I thought the ABC & SCA were pretty good with it.
That said we don’t tend to hear from anyone on this thread from the Central Time Zone states.
That would be great to see.
I was just checking some Sydney stations just now & I note that 93.7 Koori Radio still has their RDS CT time set at AEST rather than updated to AEDST.
@RFBurns can you remedy this or maybe remove CT for Koori Radio?
In Sydney it’s only Koori Radio that hasn’t updated their RDS clock-time to summer time.
I’ll have a look at that & fix.
I’ve disabled CT for Koori Radio, because you have to manually change for Daylight Savings time.
95.7 Classic fm, Wollongong / Illawarra now has RDS.
Classic
Scrolling text is static: ABC Classic
PTY: Classical Music
@ozbark can you check if they have AF 102.3 / 105.7 , like when Triple J Illawarra tried RDS?
I guess the ABC is trying to sort out that little mistake with the RDS to not repeat the Triple J incident. Have not noticed this on 92.9 until today. Used to say “Classic” BTW
I would have thought the AF would still switch to 92.9 if that is how it is programmed?
Easier just to have no AF and just RDS until they have all stations in sync, but that would mean ditching satellite feeds to high powered non metro sites.
I wonder how long before they reactivate RDS on Triple J Wollongong / Illawarra, and if there is any plans for ABC Illawarra too?
Hi @Ant5476 yes 95.7 ABC Classic Illawara do have an AF of both 92.9 Syd & 102.3 Canberra.
A friend contacted me by email this morning & informed me this 2 week test from ABC Knights Hill commenced yesterday, but only for the ABC FM music stations from Knights Hill.
So that’s ABC Classic 95.7 & Triple J 98.9
I can receive the RDS data for ABC Classic 95.7, but not 98.9MHz.
I was going to ask here if anyone is receiving RDS from JJJ Knights Hill.
If it’s not currently on then maybe it will happen later in the 2 week test or already happened (see further below)?
Here’s a snap shot of some of the RDS data from ABC Classic Illawara.
I just checked ABC Classic 92.9 Sydney for any AF, but they don’t have any programmed in.
As the PI code is the standard national ABC Classic code I suspect travellers in Illawara travelling to Sydney should have their receivers switch to 92.9, but not from 92.9 to 95.7 if I understand the concept correctly.
The RDS subcarrier level of 95.7 is reasonably high so should be good for the technians to test with.
And interestingly I think the RDS subcarrier level (modulation %) of ABC Classic FM 92.9 SYD has been increased. But JJJ 105.7 RDS subcarrier has been reduced again.
I noted that JJJ 105.7 yesterday didn’t have any song data, but a simple static RT message. Makes me wonder if techs tested with RDS on Triple J Illawara & Sydney yesterday & finished that test now?
I wonder if any anyone has noted any RDS changes for ABC Classic FM Canberra 102.3 past couple of days?
I can confirm that 98.9 Triple J Illawarra is not broadcasting RDS at present, nor has it been since the last trial. Maybe their new RDS trial will commence in the next few days?
Classic Illawarra does have a high RDS subcarrier. I can get a full RDS decode on a portable radio with headphones as an antenna, and a mono signal, at my location at Stanhope Gardens 100km from Knights Hill.
Not having 95.7 as an AF to 92.9 makes sense. If I understand correctly this was the cause of 105.7 Triple J switching to and from 98.9 which had a delayed weak signal in Sydney during the last trial. With this setup it would switch to 92.9 at the top of the escarpment and then stay on 92.9 permanently. I will test this around Sydney tomorrow on the work truck, which has an RDS radio with AF.
I wonder if Canberra’s 102.3 Classic fm has an AF to 95.7? It would work as once you drop down into Lake George heading northbound 95.7 becomes the stronger signal.
That’s about the only location where it might be useful, theres a lot of areas between where neither signal is particularly strong, around Goulburn for instance.
They’d have to make the Radio Text station name the same for that too.
In that case 95.7 Classic fm would need an AF for 89.5 Goulburn town.
Apart from the gully that Goulburn is in I get generally good reception of the ABC fm’s from Knights Hill from south of Sydney to Lake George on the car radio. Maybe 89.5 as an AF is not needed?
Tested the new RDS and AF for ABC Classic Illawarra on the Work Fuso truck, and the RDS and AF to 92.9 Sydney is working well.
What is different from the previous Triple J Illawarra RDS test is the techs have got both Sydney and Illawarra perfectly in sync. When it switches from 95.7 to 92.9 and the announcer is speaking you don’t miss a word. I wonder if they have switched from satellite to a different feed at Knights Hill, or they have delayed Sydney to be in sync with the satellite feed at Knights Hill?
There is definitely no AF of 95.7 on 92.9 as it only switches from Illawarra to Sydney, it does not switch back to the Illawarra. Will the techs try this again like they did with the past Triple J Illawarra RDS trial?
Great to receive your feedback on this. 
Interesting point.
ABC Classic FM studios used to be in Adelaide decades ago. Is that still the case or are they in Sydney now? If in Sydney maybe as you say they introduced a delay system or Knights Hill transmitter have program feed other than satellite now? I don’t know.
Like yourself I can confirm that both ABC Classic FM & Triple J programs are currently in sync between Sydney & Knights Hill (Illawara) transmitters.
I wonder? Perhaps they are doing one test at a time & evaluating results?
We can monitor daily I guess during the test period for any changes.
I think the AF switching issues between Sydney and the weaker Illawarra will continue due to the extensive coverage across Sydney from Knights Hill. Maybe a lower RDS sub carrier on the Illawarra RDS may help?
I think the implementation of RDS AF on the Newcastle ABC fm stations will be much easier with less coverage overlap from Sydney.
I’d need to have a think about this.
RDS AF is used extensively throughout Kiwi land on their extensive commercial outlets throughout the country & similar also on RNZ’s Concert & National Radio outlets. Their country is mountainous. AF must work okay there, else they wouldn’t use it. Perhaps you could ask the question about how well it works from a listeners perspective in the NZ Radio Media Spy thread?
I know in NZ that the RDS subcarriers are set at an average level for the most part.
The switching intelligence is done by the tuners.
Would be good to get more feedback on this from other travelling listeners with RDS in their vehicles.
I guess RDS AF switching would work best for listeners on flat terrain between RDS transmitters & where there is some coverage overlap between transmitters. I’ve no practical experience with this.
With the shocking Flood situation here in Regional Vic, KLFM continue to provide Emergency updates as an Official Emergency Broadcaster. We also utilise our RDS for warning messages. A few photos of our RDS.
That’s a great use of RDS!
Unlike here on the Sunshine Coast where I am now, Sea FM and Mix FM have advertising messages on them… groan.
I can confirm my car would switch between 101.5 and 105.7 while driving on the Federal HWY alongside Lake George at night on the 19/05.
Not only was there a delay, 105.7 was noticeably louder as well.
Changes noticed on Triple M Geraldton 98.1. Now only using groups 0A 2A and 4A, with accurate time and date. (3A 10A and 11A previously, I think)
And RDS carrier strength is way higher than when I last recieved this station. Use to need a thumping strong signal with no background stereo hiss to decode, now much easier.
Maybe a tech that likes to fiddle around and get things looking the way he wants maybe?
The station for Human Resources professionals. Music to send people out on the street.
