Tuesday 29 July 2014

FLY FM Kedah, Perlis, Penang and North Perak

In north region of Malaysia, FLY FM has two frequencies, mainly 89.9MHz from Bukit Penara and 99.1MHz from Alor Setar.

89.9MHz covers Penang, South Kedah and North Perak, meanwhile 99.1MHz covers Alor Setar and certain areas only.

A new Penang radio station, Pi Mai FM was launched in Bukit Penara on 90.2MHz since 2012, this cause the FM frequencies in north region more jammed.

These two frequencies are not suitable to be set up in Gunung Jerai because this can cause interference with radio stations from Satun, Thailand and local radio stations. Here is the frequencies list in Kedah:

89.3MHz- Lite FM (Bukit Larut; Taiping)
89.5MHz- <empty>
89.7MHz- Nasional FM (Bukit Palong; Baling)
89.9MHz- FLY FM (Bukit Penara; Penang)
90.0MHz- Easy FM (Satun, Thailand)
90.2MHz- Pi Mai FM (Bukit Penara; Penang)
90.5MHz- Hot FM (Bukit Larut; Taiping) & Kedah FM (Bukit Palong; Baling)

99.0MHz- Idea Radio (Satun, Thailand)
99.1MHz- FLY FM (Menara Alor Setar)
99.25MHz- Love Radio (Satun, Thailand)

FLY FM launched frequencies in Alor Setar on 99.1MHz since 2007, but Perlis and Langkawi totally cannot receive FLY FM.

Actually FLY FM can combine their two frequencies into single, but this involves Nasional FM Bukit Palong frequency to be changed where established since 1995. Nasional FM Bukit Palong frequency must be changed to 89.5MHz once if FLY FM use Gunung Jerai transmitter on 89.8MHz.

If FLY FM changed its Penang frequencies and transmitter site to 89.8MHz and Gunung Jerai, it can cover whole Kedah, Perlis, Penang and North Perak, even Langkawi is able to receive FLY FM from Gunung Jerai. In addition, the radio frequencies band in north region will be less jammed. Therefore, FLY FM may not need Taiping frequency, even North Perak can receive FLY FM 89.8MHz clearly from Gunung Jerai like Red FM 98.1MHz. Meanwhile, FLY FM Alor Setar frequency 99.1MHz is not needed anymore if FLY FM use Gunung Jerai transmitter on 89.8MHz.








Monday 21 July 2014

"FM 88.7MHz" in Perak

The "FM 88.7 MHz" in Perak is Radio Klasik (Klasik Nasional), but it covers only Tapah and can be heard in some areas like Bidor, Langkap and Temoh. Radio Klasik 88.7MHz is transmitted from Changkat Rembian and its output power is only 0.1kW (100 kW, only can cover up to about 25-30 km), only can be heard clearly in Tapah, meanwhile Bidor, and Sungkai are not clear.

Alternatively, Radio Klasik still can be received on 98.3MHz from Gunung Ulu Kali (for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur) or 88.3MHz from Gunung Kledang (for Ipoh and Central Perak) in Tapah (depends on area). The Gunung Ulu Kali transmitter signal in Tapah is clearer than Gunung Kledang.

Current radio stations which have Changkat Rembian, Tapah transmitter:
1. ERA FM (102.0MHz; previously carried by THR Raaga before 2009)
2. Perak FM (97.3MHz; covers South Perak areas up to Terolak with 0.5kW output power)
3. Radio Klasik (88.7MHz; Tapah only with 0.1kW low output power)

Former radio stations with Changkat Rembian transmitter:
1. 988/Redi FM 98.8 (94.1MHz; ended service since June 2000)*
2. Red 104.9/Red FM/RFM (101.2MHz; ended service since July 2000)*

*References: www.asiawaves.net

Basically, setting up a radio frequency in Tapah is not needed if the radio station has Gunung Ulu Kali and Gunung Kledang transmitter unless it is regional radio station like Perak FM because Tapah still can receive radio signal from Gunung Ulu Kali.



In my opinion, RTM should replace its "Radio Klasik 88.7MHz" with Asyik FM because Asyik FM has no Perak frequency (mainly Ipoh) yet. At the same time, RTM should place "88.7MHz" transmitter site in Gunung Kledang, instead of Changkat Rembian to cover Perak areas. Consequently, listeners in Tapah still can tune to Radio Klasik on 88.3MHz or 98.3MHz.

