DAB+ signal range - how far from Perth?
The Philistine
measure the range of
the new DAB+ signals emanating from Perth.
Heading out along the Albany Highway, I got to within 80 Km of Williams
before the signal of 'My Perth Digital' had
disappeared. Coming back into Perth along the new highway leaving Bunbury,
I switched on when I drove passed the 80 Km to Perth sign and found a clear
signal.
Mandurah is only 65 Kms from Perth, so it should get a decent
signal I would think. Very important for 6PR 882 fans who don't get good
signal
reception on AM.
I work in the TV-Hi Fi retail sector and many people who inquire about DAB+
radios are keen to know how far the signal travel and what the reception is
like. Obviously, sound quality is an important consideration, and getting a
good signal is essential for any radio, digital or analogue, to produce
audio at optimum quality.
I had been dying to test drive my new Kaiser Baas DAB+ radio in the field.
It didn't disappoint. Operating on 4 AA batteries, I was able to pick up
the signals out to between 80 and 100 Km. Even Perth's analogue FM
stations - which I tested using the same radio - were breaking up at that
distance from the transmission sites in Bickley.
So another selling point for DAB+ is THE RANGE OF THE SIGNAL TRANSMISSIONS
IS IMPRESSIVE, at least as good as FM.
I mentioned 6PR. 6IX is Perth's other main commercial AM-band station on
1080 kHz. The 6IX signal is also not getting to Perth metro's extremities in
Mandurah and Clarkson. They have low-power FM translators to compensate in
those areas, but the DAB+ signals are now covering the outer regions quite
well. AM radio has trouble getting good coverage in the SWAN valley and
surrounding coastal areas because the sandy soils along the coastal strip do
not offer very good ground conductivity. It seems this could be true for
much of WA, although the 1611 kHz and 1629 Khz MF-NAS stations in Albany are
doing pretty well. reaching out beyond 50 Km at 400 Watts.
And there is a new player on the scene too - 1629 kHz in Bussellton is on
the air carrying 3ABN Radio (Christian / Adventist). Furthermore, you can
pick it up in Perth. Still trying to find out more about that one.
So how far does DAB+ reach from your Capital city? Is it reaching Geelong
from Melbourne?
Radio Expert
> So how far does DAB+ reach from your Capital city?
Sydney's DAB+ signals have been reached as far north as Swansea in
Lake Macquarie, just south of Newcastle, and that's just on a portable
with a whip antenna. However, its signal is not very stable.
Gosford, just 1 hour's drive north of Sydney, is quite a tricky spot
to receive DAB+ from Sydney.
I've been getting stable DAB+ signals from Sydney in Wollongong,
particularly in areas close to the water, where there's a good
northerly aspect towards Sydney.
vk3ye
one in the main street - not shopping centre or power centre) and it gave
good reception with two segments of telescopic antenna up.
Reducing it to 1 segment made the signal marginal. I was pleasantly suprised
though didn't compare it to FM.
Due to the digital delay there's a lag between when you attenuate the signal
and when the audio cuts out. I tried to get it to a point where reception
was distorted or noisy but couldn't - it was either there or wasn't. Would
be interesting to hear it in-car especially when analogue reception is
fluttery.
Artie Stevens
signal is there, if no numbers no signal. When you say marginal do you
mean it cuts in and out rather than like AM or FM gets weaker?
Station X
This is so typical of Ham radio people. They are in a world of their
own. Some of the concepts used in broadcasting freak them out. Just
two different schools that's all.
VK3YE, it's not going to sound like FM it's digital info. The decoder
is looking for distinct zeros and ones in the form of packets. When it
gets them you hear the result - sound! There is no in between bare
maybe a few glitches.
As it takes physical time to do this decoding there will be a delay
due to the fact that the audio needs to be reconstructed. This also
gets longer the more compression used in the algorythms that make up
the digital format being used.
Ask any broadcast tech that has tossed the old analogue STL away. Now
all the talent can't listen live off air in the cans.
In short Digital radio will be exactly like your Austar Pay TV. Either
there or not when the storms block the sat. Take out the storms part
for digital radio and insert any reason for actual signal fade!
All good. Cheers
Station X
know there stuff. But it's largely applied for talking long distances.
When they start putting up horizontal dipoles for local coverage on a
broadcast service you know your in trouble.
vk3ye
"Station X" <ad...@stationx.com.au> wrote in message
news:0ef1c7ee-16e2-4aa1...@m25g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
> Sorry LBP. Experience shows Hams are in a different world. Sure they
> know there stuff. But it's largely applied for talking long distances.
Agreed, especially those who use SSB/CW on the HF bands for international or
interstate communication.
But hams who operate 1.8 MHz AM during the day have similar antenna
radiation requirements to broadcast stations with the main difference being
in the implementation. The differences here are that broadcasters require
better standards of reliability, weather protection, power handling,
radiation efficiency, etc but have budgets, space and planning permission to
match.
Whereas LPONs are low power/low budget and have almost identical antenna
requirements to ham AM operators (both need to get the best efficiency from
their low power from limited money/space). But compared to hams, LPON
antennas need better construction quality (as it's set and forget whereas
amateurs tinker and are happy to repair), reliability and lightning
protection. And greater efficiency overall as the public won't listen to a
weak/noisy signal whereas hams will.
> When they start putting up horizontal dipoles for local coverage on a
> broadcast service you know your in trouble.
Yep. But provided some radials are installed, the dipole is at a reasonable
height, the top section if flat and the feedline is straight it's not too
hard to add a top loading coil to form a top loaded vertical suitable for
local groundwave work.
Station X
differences was the point. It's not limited to broadcasting. It also
raises it's head in the commercial comms game too.
◙ FRICKABILITY SCALE = 9.7 MAGNITUDE FRICKTER ◙
radio
for the Perth region. I would imagine that you would get at least 35
stations.
PS. Does anyone know when digital radio is expanding *beyond" the five
mainland capital cities into regional areas + Canberra, Hobart,
Darwin, etc... ?!??!
HOOROO
WALLY
§
On Jan 8, 1:56 pm, "The Philistine" <thephilest...@hotmail.com> wrote:
The Philistine
SBS = 9
other New = 5
existing FM = 4
existing AM = 2
30 stations total
I suspect these other locations, inc Central Coast / Newcastle, Gold Coast,
Wollongong will see a DAB+ roll out this year or early 2011.
"? FRICKABILITY SCALE = 9.7 MAGNITUDE FRICKTER ?" <sgde...@yahoo.ca> wrote
in message
news:9ed07919-bcf1-4301...@j14g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
GlennP
>
> I suspect these other locations, inc Central Coast / Newcastle, Gold
> Coast, Wollongong will see a DAB+ roll out this year or early 2011.
>
>
DRM,DRM+ digital radio will be looked at for use outside the Capital
Metro areas by the ACMA sometime next year, to be rolled out 2012-2014.
DAB+ is not likely to be used anywhere out of the capitals, & really
shouldn't have been used there, it was Commercial Radio Australia's one
sided, one eyed, need for total control, misinformation that got it
chosen & used there.
With the exception of Tasmania, Canberra & Townsville, there is no
spectrum available to transmit DAB+ digital radio, until after the
Analogue TV switch off at the end of 2013.