AFANA Footy BBS

Hi everyone, let me introduce myself first. I'm a pretty new member of AFANA having only discovered footy about a year ago when I subscribed to Digital Cable up here in Winnipeg, Canada. I decided to subscribe to some channel I had heard about called, Fox Sports World when I came across some game and said, "What the he*l is this sport?", only to discover later Aussie Rules =]

Anyhow, I'm wondering if anyone can help me with the whole Shortwave radio issue. I have a shortwave radio and I've tried picking up the coverage listed in the frequencies on AFANA on friday nights but get nothing but static. I even tried stringing a long-wire in my backyard and plugging it into the radio, which I read about on some shortwave radio listening online guide. I can get other things like Radio Netherlands and a bunch of weird relgious programming but no Radio Australia. Any tips? I'm up in central Canada, I don't know if that's a problem or not though. Thanks

Philip Stiff

Hi Philip,

> Anyhow, I'm wondering if anyone can help me with the whole Shortwave radio issue. I
> have a shortwave radio and I've tried picking up the coverage listed in the
> frequencies on AFANA on friday nights but get nothing but static. I even tried
> stringing a long-wire in my backyard and plugging it into the radio, which I read
> about on some shortwave radio listening online guide. I can get other things like
> Radio Netherlands and a bunch of weird relgious programming but no Radio Australia.
> Any tips? I'm up in central Canada, I don't know if that's a problem or not though.

My first guess is that your location and the solar cycle are the issues. However, Radio Australia changed two of the main frequencies for the footy coverage just in the past couple of weeks. You might try the newer ones this Friday night and see if they help. 15240kHz came in well at my location this past weekend but it varies in reliability from night to night.

We're in the bottom half of the solar cycle headed to a minimum sometime in 2006 (most likely). That means propagation of higher frequencies from Australia to North America is unreliable except on the west coast and not likely to improve significantly until the 2008 season. It isn't helped by the fact that Radio Australia doesn't "target" the US and Canada with their broadcasts... we just happen to be beyond the Pacific islands they are aiming at.

What model of radio etc. are you using? Also, can you get Radio Australia on 9580kHz in the early morning?

Anyone else out there from up north who can help?

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

> Hi Philip,

> My first guess is that your location and the solar cycle are the issues.
> However, Radio Australia changed two of the main frequencies for the footy coverage
> just in the past couple of weeks. You might try the newer ones this Friday night and
> see if they help. 15240kHz came in well at my location this past weekend but it
> varies in reliability from night to night.

> We're in the bottom half of the solar cycle headed to a minimum sometime in 2006
> (most likely). That means propagation of higher frequencies from Australia to North
> America is unreliable except on the west coast and not likely to improve
> significantly until the 2008 season. It isn't helped by the fact that Radio
> Australia doesn't "target" the US and Canada with their broadcasts... we
> just happen to be beyond the Pacific islands they are aiming at.

> What model of radio etc. are you using? Also, can you get Radio Australia on 9580kHz
> in the early morning?

> Anyone else out there from up north who can help?
>
> -Rob de Santos
> AFANA Chairman

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the info. Yes I tried out the new frequency posted this past friday, 15240KHz and am happy to report that I was able to receive it. I listened for about 2.5 hours or so from around 12AM to 2AM. I just got this shortwave radio not too long ago, it's a "Grundig YB300" and I have recently discovered that I basically can't get decent coverage around my house, the receiver is way too sensative, basically my own electrical wiring in my house introduces too much noise.

However, since it is a portable, I found that if I go into this big field across from my street and basically stand in the middle of it and erect the whip antenna, I receive absolutely SUPERB reception of all sorts of shortwave stations including Radio Australia. I guess I'm just going to have to whip out a lawn-chair and sit out in the middle of a dark field at midnight looking like a complete idiot from now on

Unfortunatly, I find that an external wire antenna introduces too much noise (even when i use shielded cable to bring it into the house) into the signal when I bring it into the house. The receiver is just so darn sensative to EVERY piece of electronics I have. If I use the included AC adapter with my shortwave radio, the adapter itself introduces tons of noise such that I honestly have to use batteries to eliminate the noise.