Currently listeners in Perak receive Asyik FM on 105.1MHz from Cameron Highlands (mainly Central Perak) and 102.5MHz from Gunung Ulu Kali (mainly in South Perak), two transmitter are quite weak in Perak areas because both of them are "adjacent channel interference" with other radio station like IKIM.FM 102.7MHz and Red FM 104.9MHz. If RTM fully replaces "88.7MHz" with Asyik FM and transmits from Gunung Kledang, the listeners can receive Asyik FM on 88.7MHz in many areas of Perak (Ipoh, Kampar, Sungai Siput, Gopeng, Batu Gajah, Tronoh, Tapah, Bidor, Teluk Intan, Sitiawan, Kuala Kangsar, Taiping, Sauk, Padang Rengas, Seri Iskandar, Lumut, Bota, Pulau Pangkor, Ayer Tawar, Sungkai, Langkap, Kampung Gajah and some areas of Parit Buntar/Bagan Serai/Kamunting/Selama/Batu Kurau).



To cover many areas in Perak, the transmitter power of "88.7MHz" from Gunung Kledang should be full power (5kW or 10kW). May be Lenggong can receive 88.7MHz, but not confirm there can receive or not.

As I mentioned before, the 4 empty frequencies in Taiping (88.8MHz, 92.4MHz, 93.2MHz, and 105.7MHz). Once if SKMM want to keep 88.7MHz and 93.3MHz for radio stations in Ipoh, the empty frequencies in Taiping only remain two (92.4MHz and 105.7MHz).




Thursday 17 July 2014

Taiping empty FM frequency "97.3MHz" (low power transmitter broadcast)

As I mentioned before, there has some empty frequencies in Taiping, mainly 88.8MHz, 92.4MHz, 93.2MHz, and 105.7MHz, even the narrow 97.3MHz.

In my opinion, 88.8MHz, 92.4MHz, 93.2MHz are suitable for the radio stations which cover Northwest Perak although sharing frequency with RTM radio stations from Baling, meanwhile 105.7MHz is suitable for the radio station such as IKIM.FM which cover North Perak (Taiping, Gerik, Lenggong, Parit Buntar), South Kedah and Penang.

"97.3MHz" is only suitable for radio station like one FM which only cover certain areas such as Taiping, Changkat Jering, Kamunting, Padang Rengas and Batu Kurau.

Currently one FM in Taiping should be tuned to 87.8MHz to listen, but not all Taiping areas can receive 87.8MHz clearly.

Normally the transmitter power for radio stations in Taiping are from 0.25kW to 2kW. Previously RTM Bukit Larut transmitter power was only 0.1kW, reception was just normal, but RTM Bukit Larut transmitter power is increased to 0.5kW now. The private commercial stations use 2kW power.

"97.3MHz" is quite suitable for one FM to set in Bukit Larut, Taiping, but its transmitter power must be low (minimum- 0.1kW, maximum- 0.5kW) to prevent interference with two radio stations which are beside to “97.3MHz”, one FM can set up Bukit Larut frequency for Taiping and some areas in North Perak only like Seremban frequency, 88.3MHz, which also only covers Seremban and certain areas of Negeri Sembilan.

97.3MHz is a narrow FM frequency in Taiping because there has two stations from Gunung Jerai, mainly Sinar FM and Kedah FM are using 97.1MHz and 97.5MHz respectively for Kedah, Penang and Perlis. The frequency difference between 97.3MHz and 97.1/97.5 MHz are only 200 kHz.

97.1MHz- SINAR FM (Gunung Jerai; 2kW)
97.3MHz- <empty>
97.5MHz- Kedah FM (Gunung Jerai; 5kW)

The "97.3MHz" low power transmitter for Bukit Larut cannot be received in Central-South Perak clearly. Ipoh will not receive any signal of "97.3MHz". If one FM use "low power" Bukit Larut frequency, 97.3MHz cannot be received in Penang, Selama, South Kedah, Kuala Kangsar, Lenggong, and Parit Buntar clearly, 87.8MHz or 87.6MHz can be tuned as alternative frequency.



