Tropo- Friend or Foe?

[Moasaica]

I'm currently getting SBS analogue on a frequency just above UHF 31, I assume it's UHF 34, because if I tune into SBS Digital I can't get a thing, but tuned into any other digital service, I can get SBS analogue.

How can I be picking up SBS digital and SBS analogue at the same time on the same frequency?

EDIT: Also got CBN38, CTC37, ABC51

The SBS analogue service that you picked up, just above UHF-31, would be SBS from Brokers Nose, which the TV translator is located just north of Wollongong CBD. It's a low-powered 5kW UHF service, and broadcasts on UHF-32.

And good to see that you're getting the Illawarra digital TV services in Beecroft. Pity that you didn't get WIN.

[digitalj]

The SBS analogue service that you picked up, just above UHF-31, would be SBS from Brokers Nose, which the TV translator is located just north of Wollongong CBD. It's a low-powered 5kW UHF service, and broadcasts on UHF-32.

And good to see that you're getting the Illawarra digital TV services in Beecroft. Pity that you didn't get WIN.

JUst got WIN as well.

[ibanez5]

A lot of tropo activity atm. Getting FM between Sydney and Coffs Harbour.

[Moasaica]

I'm currently getting NBN analogue from Newcastle.

No audio, just a snowy black & white picture.

[ibanez5]

I'm currently getting NBN analogue from Newcastle.

No audio, just a snowy black & white picture.

My catches include:

NRN11 Mt. Moombil (Snow, B&W but with audio)

SBS28 Mt. Moombil co-channel interfering with itself from Gore Hill, Sydney

NEN31 Mt. Moombil with chronic co-channel interference from TSN31 Gore Hill, Sydney but with colour on NEN31

NBN34 Mt. Moombil (Snow, B&W but audio at times)

ABHN48 Mt. Sugarloaf (colour)

NEN54 Mt. Sugarloaf (colour)

NRN57 Mt. Sugarloaf (colour)

I was also able to lock onto PRIME digital channels NEN30 from Mt. Moombil and NEN53 from Mt. Sugarloaf.

Some of my FM cathes were:

2CHY 104.1 Coffs Harbour, later overpowered by 2Day 104.1

Star FM 105.5 Coffs Harbour

Star FM 105.1 Kempsey

Star FM 104.5 Gosford

2CFS 106.3 Coffs Harbour

2MC 106.7 Kempsey

The tropo started in the northbut has moved to the south. AS I type, TSN31 has overpowered NEN31 and getting colour pics at times.

EDIT: all are fading out now

EDIT2: Moombil digital channels came back and was able to scan in all Mt. Moombil Digital channels on the STB and PC. Was also able to get TSReader readouts. Was even able to scan in PRIME digital from Mt. Moombil on the spare telle and STB in the garage with a pair of rabbit ears The Moombil digital channels seem to have faded out now. Its all happening

[Moasaica]

I'm getting a bit of Prime & SC Ten from Newcastle on analogue.

I'm also getting SBS, ABC & SC Ten from Wollongong, off the back of my UHF antenna (which is pointed towards Sydney), but strangely, I couldn't get Prime. I do understand that I don't get WIN, as they transmit from a lower transmitter than the other TV stations in Knights Hill.

Still from Knights Hill, I'm getting the Illawarra FM stations clearer than usual. I even got Wave FM & Power FM through my bedroom radio, which I don't usually get on that radio. I also got i98FM, but not as clear as Wave FM & Power FM.

I also get 2GO quite strongly on my bedroom radio, which I usually get weakly through it. Star 104.5 also came through.

[ibanez5]

I'm getting a bit of Prime & SC Ten from Newcastle on analogue.

I'm also getting SBS, ABC & SC Ten from Wollongong, off the back of my UHF antenna (which is pointed towards Sydney), but strangely, I couldn't get Prime. I do understand that I don't get WIN, as they transmit from a lower transmitter than the other TV stations in Knights Hill.

I have my antenna pointing north at Middle Brother for my TV. The Mt. Sugarloaf channels come in from the south and off the back of my antenna while the Mt. Moombil channels come in from the north and hence the front of the antenna. This is why I'm able to Dx Mt. Moombil more often than Mt. Sugarloaf despite Mt. Moombil being further away and having less power than Mt. Sugarloaf.

[billybob_chider]

Yep, some strong coastal tropo from my location last night. It seems that the gods have performed CPR and brought tropo back to life .

Not that spectacular, but the Central Coast community stations (2SNR,Rhema,94.1 and 2CCC) were booming in last night. Normally in tropo, I can't get Rhema 94.9 due to the strength of Power FM, but this time it was belting over the top in one particular position. Also got Port Stephens FM over BFM on 100.9. BAB was also in at times, although it suffered adjacent channel i/f from ABC Local Radio Gosford on 92.5.

