Newstalk reception

conorh91

Sorry if this has been asked before.

How common is bad Newstalk reception?

I have very weak coverage on my drive into town (south Dublin city) and when walking around town (esp. Quays, Nassau Street and Grafton Street). When I'm driving outside of Dublin, forgetaboutit.

This is the old-fashioned FM radio on my phone and car obviously.

I would love to move the dial for longer periods in the day, but when you're just getting weak signal (or no signal at all), it's hard to stay loyal.

Somedays I'll literally be walking by Newstalk Towers and won't be able to pick it up. I know they obviously don't have an antenna there, it just strikes me that they must be aware of this problem themselves??

wandatowell

Dodgy reception from Newstalk down in East Cork also.

Infoanon

conorh91 wrote: »

Sorry if this has been asked before.

How common is bad Newstalk reception?

I have very weak coverage on my drive into town (south Dublin city) and when walking around town (esp. Quays, Nassau Street and Grafton Street). When I'm driving outside of Dublin, forgetaboutit.

This is the old-fashioned FM radio on my phone and car obviously.

I would love to move the dial for longer periods in the day, but when you're just getting weak signal (or no signal at all), it's hard to stay loyal.

Somedays I'll literally be walking by Newstalk Towers and won't be able to pick it up. I know they obviously don't have an antenna there, it just strikes me that they must be aware of this problem themselves??

Are you tuned to 107.6 ? Thats the only explanation I can think of for poor reception in Dublin city,

Newstalk on 106.0 is 10kw from 3 Rock giving it a crystal clear signal across Dublin.

jimmyw

Ah jeez, tell me about it, its the one national station that has poor reception for me in the south east.When I am out and about with my headphones on, I have to twist and turn myself to try and get better reception to hear an item that I am listening to.I also have to switch between either 107.2 and 107.6 frequencies to try to get it right.

its a national station, it should be loud and clear.

Joe D comes out at me very well......:D

Harry Angstrom

For a so-called "national" station, their reception is pathetic. I can pick up any station I want on my mobile phone radio, apart from Newstalk. It doesn't even register.

spygirl

Have to agree, try to listen on my morning commute through city centre but the signal is not reliable. Always happens when it's a topic I am really interested in listening to as well

Poochie05

Yes, driving from Waterford to Cork it can be really frustrating.

Also seems to be at different volumes on different frequencies.

One minute you're hearing it all fine, then you need to raise volume as frequency changes, then lower it again as it changes back.
Find Today FM like that in relation to volume changing in the South East, but at least reception is better.

Dom Phil Cobe

People seem to have forgotten that newstalk is not an national station but a quasi- ntational station

marno21

Newstalk reception issues should be reported by people living in Lahinch & Ballyferriter; not in Dublin. 106.0 in Dublin should technically be the strongest station of them all as it won't suffer multipath interference from buildings etc as its a mono signal.

Check your radio and make sure it's tuned to 106.0 else its your equipment

East Cork shouldn't be too bad either; down SE Cork reception should be ok on 107.6 from Dungarvan, 107.8 from the city or 107.4 from Mullaghanish. North East Cork has 107.0 near Mallow; 107.4 Mullaghanish and Fermoy.

Jakey Rolling

Anyone know if there has been a change to transmitter power levels or frequencies recently?
I can usually tune in to either 107.2, 107.4 or 107.6 though none of them are particularly strong signals

Have started to experience fading and echoing in the area between Cahir and Mitchelstown the last few weeks (not to mention locking on to a transmission from a church in Cahir!). It's becoming impossible to maintain a stable signal for any length of time.

carlowmanken

I travel from Carlow to Portlaoise regularly, and the reception along that route is now awful. I'm hearing the echo as well.
And a few times I've heard the sound being replaced my a mass from a church - but the station name on RDS stays as "Newstalk"

marno21

carlowmanken wrote: »

I travel from Carlow to Portlaoise regularly, and the reception along that route is now awful. I'm hearing the echo as well.
And a few times I've heard the sound being replaced my a mass from a church - but the station name on RDS stays as "Newstalk"

Church likely isn't broadcasting RDS signal so the NEWSTALK RDS will stay on your screen depending on the radio.

