Today FM, bad reception in Ballymahon?

tinytobe

Just wondering, why Ballymahon is so poorly covered by Today FM? The only frequency I can pick it up on is 100.0 Mhz, but the signal is weak.

All the RTE stations as well as Newstalk are coming in strong.

You’re probably getting that reception from Truskmore in Sligo. Puzzling why the site at Cairn Hill (near Longford town) isn’t utilised.

tinytobe

I found it a bit odd, since it seems it's the only area in the Republic of Ireland where Today FM's reception is bad. Not that's impossible. but the signal is really weak there.

It's also interesting to note that Newstalk as well as Today FM both have 23 transmitters to cover Ireland, and Newstalk comes in loud and clear in Ballymahon.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020940#Comment_121020940

Newstalk is available from Cairn Hill on 106.9.

Antenna

Tinytobe: "I found it a bit odd, since it seems it's the only area in the Republic of Ireland where Today FM's reception is bad."

How do you come to that conclusion? Have you really visited every little place in the Republic of Ireland to see what the reception is like?

Truskmore FM services (including 100.0) liable to power reductions and short outages between 2nd Aug and 1st Sept due to works.

Pelvis Parsley

Also, doesn't NT transmit in mono?

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121028045#Comment_121028045

I've been there once, - hence I asked the question.

The best reception was actually RTE Radio 1 and News Talk. All the other RTE stations were a bit weaker but Today FM was worse. It could also have been my radio as well? Maybe with a better radio it's not a problem?

Antenna

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121028262#Comment_121028262

"Even-whole MHz" frequencies such as 100.0 and 96.0 can be more prone to interference from nearby electronic equipment (sometimes caused by radio receivers themselves) - due to harmonics of Clock frequencies in digital circuits being radiated.

Maybe that could be a cause of 100.0 being inferior to other stations from the same transmitter site ?

Try moving radio to different positions and/or try a different radio

dxhound2005

I don't know how current the information is (the site claims Dec 2022), but Frequency Finder only lists a RTE Radio 1 transmitter from Cairn Hill, with others planned. That may or may not indicate that the OP has weaker reception from the other stations, not just Today FM if they are hearing Truskmore. The site actually says that Today FM is higher power than RTE from Truskmore, but again who knows if that is real.

It would need a radio with a signal meter inbuilt to see what is happening. A weak signal, but just strong enough, would sound the same as a 100% signal.

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

Radio558

Today fm are broadcasting on 101.6 fm from cairn hill this last year what power they are using I don't know