I have a dumb question that has probably been answered before, but here goes:
Why aren’t the major stations like 0.5Mhz or 0.6Mhz apart rather than 0.8Mhz (eg 101.9 Fox and next 102.7 3RRR) if they only need 0.4Mhz (I assume some buffer is necessary), given we keep running out of frequencies for AM conversions? Is it not a better of use of spectrum?
It can be a hardware limitation of the combiner on the transmission site. Most of the RFS combiners used in Australia have a minimum spacing of 800khz. So, as a rule of thumb, stations in the same LAP get spaced at least 800khz apart.
That’s my understanding, at least…
No, if the centre frequency is 89.3, the channel is effectively 89.2 to 89.4.
So i know SWR is on 99.9 and HHH 100.1, dont get bad cochannelling unless you park next to the HHH transmitter. There are parts in Hornsby where one might only be a few 100 metres away from the transmitter and get a clean SWR 99.9 stereo signal.
0.8 separation is the ideal to allow for adjacent markets to have a station half way in between or 0.4 away. If there was a 0.6 separation (or less) there would be no even frequency available for adjacent markets. So in overlap areas, stations are 0.4 apart. That also allows for the next most distant market to be half way in between the 0.8 and 0.4 separated stations.
Poorer quality radios, particularly those with analogue tuning, struggle with stations spaced more closely together.
The spaces are used for stations in adjacent markets. With the 800 kHz spacing, the ACMA have four groups of frequency allocations, giving each area 25 frequencies. Take the area around Sydney for example:
@tvcl, where’s the table from? I like it.
Awesome explanation. Presumably that means there is an ACMA allocation for every licence area (eg Sale is Area 4), although I’ve never seen it on their website.
How does it work with stations like 97.4 3WRB which does not fit in one of the areas (on the basis that the frequency ends in an even number)? Or does that fall into “there is an exception to ever rule” category?
Yes, I think 97.4 is a combination of 3BBB Ballarat previously being on 97.5 (now 99.9) and to minimise interference to/from 97.1 3MDR and 97.7 3SER.
Nowhere – I made it just now specifically for the post to explain the 800 kHz spacing.
Most major RAs seem to generally follow one of the four groupings. In bandwidth-constrained areas, however (e.g. SEQ, Sydney and surrounds), there are more exceptions to the groupings, especially the lower-powered services. For example, many of the sub-metro community stations don’t following the 800 kHz groupings as there simply aren’t enough frequencies available without using other groupings’ frequencies.
Wonderful! Appreciate the effort. Is there a way we can bookmark this to the sub forum page: Radio, Print, and Online - Media Spy to refer to it?
Can anyone explain what’s happening to Mudgee community radio station Classic Gold 87.6FM?
It seems they’ve changed their name to Classic Gold 2UW and their website is now www.2uw.com.au with their logo saying 2UW Sydney.
Did they purchase The New 2UW?
No they didn’t buy the new2uw.com, they (Noise FM) trademarked 2UW though recently & are currently under legal action about it, because it’s used by The New 2UW.
Apparently Noise FM trademarked a lot of former radio station callsigns also.
Hilarious, waste of money to litigate over crumbs.
All this for a tiny narrowcast station. What heritage does 2UW have in Mudgee?
what’s with these regional stations taking on old Sydney call-signs?
If Mudgee was “Upper Western” then it’d mean something. But it’s not.
I’d say they just want to use it as a block for others.
KLFM Bendigo has the callsign of 3EON which was an old Melbourne callsign (EON FM now Triple M).
They are not a community station. It’s a narrowcast license.
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