Happy Dxing.

[BlueDusk]

Getting SC Ten from Newcastle atm with the indoor aerial. Interesting watching the SC Ten Wollongong and Newcastle news bulletins side by side...

[ibanez5]

Theres a bit of tropo activity atm with JJJ from Mt. Moombil coming in and as I type there is a bit of a turf war for the 104.1Mhz spot between 2DAY Sydney and 2CHY Coffs Harbour.

[billybob_chider]

Good inland tropo last evening, got overpowering signals of the Mt. Ulandra nationals (88.3,89.1,89.9,90.7). Also got 2WZD Wagga at record strength. Watch out for some good tropo this week with a slow moving high pressure system and warm/hot weather. Coastal tropo (to Newcastle) should develop pretty soon.

[Moasaica]

Good inland tropo last evening, got overpowering signals of the Mt. Ulandra nationals (88.3,89.1,89.9,90.7). Also got 2WZD Wagga at record strength. Watch out for some good tropo this week with a slow moving high pressure system and warm/hot weather.

Near the centre of Campbelltown yesterday, I got a bit of 105.9 Star FM & 106.7 2KY from Orange. Couldn't get 105.1 2GZ-FM, as it got severely splattered by MMM (104.9). 99.3 is dominated by 2NSB from Chatswood.

Coastal tropo (to Newcastle) should develop pretty soon.

According to this, looks like "tonight's the night", as the Rod Stewart song goes.

[mgaleano]

Near the centre of Campbelltown yesterday, I got a bit of 105.9 Star FM & 106.7 2KY from Orange. Couldn't get 105.1 2GZ-FM, as it got severely splattered by MMM (104.9). 99.3 is dominated by 2NSB from Chatswood.

According to this, looks like "tonight's the night", as the Rod Stewart song goes.

The pink areas would be interesting to be in. I wonder what they would get in NW Wa. Does that mean they stations that are not necessarily in the pink zone as well? For example if Melbourne and Sydney both were pink there is a chance you could receive stations from both areas, in contrast to just one city being in pink it would be less likely.

[billybob_chider]

The pink areas would be interesting to be in. I wonder what they would get in NW Wa. Does that mean they stations that are not necessarily in the pink zone as well? For example if Melbourne and Sydney both were pink there is a chance you could receive stations from both areas, in contrast to just one city being in pink it would be less likely.

NW WA is in the tropics. Thus, they receive Trans Equatorial Propagation (TEP) on a daily basis,perhaps to Indonesia or even the Phillipines. Combined with summer conditions, the TEP would be strong (pink). Only on very rare occasions do ducts get strong in the temperate zone. Even the duct which allowed reception of Auckland from Oatley on NYE 2005-06 was in the green zone (moderate).

For the signal to get through, the duct must be uninterrupted. Thus, if only one city was in pink, the duct would not propagate the signal to the other city.The aforementioned Auckland duct was a result of a broad area of good tropo conditions across the whole of the Tasman. Thus, if Syd and Mel were 'connected' by a line of strong tropo, good radios may get a signal. But the terrain between the two cities, plus Mel's transmission restrictions to the NE, make this nigh on impossible in reality. Areas that experience strong ducting in AU include:

* Albany-Adelaide (across GAB)

* Tasmania-Victoria (across Bass Strait)

* Darwin-Indonesia (TEP, across the Timor Sea)

These are the main three paths. All are across long bodies of water. Most of the east coast ducting (i.e. between Sydney and the North Coast) is quite localised and moderate in strength. Terrain and weather are the key ingredients for tropo ducting.

[matt86]

Near the centre of Campbelltown yesterday, I got a bit of 105.9 Star FM & 106.7 2KY from Orange. Couldn't get 105.1 2GZ-FM, as it got severely splattered by MMM (104.9). 99.3 is dominated by 2NSB from Chatswood.

I get these stations very faintly at home on nearly a permanent basis, a bit of tropo usually helps. Same deal with GZ, constantly splattered by MMM - I can only get it during strong tropo.

According to this, looks like "tonight's the night", as the Rod Stewart song goes.

Path looks good for some MNC DXs. Maybe Port Macquarie/Manning River broadcasts

[Moasaica]

This morning, between 10:30 & 11am, whilst being driven around Cabramatta, I could get 93.5 Eagle FM from Goulburn, which had slight interference with 93.7 Koori Radio.

[billybob_chider]

This morning, between 10:30 & 11am, whilst being driven around Cabramatta, I could get 93.5 Eagle FM from Goulburn, which had slight interference with 93.7 Koori Radio.

Got Eagle FM booming in from my place between 7 am-11 am, as well as BAB,Batemans Bay nationals and Mix 106.3/NewsRadio 103.9 Canberra. A bit of JJJ 90.7 from Ulandra as well. On my parents Holden Astra (now) I can get JJJ 102.3 from Mt. Cenn-Cruaich as well as a bit of Canberra, most notably SBS on 105.5.

