Digital Radio

Smooth in Brisbane plays mostly the same music as Sydney with a few differences eg in breakfast.
The Victoria Bridge, the Story Bridge and the Gateway Bridge all change colour at night to suit their mood :).

I didnā€™t know bridges had moods.
Maybe itā€™s traffic dependentā€¦? :thinking:

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I noticed that my generation is now on greatest hits digital and classic rock digital i think triplem are doing this to get more people to listen to it anyone agree with that?

I think itā€™s a program that appeals to both greatest hits and classic rock formats. It is well networked even on non-SCA stations with diverse formats.

A cheap way to leverage their own program or so they think. Audiences will most likely tire of the saturation scheduling.

Yeah your right on that point but i think my generation re on too many stations

I think to be honest Id rather to have a classic rock & modern rock station only with a better bit rate for both.

The glitches that were plaguing the 2SM stations in Sydney appear to have been fixedā€¦
At least for now.
It remains to be seen for how long, as we thought that they had been fixed beforeā€¦

Roger that. It looks like its ok for now.

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I did manage to test Brisbane DAB+ at Byron Bay; results were poorer than expected with a single snippet of speech from 4BC the only success. There was zero tropospheric enhancement on the VHF bands. Smooth Digital was showing 2 bars on the Sangean DPR-34, but I couldnā€™t resolve any audio from it. The receiving location was the water tower on Paterson Street- I couldnā€™t get a parking spot at the lighthouse! The chosen spot had a near equivalent takeoff towards Mount Warning and Brisbane, though.

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3 element yagi tuned for VHF 9A would pull in a stable signal in Byron. Your experience shows youā€™re on the signal threshold.

The Sangeans are notorious for reporting the signal level different on each ensemble despite same specs over all three in Brisbane.

Elevated sections of Lennox and Skennars Heads would get you signal too. As would ridges such as at St Helena and others along that plateau.

I also went to the water tower at Ballina- not a trace of signal there. I would have tried the Byron hinterland around St. Helena but didnā€™t have time; I did drive up Coopers Shoot Road but there was no safe place to pull over there (itā€™s a pretty narrow road).

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Hereā€™s my long distance Brisbane DAB+ reception reports:

Qld/NSW border, Mt Lindesay Highway/Summerland Way at Collins Gap as previously reported.

Woodenbong golf club, Golf Links Rd. Top blocks of Woodenbong, top end of Macpherson St

White Swamp NSW/Qld border crossing, downhill to Boonah. Vodafone mobile reception there too.

Kyogle, Geneva, north facing slopes. Virtually full signal in Geneva at the local tv transmission tower. In low points of the town, signal is just below the threshold, on purpose tried a ā€˜deafā€™ radio to replicate the worst reception conditions possible.

Reception possible in high points with north facing slopes along the Kyogle - Murwillumbah Road.

In line with reception at Collinsā€™ Gap, thereā€™d be reception at the border crossing of Lions Road, thereā€™s a long incline on the Qld side just before the border. This is a picturesque drive, lots of twists and turns for motorcyclists who Iā€™m told enjoy that. Kyogle Shire Council have partnered with the Commonwealth for funding to replace all decrepit bridges on their side of Lions Road. Driving south, try the parallel Gradyā€™s Creek Road for a splash over some tame creek crossings.

Casino, at elevated points. Right on the signal threshold. Permanent reception would be easy via external antenna, re-purpose an old Band III antenna pointing to Brisbane.

Further thought to dxnerdā€™s observations, Evans Head might be good when thereā€™s favourable atmospheric conditions, same for other headland further south, Yamba etc.

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I went up to the Border Loop lookout on Lions Road; I didnā€™t stop at the border crossing, though. I then turned back to Rathdowney and over the Collins Gap (I didnā€™t try here, either!) Thanks for those comprehensive observations, crankypants.

Just discovered a new DAB+ station in Perth. TalkingLifestyle / TalkLife at 48kbps. It seems to be a version of what 2UE has become in Sydney, i.e. utter crap.

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Is it a straight relay of Melbourne perhaps?

ie. Melbourne ads, or does it have Perth ads?

There are local Perth ads.

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What bitrates are they now running for 6PR and NTS?

48kbps for 6PR, 32kbps for NTS.

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I have been a big fan of Easy Hits when they first started, but I must say theyā€™re starting to sound really stale to me. They used to play some adventurous up tempo easy hits, but lately they seem to be reverting to some really lame over flogged ā€œoldiesā€. The just played ā€œIt started with a kissā€ followed by ā€œYouā€™ve lost that loving feelingā€

Urgh, terrible.

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