Random Radio

[webguy]

Some stations, particularly some of Grant’s smaller stations suffer a lot because their stream is sent out from the station on a pretty poor internet connection.

Also, not all stations streaming at the quality they say they are.
There are 2 steps in the streaming process:

1. Station to streaming server (uplink) - similar to the concept of transmitting the signal to a transmission tower.
2. Streaming server to end user (downlink) - similar to turning in on a radio.

The streaming server is centralized somewhere and will usually run the stream for all stations in the network. Some are privately run (usually the bigger networks) while others are commercial services (for example, Via Streaming is a popular choice).

These streaming servers will generally be configured to have one setting (or a couple of settings) for all stations they provide streaming for. 128kbps is probably the most common, but 192, 80, 64 and 32 are also common. SCA for example have 128kbps for use on Wifi/Wired networks and 32kbps for use on mobile networks.

The real quality issue is in the uplink from the station to the streaming server is where the main quality issue lies. Obviously there’s no problem with the bigger stations, but 128kbps upload in a small regional town on an ADSL connection that’s also used for other things is pushing it and will cause the stream to become unreliable. (Some uplinks will be variable, so can provide a higher bitrate, but then drop the bitrate when there’s congestion to ensure at least something gets out).

So imagine a station that has chosen to use a lower uplink bitrate to get that stability, say 32kbps. When you stream at 128kbps, you technically are getting 128kbps, but it’s just 128kbps worth of the low quality and artefacts that come from the low quality uplink. Basically the same as if an FM station decided to play a 32kbps MP3.

There can also be problems with how the raw audio is actually captured. Most of the bigger stations to uplink directly from their playout system - so the audio is the best possible quality. But, I have a feeling that some stations (maybe smaller, older stations with less audio outputs) are running their streams off air - which obviously can cause interferance issues at times.

I believe some of these issues are why the SCA streams came online slowly - they obviously wanted to make sure they were actually going to provide a good service. Grant’s on the other hand rolled out all their stream at once and very quickly, so obviously not everywhere had the ideal infrastructure in place.

[tvcl]

I thought I’d map the distribution of the number of stations on each AM and FM frequency.

AM:

Is there a reason why 909 kHz isn’t allocated in Australia?

FM:

This chart has 200 kHz resolution, so the few stations ending in an even frequency is rounded up (e.g. 103.2 => 103.3).

Bonus – DTV frequencies:

[Radiohead]

I think there’s some international agreement that 909 khz doesn’t get used… Though oddly Britain uses it.

And that similarly, 1584 is to be low powered.

[Mechsta]

@Radiohead

I think there’s some international agreement that 909 khz doesn’t get used… Though oddly Britain uses it.

It’s used in New Zealand too for the Radio NZ AM Network in Napier. 909 is also used by some super powerful stations(500kw) in China that can be heard here at night sometimes.

[Karen_Cee]

At work this week we were going to listen to 101FM but could only get crappy reception so we’re stuck with 97.3 instead

[RFBurns]

@tvcl

Is there a reason why 909 kHz isn’t allocated in Australia?

I’m not sure why it’s used elsewhere, though it’s not as significant now, or really an issue with new (modern) radio receivers, & could be used here too?

The reason it’s not used, without being too technical is, it’s to do with the IF amplifier in a superheterodyne receiver.

Way back, it was decided by the Australian PMG, that our radio receivers would match what the USA was doing, & have the IF amplifier set at 455KHz, unfortunately this would cause a re-radiation signal (image) & a heterodyne “whistle” on the second harmonic frequency of the IF, which happened to be 910KHz.

Most modern radio receivers have other things in them to help stop the issue.
Also to make it easier for a receiver to be switched between 9KHz & 10Kz spacing, the norm IF is now 450KHz, which puts the second harmonic “image” on 900KHz, not 910KHz (909KHz).

[crankymedia]

The AM and DTV freqs don’t enlarge at my end unfortunately. Working for you and others?

[Radiohead]

I thought they were earlier this week when they were first posted, but no, only the FM one expands now.

[tvcl]

Retrying to upload them. See if this works:

[dxnerd]

I can now reveal that I’ve spent the past week in Victoria, with a short drive up the Newell to Dubbo and across to Coffs Harbour for the weekend. Rather than scatter my observations across a number of threads I thought I’d summarise them here.

