Radio reception problems in Donegal Town area

odonnellcarey

Does anybody know what's causing the frequent breaks in transmission recently with all major stations in this area. Ocean on 105 is unaffected but everything else seems to get knocked out.

irish1967

RTE installing a new mast. Ocean FM announced breaks in service last week.

odonnellcarey

I thought it must be something like that, but I couldn't find anything about it on RTE, Newstalk or Today FM websites.

Thank God for internet radio!

North_West_Art

stations were out all the way from Sligo to Donegal apparently....

heres a good link http://www.shoutcast.com/

Harps

Yeah they've been dodgy here for the past week or two as well, one minute its fine then suddenly every station is gone

mistermouse

Radio Signals come from 4 sources in South Donegal, Barnesmore, Glencolmcille, Glencoe in Mountcharles and some from Truskmore.
Ocean have a transmitter in Ballyshannon too for the low lying area in town

Highland and RTE would be on Barnesmore, Ocean have sites on Glencoe and Glen and on Truskmore. I think Truskmore relays to the others for Ocean.

Ocean in Truskmore is not on the main Mast (RTE), neither is i-radio if I am correct, so if RTE were working on Truskmore or Barnes, there would be problems with them and the stations on their mast but not with Ocean or I 102.

RTE were to rebuild both the masts and I think Barnes was done some time ago.

These things can also be affected if one of the mobile phone companies need to work on their transmission on a shared mast as everyone on the mast must power down to allow someone work on it.

Now they are doing going to do the Digital network I'd say they are gearing up for that on the masts.

I'd imagine they would only be off periodically over a few days though and RTE usually announce transmission work

Mint Sauce

mistermouse wrote: »

Radio Signals come from 4 sources in South Donegal, Barnesmore, Glencolmcille, Glencoe in Mountcharles and some from Truskmore.
Ocean have a transmitter in Ballyshannon too for the low lying area in town

Highland and RTE would be on Barnesmore, Ocean have sites on Glencoe and Glen and on Truskmore. I think Truskmore relays to the others for Ocean.

Ocean in Truskmore is not on the main Mast (RTE), neither is i-radio if I am correct, so if RTE were working on Truskmore or Barnes, there would be problems with them and the stations on their mast but not with Ocean or I 102.

RTE were to rebuild both the masts and I think Barnes was done some time ago.

These things can also be affected if one of the mobile phone companies need to work on their transmission on a shared mast as everyone on the mast must power down to allow someone work on it.

Now they are doing going to do the Digital network I'd say they are gearing up for that on the masts.

I'd imagine they would only be off periodically over a few days though and RTE usually announce transmission work

+1

work was being done on the Tuskmore transmitter lastweek, heard an announcement on 2fm that services may be affected about 1/2 before they went off, would imagine that would also serve parts of south donegal as well for national radio stations, whole FM frequaency was just static with me in sligo that day.

there does seem to be just bad pockets as well, was at home out side donegal town one day, could get no RTE or todayFM in the house, but could get the BBC radio stations. Could get RTE in the car though in the driveway.

irish1967

I remember an entire pub having to stand outside on the street in Ballyshannon and listen to a county final on car radios cause no radio would pick up Highland Radio in the pub itself.

byte

I'm pretty sure Barnesmore does not transmit Highland or RTÉ radio to end users.

mistermouse

Not sure about RTE from Barnesmore, but asfaik Highland's 104 Frequency is from here, primarily directed at filling some of the south west of their transmission area, its also receiveable on that frequency as far as Bundoran which would be too far from most of their other sites. The North of Donegal is covered by 103.3 which is from transmitters well north of the Gap and Arranmore

Could be wrong though.

Anyway, work on truskmore would be the answer to the original problem.

As for Ballyshannon, parts of the town are very low and that causes problems in the likes of said pub. Usually some sort of infill transmitter is needed

Essexboy

This may explain the problem.

http://www.sligoweekender.ie/tabId/451/itemId/4111/TV-and-radio-blackouts-up-to-New-Year.aspx

implausible

Not just Donegal town, I was wondering what the hell was going on, thanks for the info guys. I heard no announcement on any station about disruption and I've been moving the radio around the kitchen like an eejit:o

My car stereo reception hits a black-spot outside McElhinneys and at McClays corner, but that's constant. Anyone know why?

FREDNISMO

crap reception for ocean fm in my area since they were doing the maintenance work,as well as that there is interferance on Today FM, RTE1 and 2FM its like another radio station trying to cut in.

danniemcq

They were talking about drop in Radio reception on the last word yesterday, i thought it was just isolated blackouts but it seems to happen all over the country. Today Fm said its not their fault but RTE as they carry the signal and that if there were any complaints to text or email the last word. Sent message about my problem and this thread too.


either RTE are messing up or it's independance day and we're f*cked