Tropo is alive and well in Sydney town .

[mechsta]

Got Eagle FM booming in from my place between 7 am-11 am, as well as BAB,Batemans Bay nationals and Mix 106.3/NewsRadio 103.9 Canberra. A bit of JJJ 90.7 from Ulandra as well. On my parents Holden Astra (now) I can get JJJ 102.3 from Mt. Cenn-Cruaich as well as a bit of Canberra, most notably SBS on 105.5.

Tropo is alive and well in Sydney town .

I had Mt. Cenn Cruaich as well. The 107.9 transmission from there wiped out 107.9 from Lithgow. Now if only there weren't any digital TV transmissions in Sydney on Ch 6 and Ch 11, we would stand a very good chance of picking up CBN6 and ABQN11 from Cenn Cruiach. Heck, if there was no digital Ch 12 in Sydney, we could well be able to pick up the digital ABQN12 service as well.

[matt86]

Ditto Eagle FM the other day, very strong I could even hear it faintly on the indoor stereo.

Have also picked up Arabic sounding broadcast on 94.0 regularly last few nights although I dont think its a DX

[billybob_chider]

Have also picked up Arabic sounding broadcast on 94.0 regularly last few nights although I dont think its a DX

Finally someone else has picked this tx up. I thought I must have gone crazy . From what I've heard, the station is definitely pirate. It's broadcast hours are sporadic. There's also a Hindi station on 90.8 that is very faint at my location. 94.0, whatever it is, booms in. Sometimes, they have a weird, repetitive chant that goes on for hours . It's along the lines of:

'Salo melaki a merium.." and another phrase (def. Arabic).

Very strange indeed.

[datvman]

While on a casual drive thru Stafford, I received 97.9 4WK FM translator from Dalby. Not bad from a 600w stick.

[billybob_chider]

Nice Central/South QLD E's opening from 1100-1245 this morning. Stations received were:

90.7 Crow FM Murgon

90.7 Classic FM Emerald

91.1 Hot FM Maroochydore

91.9 Sea FM Maroochydore

92.7 Mix FM Maroochydore

93.1 Radio National Airlie Beach or Herberton (very small txs!)

93.3 SBS Brisbane

Couldn't get others i.e. 93.9, 94.7 Emerald due to i/f from local stations.

[Rock in stereo]

Howdy folks

Here in stinking hot Brisbane, got 93.9 today. I have a sneaking suspicion it was E-skip, esp. since I have never heard of it. Normally on 93.9 I get Hitz-FM Bundaberg. This was obliterating their (usually faint) signal. This station was definitely Christian. The ACMA PDF file (Radio 4) has not given me any help with identifying this one. Maybe 93.9 Riverland Life FM South Australia? Doubtful I think.

Pity the cricket is on tonight otherwise I'd be having a good look around the dial once the sun goes down.

DATVMAN... Nice work there on the Toowoomba translators. I think Triple J would blow any chance of picking up that signal away in my car (JJJ GC on 97.7).

Cheers

Leigh

PS. Thanks for the Myspace link, Billy Bob Chider. I'll have a detailed glance later on. Station list looks interesting.

Edited January 19, 2007 by Rock in stereo

[billybob_chider]

Here in stinking hot Brisbane, got 93.9 today. I have a sneaking suspicion it was E-skip, esp. since I have never heard of it. Normally on 93.9 I get Hitz-FM Bundaberg. This was obliterating their (usually faint) signal. This station was definitely Christian. The ACMA PDF file (Radio 4) has not given me any help with identifying this one. Maybe 93.9 Riverland Life FM South Australia? Doubtful I think.

93.9 from Renmark is certainly a possibility. The SA-Brisbane path is a common one from what I've seen. Datvman received 93.1 Magic FM Berri on an E-skip once.

Pity the cricket is on tonight otherwise I'd be having a good look around the dial once the sun goes down.

Don't worry, it'll be over before you rejoin it after ACA .

PS. Thanks for the Myspace link, Billy Bob Chider. I'll have a detailed glance later on. Station list looks interesting.

No worries. I've already added today's e-skip to the page.

[matt86]

Finally someone else has picked this tx up. I thought I must have gone crazy . From what I've heard, the station is definitely pirate. It's broadcast hours are sporadic. There's also a Hindi station on 90.8 that is very faint at my location. 94.0, whatever it is, booms in. Sometimes, they have a weird, repetitive chant that goes on for hours . It's along the lines of:

'Salo melaki a merium.." and another phrase (def. Arabic).

Very strange indeed.

I also heard it a week before Christmas in Campbelltown one day. At home it was enough to take out 94.1 Gosford which normally comes in OK. Whatever it is its widespread.

I didnt listen for too long as you heard, the content is not very inviting