Newstalk reception

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.