Sun 15/10:

Visited Leigh VK2KRR at The Rock NSW. This guy is a hard-core 2m ham operator with several long distance tropo records to his name. He has recently been dabbling in FM DX and has stuck a vertical Matchmaster FM-8 on one of his lattice towers. Thanks to a fantastic takeoff to the west, troposcatter from 89.3 MHz Horsham and 95.7 MHz Nhill was heard despite the very flat conditions.

Mon 16/10:

Drove across to Bendigo VIC, a city which is spoilt for choice in community radio. Phoenix FM on 106.7 MHz is a typical rural style community station. KL FM on 96.5 MHz caters for the old-timers. Fresh FM on 101.5 MHz is the best listen, playing a wide variety of mostly classic hits from the 70s-90s, though it sounds very commercial. The Gold repeater on 98.3 MHz doesn’t get out that well. I visited Lake Eppalock, 20 km to the east, in the late afternoon; Melbourne DAB+ was received at stable levels on the Sangean DPR-34 (you had to find the right spot, though). Here 105.1 MHz and 106.7 MHz were a mix of the Bendigo city outlets and MMM/PBS.

Tues 17/10:

Went up to Bendigo’s One Tree Hill lookout where 97.9 MHz MMM Mildura was received very well (video to follow). I also caught 100.9 MHz NewsRadio Deniliquin with an error message; they had obviously lost the feed. I then headed south to Maldon where I happened upon Mount Tarrengower: a fantastic location for DXing. I was able to receive as far south as Mount Gambier from this lofty peak. I then hopped across to Mount Alexander, the major FM broadcast site for Central Victoria. My car radio handled the blowtorches in an exemplary manner: I was able to receive 89.3 MHz Horsham right next to the local 89.5 MHz! Smooth on 91.5 MHz was easily resolved next to 91.1/91.9 MHz.

Weds 18/10:

After driving to Yarra Glen the previous afternoon, the day was spent seeking refuge from the heat in the cool temperate rainforest of the Yarra Ranges. First was a nice drive to Mount Donna Buang (1250 m ASL) via the windy, unsealed Healesville approach. On the southern slopes of the mountain, I was able to receive 91.3 MHz Lileah TAS and 101.7 MHz Burnie TAS at fairly good levels despite the flat tropo conditions. There was nothing outstanding received from the peak, however, I noted a mystery station on 90.9 MHz relaying Question Time. This turned out to be SBS Morwell which was erroneously relaying ABC TV (promos heard): a new one for me! I then went down the hill to Warburton and the Upper Yarra Reservoir where a strong ABC tx was noted on 96.1 MHz. This is a new transmitter at Warburton which was granted in order to give the area better coverage in times of bushfire. I heard it mixing with ABCFM Shepparton around Romsey the previous afternoon but didn’t know what it was at the time.
Lake Mountain (1433 m ASL) was also visited but nothing outstanding was heard from here.

Fri 20/10:

After spending Thursday running errands around Melbourne, I set off up the Newell to Parkes NSW. Unfortunately the DX was completely flat after a SW change moved through the previous evening. I was amazed at the coverage of 95.3 MHz Shepparton, though, which almost made it to West Wyalong. West Wyalong’s TCBL, Gold 94.5, gets out well towards Parkes/Dubbo but the coverage isn’t great towards Ardlethan (I was still getting JJJ Shepparton about 40 km out of WW).

Sat 21/10:

Cut across from Parkes to Coffs Harbour via Dubbo, Coolah, Tamworth, and Armidale. Peak Hill 89.5 MHz is still on the air despite the website vanishing from the interwebs. Dubbo’s TCBL, DC 88.9 MHz, is on the air. The coverage is good towards Parkes but drops off pretty quickly heading towards Dunedoo. Three Rivers Radio at Coolah/Dunedoo, another station without a website, gets out very well on 95.3 MHz (the Dunedoo repeater on 96.1 MHz isn’t too shabby, either). There wasn’t any DX about other than at Dorrigo in the late afternoon where I had 4RIM Boonah in the clear on 100.1 MHz and presumed 4DDB Toowoomba with racing on 102.7 MHz. Warwick and Brisbane FM were well received as usual.

Sun 22/10:

Spent a leisurely day in Coffs Harbour. FM DX was flat due to an unseasonably cool southerly wind. MW DX was tried in the evening with 1570 kHz KUAU Hawaii thumping in from Woolgoolga headland; the best I’ve ever heard it. 1580 kHz was a mix of KBLA Santa Monica CA and suspected XERF Ciudad Acuña Mexico.

