perth and Mandurah DAB in car reception has been quite impressive here in WA!
I had Perth until about Lake Clifton, about 110 kms south, perfect reception in car around Mandurah town as well.
And I had Mandurah DAB from around a couple of kms north of the Roe Hwy / Kwinana Freeway interchange down to just north of Australind, so it’s about 140 kms of coverage.
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How do you measure this? With in-car DAB+ the signal just disappears and then returns depending exactly where your vehicle is at the time, no degradation. It also depends on which station you are listening to, Coast FM provides extended coverage due to its enhanced error protection which becomes important with fringe reception such as this. To add to the confusion if you have line of sight to Pinjarra (as I get travelling along Mounts Bay Rd around Kings Park) then you get perfect reception!
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I just listen and wait until about 15 seconds after it drops out - if there are no hills or anything else to explain it. It’s not an exact science for me. I was listening to The Wave.
I did also get reception at Kings Park and North Beach but didn’t do any real testing there.
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Emerges from the shadows)… I’m one of the few who does….(retreats back into the shadows…) 
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