Radio Data System (RDS)

Another station with the dreaded FFFF PI Code: 3BA Ballarat. Easily decoded with the TEF but not on my car radio.

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Yeah been like that for several weeks now, odd for a commercial station, you would think they would know better. :roll_eyes:
It would be interesting to know what percentage of vehicle tuners & over what makes & years of manufacture that have a problem with the following PI codes re display of RDS or not.
a) FFFF
b) 0000
c) Leading zero PI codes

I think b) is the most common problematic in the community & a flip of the coin for which follows next; either a) or c)

Either way one would need a very large sample size of interested Media Spy users to get any form of comprehensive results across the majority of vehicle makes & year of manufacture.

I had an opportunity to see if I could decode the RDS of a station using a PI code of 0000 in a new 2024 Nissan X-Trail today & it was able to do so in this case.

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Iā€™d be interested in keeping an eye out also. My current radio doesnā€™t really do much of any RDS so itā€™s not super helpful. I can at least cross reference with the TEF

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Thereā€™s an odd glitch with 3HCR Omeo on 97.3. It doesnā€™t have RDS but sometimes it will display the RDS from Triple M (90.1). Iā€™ve had this happen on both the car radio and the TEF tuner, so not a bug at the receiver end. Iā€™ll try and get a video but when trying just now, of course the glitch didnā€™t happen.

90.9 3HCR did not produce the glitch.

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Is decoding okay on my car radio. Along with the Merry Christmas from 3BA text. They might want to look into that too.

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Interesting. Probably having a SDR GUI screenshot of the MPX spectrum capture of both 97.3 & 90.1 would be useful.

We donā€™t have any recent RDS captures of 90.1 Triple M Omeo (data goes back to 2019). Last recorded PS was MMM 90.1, but suspected of now being ā€˜Triple Mā€™. PI suspected (unconfirmed) of being 2057.
No PTY recorded etc.
90.1 was (maybe still is?) an off air feed of 94.1 Triple M from Falls Creek.

Yeah likely a spur from 90.1 being picked up & retransmitted on 97.3MHz as they share the same transmitter hut/tower I seams.

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Testing out the RDS monitoring on TVCL South:

It only scans/updates when no one is connected to the webserver: http://116.255.0.168:59090/

The monitoring server will be switched over to the omni TEF once I get the SMA => F type adapter to connect the aerial.

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This is correct, Triple M with PI of 2057. Falls 94.1 also PI 2057 and Triple M.

Forgive me for not concentrating on the RDS minutiae as Iā€™m primarily a DX Nerd, interested in the signals themselves!

The spur theory seems the most plausible; theyā€™d definitely share the same tx site. 90.9 is probably from the 3HCR studios (I went up there and took a photo- the building looks like itā€™s almost abandoned!) No live programming on there which is a damn shame but at least itā€™s on air unlike this time last year.

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I love RDS. For me, itā€™s the ā€œvisualā€ side of radio, seeing all the info on the screen, and evolving, when done properly.

If I were at the ACMA Iā€™d make RDS mandatory.

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Disappointed that there is apparently no RDS in PNG. Signals were strong enough for decodes IMO.

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Nova 106.9 has switched itā€™s PI back to 4106

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Thanks. Iā€™ll add another entry (standby/alt) for the station in the RDS List for the apparent second RDS Encoder. From the frequent flip flopping between the two PI codes itā€™s become apparent that two differently programmed RDS Encoders are in use.
The ACMA List doesnā€™t enlighten me much with this station missing. :roll_eyes:

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Previously not seen with RDS, it has been spotted for Riverland Life FM 100.7.

No station name which is interesting despite having a strong signal this morning.

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Good find.

At least they have a logical PI codeā€¦ unlike another community station Iā€™ve see with no station name (PS) OR a valid PI code (just the 0000 default - being 2OCW Orange). Only a PTY shows up. Which suggests me that itā€™s been activated unknowingly (perhaps as part of TX upgrade).

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I did a drive along the great ocean road today and noted some of the RDS I saw.

95.9 PS: MIXXFM PI: 3063 PTY: Pop Music
RT: Music that makes you feel good

94.9 PS: 7AD PI: 7989 PTY: None
RT: Title - Artist

90.1 PS: ChilliFM PI: 7901 PTY: Pop Music
RT: Title - Artist

89.3 PS: LAFM PI: 7893 PTY: Pop Music
RT: Title - Artist

102.9 PS: SEA-FM PI: 77DE PTY: Varied

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RDS update for Zinc 96.1

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Thanks for the update, I preferred ZINC96.1

Note that the 100.5 relay is the same.

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Went down to the coast (Tuross Head) late this afternoon to see if there would be any NZ tropo. Unfortunately the tropo wasnā€™t that exciting (only Middle Brother heard, no Great Lakes FM etc.) and not a hint of NZ.

I can confirm 98.5 Moruya (TAB) is running RDS. Iā€™m actually there at the moment having dinner so will see what PI code itā€™s running.

Edit: Itā€™s 4897.

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