Mon 23/10:

Pack up day. Being a glutton for punishment I went home the long way, back through Armidale and down the New England Highway, to avoid the horrendous Sydney traffic in the evening. The only notable catch of the day was a pirate on 89.6 MHz, heard well from Griffiths Lookout at Dorrigo, airing talk programming which was not parallel with any other station. I suspect it was from the Nambucca Heads area, or from one of the enclosed valleys out from Bellingen and Thora.

[TelevisionAU]

@dxnerd

Fresh FM on 101.5 MHz

They used to be 89.5? What happened?

[TV-Expert]

@dxnerd

Fresh FM on 101.5 MHz

@TelevisionAU

They used to be 89.5? What happened?

From Radioinfo back in September 2008:

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that the licensee of Fresh 89.5 FM, Goldfields Community Radio Cooperative Limited, breached conditions of its licence by failing to continue to represent the Bendigo community and by not encouraging members of that community to participate in the operations of the service.

[SouthCoastTV]

I was listening to 2ST whilst down in the Shoalhaven earlier this afternoon and the station aired an ident which went along the lines of, “2ST’s Top-20 retro countdown. Playing classic hits that were great moments in history”. The song that came on immediately after the ident was…“Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer. Talk about massive irony…

[TV-Expert]

@SouthCoastTV

I was listening to 2ST whilst down in the Shoalhaven earlier this afternoon and the station aired an ident which went along the lines of, “2ST’s Top-20 retro countdown. Playing classic hits that were great moments in history”. The song that came on immediately after the ident was…“Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer. Talk about massive irony…

That is the “20-20 Retro Countdown” program, which airs on Grant’s adult music stations, including 2ST, 2EC, 2NM, Bay 93.9, 3BA, Gold Central Victoria, River 1467, River 94.9, Zinc 96, 4BU, 4CC, 4RO, 4MK, 4CA, 7HO, LAFM, 7AD, 7BU, 7SD, 7XS, 5MU, 5RM, 5CS, 5AU & 5CC.

Despite being skewing towards a more adult audience compared to its local higher-rating rival, Wave FM doesn’t take the program because the station is more in line with its CHR/Hot AC stations such as Power FM, and apparently doesn’t want to spend an hour where they don’t play a new track, hence why their “Flashback Lunch” was dropped late last year.

[hemi340]

I have spent a week up in Mudgee and have been listening to Real Fm. They have a great mix of rock and pop music from the 80’s to Now and their no repeat workday. This how regional Hot Contemporary/ CHR radio stations should sound. SCA regional Hit Music stations and ACE CHR stations need to have a listen to these type of country radio stations as they only seem to cater for the bigger city’s with 4 or more radio stations.

[TV.Cynic]

A fake car radio screen seen in a US TV show - complete with even numbered frequency and fake pre-set frequencies

Not sure why they seem to go to this trouble.

[Radiohead]

I think American spec radios will only tune to ODD numbered frequencies ie.those ending in .1, .3, .5, .7 and .9.

An Insignia HD Radio that I bought in Hawaii last year does this and Jeremy Clarkson made the same complaint about a US Ford Mustang on “Top Gear” and demonstrated this by tuning the radio from 94.1 to 94.3 and 94.5 (since they use the even numbered frequencies in the UK).

AND I’ve never seen a radio be able to tune to 109.3.

So there’s a couple of “movie mistakes” they’ve made.

[RFBurns]

It’s all just made up, so no one get free advertising, & no one can complain they were left out, or were put on a lower preset than anyone else.

WYHN doesn’t exist either, there’s a WHYN station in the US though.

If a station paid for product placement in the TV show/movie, then their details would be real on the radio display.

It depends where this was set, 97.9, 103.7 & 105.5 are real station frequencies, & they may have paid to be listed?
They wouldn’t be in the same area, but maybe in adjoining or close areas frequently traveled between like Los Angeles & San Diego? 2 are an LA frequency & 1 is a SD frequency.

JBL, HD)Radio & Sirius XM Radio made have paid product placement, so it’d be a real radio receiver & the Blue part of the screen would just be a fake CGI overlay.

[AustralianAerial]

@Radiohead

So there’s a couple of “movie mistakes” they’ve made.

This is done deliberately, from my understanding