Odyssey 2005

It's pure Crap in south kk. Comes and goes,and that's in the house. Have to listen on an Internet radio. Most times can't be bothered tuning in. Reported it to them but heard nothing. It's been like that for years...Very disappointed.

Harry Palmr

Jakey Rolling wrote: »

Anyone know if there has been a change to transmitter power levels or frequencies recently?
I can usually tune in to either 107.2, 107.4 or 107.6 though none of them are particularly strong signals

Have started to experience fading and echoing in the area between Cahir and Mitchelstown the last few weeks (not to mention locking on to a transmission from a church in Cahir!). It's becoming impossible to maintain a stable signal for any length of time.

Noticed that myself when on the N24 from Cahir to Clonmel.

marno21

Newstalk have a transmitter on 107.4 in Clonmel. However there is also a transmitter on 107.4 in Fermoy, and from Mullaghanish on the Cork/Kerry border. Around Clonmel 107.4 should be rock solid however in fringe areas you often have two transmitters cutting in on each other. This is very evident on the N20 between Limerick and Cork as there is a transmitter near Mallow on 107.0 and the main one for Limerick city and county is also on 107.0.

HamsterFace

I'm in Dublin 16 and often can't get it in the morning, can just pick up bloody sunshine fm in its place...

Jakey Rolling

marno21 wrote:

Church likely isn't broadcasting RDS signal so the NEWSTALK RDS will stay on your screen depending on the radio.

Do the churches have a license to broadcast on FM? Seems well dodgy that they can be allowed to jam a commercial station.

marno21

HamsterFace wrote: »

I'm in Dublin 16 and often can't get it in the morning, can just pick up bloody sunshine fm in its place...

Should have no issue with Newstalk on 106.0 in Dublin 16. Perhaps your radio isn't upto the job

Jakey Rolling wrote: »

Do the churches have a license to broadcast on FM? Seems well dodgy that they can be allowed to jam a commercial station.

No. But seeing as there would be uproar if they were taken off air they are left alone.

HamsterFace

marno21 wrote:

Should have no issue with Newstalk on 106.0 in Dublin 16. Perhaps your radio isn't upto the job

It's just morning times, all I can pick up is sunshine around the 106

former total

HamsterFace wrote: »

I'm in Dublin 16 and often can't get it in the morning, can just pick up bloody sunshine fm in its place...

Sunshine is 106.8 though?

Maybe check your tuner

carlowmanken

I just had a look on twitter, there seems to be a lot having similar problems, so its not my radio.

mattser

Pretentious shower in there anyway. Can't stand them.

Kensington

Was down in Waterford recently and the reception was dreadful.

107.2 was coming in grand.
107.4 had constant "pops" and crackling.

Unfortunately the radio seemed to prefer 107.2 and I had no sooner manually tuned to 107.2 and the AF would auto-switch itself back to 107.4.

carlowmanken

I'm still hearing an echo. Its dreadfull!

carlowmanken

For the past couple of months their RDS name is showing random letters half the time, it changes every few seconds. Its doing that on my kitchen radio, car and my missus car, my kitchen radio is showing all the signal bars.
Then the car radio starts beeping and jumps to Lyric!!!!!

Antenna

carlowmanken wrote: »

For the past couple of months their RDS name is showing random letters half the time, it changes every few seconds. Its doing that on my kitchen radio, car and my missus car, my kitchen radio is showing all the signal bars.

DO you know what transmitter or at least what frequency you are receiving the station on ?

carlowmanken wrote: »

Then the car radio starts beeping and jumps to Lyric!!!!!