Hi Philip,

> Thanks for the info. Yes I tried out the new frequency posted this past friday,
> 15240KHz and am happy to report that I was able to receive it.

Good. Glad to hear it.

> I just got this shortwave radio not too
> long ago, it's a "Grundig YB300" and I have recently discovered that I
> basically can't get decent coverage around my house, the receiver is way too
> sensative, basically my own electrical wiring in my house introduces too much noise.

Shortwave receivers are much more sensitive than other radios... they have to be as the signals involved are weaker. But it isn't the radio at fault here. It's the ambient electrical noise as you correctly note.

> However, since it is a portable, I found that if I go into this big field across
> from my street and basically stand in the middle of it and erect the whip antenna, I
> receive absolutely SUPERB reception of all sorts of shortwave stations including
> Radio Australia. ...
> Unfortunatly, I find that an external wire antenna introduces too much noise (even
> when i use shielded cable to bring it into the house) into the signal when I bring
> it into the house.

What you need to do is to ground the radio. Usually there is a "ground" connection somewhere on the radio. That will reduce the noise floor with any antenna you use. Another consideration would be to take the radio around the house (on batteries!) and see if you can find the source(s) of the noise. Usually things like computers, refrigerators, touch lamps, variable light switches, etc. are the problem. Fix those and you might improve the situation greatly. Also, you might have a bad transformer outside the house on the electrical main which you might need to report to the electric company.

>If I use the included AC adapter with my shortwave radio, the
> adapter itself introduces tons of noise such that I honestly have to use batteries
> to eliminate the noise.

AC adapters can introduce noise if they are poorly built, have suffered damage, etc. Also, they increase the voltage to the radio, causing the amplifier section to work better. It amplifies everything including the noise floor. Try getting a different adapter from an electronics store. (Match the voltage, connnector, and politary). See if that makes a difference. Also, if you use batteries, try NiMH rechargables to keep the cost down.

Good luck.

Regards,

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

I looked around a bit on the ABC website and it appears that the transmissions that we are receiving seem to be the ones that are directed at the East Pacific, based on the frequencies anyhow.

I found the completely list of frequencies that ABC broadcasts out on to the East Pacific,

http://www.abc.net.au/ra/hear/epac.htm

in theory, it looks like these other frequencies are also being used during at least some part of the grandstand program.
15240
12080
15515
15160
13630
I'll try them tonite and see if I get a good signal on any of those up here.

Phil

http://www.abc.net.au/ra/hear/epac.htm

Hi Philip,

> I found the completely list of frequencies that ABC broadcasts out on to the East
> Pacific,

> http://www.abc.net.au/ra/hear/epac.htm in theory, it looks like these other
> frequencies are also being used during at least some part of the grandstand program.
> 15240
> 12080
> 15515
> 15160
> 13630

According to the information I have the following frequencies are the only ones actually carrying Grandstand, the rest will carry the standard Radio Australia programs for the time period:

15240
17750
12080
9660

These should be roughly in the order of probability of being heard. 15240 is the best during the match time, 17750 might be best in the 1st hr of the pre-match commentary.

Let us know how you go.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog

OF Grundig YB 400PE and SONY 7600GR which is the better? and Why
I am in Sri Lanka. Which will suite me best.

ALso how is Panasonic RFB11 to start with?

regards

> OF Grundig YB 400PE and SONY 7600GR which is the better? and Why

My personal preference is the Sony, I think it is a better receiver but many like the sound of the Grundig. However, don't take my word for that. Check the various online reviews of both. I suggest starting with the Radio Netherlands web site which has numerous reviews posted.

> ALso how is Panasonic RFB11 to start with?

Probably that's fine but it really depends on what you intend to listen to. Not knowing the local conditions (noise, signal strength of your favorite stations, etc.) I can't really make a hard judgment. Since we're an Aussie rules football site and most of our membership is in North America, we're probably not the best place to ask these questions if you're located in Sri Lanka.

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman

AFANA Blog