Gladstone very strong tonight
Gladstone very strong tonight
@TV.Cynic And looks like it will only get better too from the Hepburn Tropo Map & tropo moving inland overnight. Looks light you might be burning the midnight oil at the SDR controls tonight…or tempted too
Enhancement has now expanded into Band III
This is my only other contribution for the night of significance from 4TO. It would not decode any further despite a very good signal. Also Power would not decode anything. Also I could not get any RDS for Childers Rebel Media stations
4AAA now with RDS
The rolling station name is bloody awful too, isn’t it…
Also noticed today that the Sunshine Coast stations have changed their RDS names yet again, they are now:
919seafm
927mixfm
Are they using the one character shift to the left method of Dynamic PS?
No it’s the rotating words, so
98.9FM -
FOR THE
BEST
COUNTRY
Which of course drops out at times meaning you often get the words in the wrong order.
Still, good to see another station get on board the RDS train
Just need Triple Z to switch theirs back on and MBS, 4EB and SBS to get on board and all the Brisbane broadcasters will have it.
The PI code is appropriate though- what a FFFF-ing mess!
That’s what I initially thought.
Better than the highly annoying one char shift scrolling.
The 8 char at a time word method (eg 4AAA) above is just tolerable
in two blocks, but from 3 or (4 as per 4AAA) its distracting in the car, especially
when words jumble due to bit errors as you experience.
They’re trying to cater for all receivers is at the expense of annoying the modern car tuner & receiver owners.
You could trying phoning them up & try to convince them to change to static PS & whilst on the line request them to change PI code to 4989.
Sometimes one can get lucky.
Injection level must not be very high my Digitech radio cant decode it… not even lighting up the RDS logo. Signal is strong too… or it could be my radio doesnt like that PI code and is rejecting it
This. I think.
Can’t recall hearing about receivers rejecting the PI of FFFF code, but anything is possible. No other Qld stations using a PI code of FFFF to compare either.
If a kind soul in Brisbane with a SDR & SDR# software can take a screen snapshot of 4AAA’s MPX spectrum that shows the peak 57kHz value we might have a guess if RDS injection/modulation level might be an issue. High modulation levels & multipath can also impact RDS decoding. Also try weakening signal or try another location.
The Aussie (and NZ) RDS list now lists where known RDS injection levels.
0 - Directory [HOME] The Australian & New Zealand RDS List ,Latest Worksheet Update,LATEST MAJOR EDITING UPDATES,August 15 - November 7, 2023 This sheet includes information gathered by Media Spy users. You are welcome to edit any...
The RDS subcarrier level figures noted with SDR Console differ from SDR#. The later used for comparative purposes for all, otherwise figures become meaningless.
These figures can be useful for DXers.
I noted an error with Hit FM Kalgoorlie’s PI code & have recently corrected that in the above RDS Google Sheet.
Is this of any use?
Have updated the RDS Spreadsheet with as much information as I could for the stations here in Tauranga North Island NZ.
Is this of any use?
Thanks for that @TV.Cynic I’m not familiar with your SDR software, but the 19kHz stereo pilot carrier looks typical around the -23dB level. Whilst the dB level scale interval makes reading levels difficult, it looks like the 57kHz RDS level is very low at -60dB. Typically here in Australia (with SDR#) -42 to -55dB is common. -60dB level would be the lowest I can recall seeing. In your case however the RDS subcarrier is an excellent 25dB above the surrounding MPX freq levels captured at the time. Must have been near silence or quiet audio when captured & very clean signal & quality SDR you have?
Given the above re @Parex11 non RDS decode I could speculate that the low RDS subcarrier level might well be playing a significant part with the non decode. All other measured Brisbane RDS stations (per Aus RDS List) are measured around -43 to -48dB average peak. You might get a RDS decode of 4AAA during pauses in speech or silent periods.
Have updated the RDS Spreadsheet with as much information as I could for the stations here in Tauranga North Island NZ.
Nice work Gordo
Think I only logged Tauranga once from NSW. Keep hopping for another significant NZ SpE opening from Bay of Plenty region. Mt TeAroha (FMers) nearby, due to height & power, get logged over here regularly.
BTW is that your typo or Rhema’s re the FM frequency in the RT?
Thanks for that @TV.Cynic I’m not familiar with your SDR software, but the 19kHz stereo pilot carrier looks typical around the -23dB level. Whilst the dB level scale interval makes reading levels difficult, it looks like the 57kHz RDS level is very low at -60dB. Typically here in Australia (with SDR#) -42 to -55dB is common. -60dB level would be the lowest I can recall seeing. In your case however the RDS subcarrier is an excellent 25dB above the surrounding MPX freq levels captured at the time. Must have been near silence or quiet audio when captured & very clean signal & quality SDR you have?
I looked at the rest of the stations in the area with the software and they are all indeed well above 56kHz. 4AAA had a talk program on at the time of that screen grab. Below is a screen cap with music. followed by other stations in the area: BAY FM, B105 and Nova.