Is car radio in Traffic Announcements mode??? turn it off and see does that cure it (pressing button marked TA or TP or TI or else in Menu depending on radio)

carlowmanken

Hi,
This is strange, I'm getting what sounds like spanish or italian radio stations cutting in on newstalk. Newstalks name is staying on my radio - its like this today and one day last week. Its on my car radio and my radio in the house.
Not sure what frequency, but I'm in Carlow and heard it in the car while driving to Dublin.

larchielads

Ah lads last few months newstalk has been terrible down here for me

Dempo1

Very old thread but since I'm here, utterly crap reception in my house , laois area . Have a great Bose radio, no issues with any other FM channels, every frequency Newstalk on, is terrible. Not much better in the car until I reach nearest town .

larchielads

No matter what frequency i try to tune into on my cars radio theyre all crap for newstalk, today fm 2fm rte radio all perfect.

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119136615#Comment_119136615

Whereabouts are you?

larchielads

Waterford

NIMAN

Newstalk is terrible with me up here in North Donegal.

I can't get it in the house at all.

In the car, its usually ok but can get iffy depending on where I am.

Dom the chemist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119142776#Comment_119142776

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119136568#Comment_119136568

Their coverage as per their licence was never meant to equal RTE and Today FM tho https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2006/0522/76533-bci/

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119147546#Comment_119147546

Your up early 😉 yes I appreciate that and they've no obligation to insure decent reception but they do promote themselves as a National Radio station, not local. As I've admitted I do live quite rural, have a genuinely excellent radio and its just extraordinary how bad reception for newstalk is, basically impossible to listen too, so generally and not ideal listen on the APP.

Bizzarely I can pick up local stations in wicklow (I'm in Laois)

Dom the chemist

Even Classic Hits (formally 4fm) which is only in 4 cities & 5 counties make themselves sound fully national with their "Ireland's classic Hits radio" slogan.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119147564#Comment_119147564

Fair point 👌

tinytobe

I am surprised about the comments and discussion.

Newstalk has the same amount of transmitters than Today FM to cover the Republic of Ireland. Also the power of the transmitters seems the same.

Any reception issues are more likely down to the radio or some other electromagnetic disturbance than anything else.

Classic Hits is a different debate, they have far fewer transmitters and no coverage for the whole Republic of Ireland, - however they could have, if they were licensed to do so. There are more than enough FM frequencies available.

dxhound2005

There is actually a fair disparity between Newstalk and Today FM in transmitter locations and power output. Today FM have very high power on the main transmitters. But Newstalk has some fill in locations e.g. Ridge of Cappard 105.8 for Laois/Offaly which neither Today FM or RTE use.

http://www.frequencyfinder.org.uk/Irish_Radio.pdf

zg3409

I have always found today FM have better coverage on Dublin Donegal route than Newstalk. Also the Dublin Cork road but I have not tested recently.

What I have noticed for months if not longer is a digital echo like a digital link is getting interference and a replaying a fraction of a second of audio. It sometimes happens a few times within a few minutes and I am listening on FM without changing frequency. I know nationally the backbone between transmitters is digital and I suspect a bad link somewhere, partly dropping out for a fraction of a second.

Dom the chemist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119206955#Comment_119206955

The disparity in power on that list is very interesting, e.g Classic Hits using just 0.5kw of power in Clifden Connemara, whereas Today FM are using 6kw there.

marno21

Open to correction here but those Today FM powers look wrong, they’re the same power as the RTÉ stations at the main sites iirc. In some cases the powers are the max licenced powers too, I read before that RTÉ are using 100kW from Mt Leinster (there’s no way Today FM are using 400k from Mt Leinster - that would make it the most powerful FM transmitter in the British Isles)

kazoo106

Newstalk should be on 567 AM instead of all this poorly engineered crap around the country - none of their transmitters are in sync and the audio levels are all over the place depending on which transmitter you are tuned to.