太平空缺電台頻道"97.3MHz" (低火廣播)

目前太平的空缺電台頻道只剩下88.8MHz, 92.4MHz, 93.2MHz, 105.7MHz,和最密的97.3MHz。

105.7MHz只是適合一些電台是要覆蓋大部分的霹靂北部地區,但是對我而言這個頻道適合ikim.fm。

另外的頻道88.8MHz, 92.4MHz, 和93.2MHz是跟RTM華玲電台共用,差距只有0.1MHz,適合一些覆蓋霹靂西北部的電臺。

注:RTM的華玲電台頻道是在於1995年設有,覆蓋地區只有吉打東南部的華玲,霹靂北端的彭加蘭烏魯和仁丹。

到現在one FM還沒有在太平設有頻道,在太平收聽one FM是需要通過發射站較遠的87.8MHz (檳城,吉打頻道;發射地點:吉打日萊峰 Gunung Jerai)。

跟巴裏文打,Bukit Merah和巴東色海,87.8MHz在太平和Changkat Jering的收綫情況較爲勉強,太平過後的地區(北上)就ok。

老實說,北馬的電台頻道差不多滿了。

在我的看法,最壞打算可說是one FM使用97.3MHz來作爲太平頻道。其實one FM在太平設有頻道可以跟芙蓉頻道88.3MHz和新山頻道105.3MHz,只是覆蓋一些地方。one FM芙蓉和新山頻道使用低火發射器(大約0.25kW),發射地點跟一般的電台不一樣,所以只是可以在芙蓉,新山和附近地區收到而已。談到“97.3MHz”,這個頻道的確在霹靂北部地區是很密的頻道因爲隔壁有兩家電台使用了97.1MHz和97.5MHz。“97.3MHz”適合只是覆蓋一些地區的電台,例如:one FM。

97.1MHz- Sinar FM (Gunung Jerai; 2kW)
97.3MHz- (空缺)
97.5MHz- Kedah FM (Gunung Jerai; 5kW)

“97.3MHz”與97.1和97.5的頻率差距只有200kHz,但是坐落在97.1和97.5的中間,猶如one FM芙蓉頻道88.3MHz,坐落在雪隆區的88.1MHz和吉隆坡的88.5MHz。

基本上97.1MHz和97.5MHz的電台的覆蓋範圍是吉打州,檳城,玻璃市和霹靂一些地區(彭嘉蘭烏魯,仁丹和宜力)。表面上是說“檳城/吉打頻道”,但是基本上Kedah FM 97.5MHz是覆蓋吉打州而已因爲這家電台是給吉打而已,檳城和霹靂北部是“第二覆蓋地區”(secondary coverage),猶如彭亨電台Pahang FM給彭亨而已;馬六甲電台Melaka FM只是給馬六甲而已。

談到發射地點,太平山離市區只有8公里。一般上的太平電台的發射站是坐落在太平山(馬來語:Bukit Larut;英文:Maxwell Hill),發射器的火量是最低0.25kW到最高2kW,可以發射到檳城和吉打南部,霹靂中南部,甚至霹靂東北部的玲瓏,和宜力。Hot FM 90.5MHz的發射器火量目前是最小是0.25kW因爲它的90.5MHz跟吉打Kedah FM華玲頻道90.5共用。

比例子,以前RTM電臺的太平頻道是用低火發射器,0.1kW,收綫一般,在霹靂南部是完全沒有訊號,現在則升為0.5kW,所以霹靂南部地區如安順,美羅,宋溪還可以聽到,但是RDS信息比較難出現。hitz.fm 93.6MHz和Mix FM 91.3MHz還更加厲害,霹靂南部地區收到很清楚,RDS訊息都出現。

技術上,如果one FM在太平山發射站使用97.3MHz,發射器必須是低火/低功率(最低為0.1kW,最高為0.5kW),但是只是在霹靂太平,Changkat Jering和附近地區如硝山, 江沙, Semanggol才可以收到清晰的one FM,沿海地區就會比較差因爲發射器的功率低,吉打電台97.1MHz和97.5MHz在太平會收不清。

如果one FM的發射器是高功率,隔壁的電台會在檳城一些地區因爲電台頻率的空間而受到干擾。其實one FM在太平和Changkat Jering以外的地區收87.8MHz較爲清楚。發射地點依然希望照舊,在太平山發射。

"太平山的97.3MHz"應該不會在安順收到(除非使用較高的天綫,但是97.3MHz會在安順一些地方收到的是來自霹靂南部打巴Changkat Rembian的電台),只收一點而已。霹靂中部地區如:怡保,邦咯島,實兆遠的收綫會勉強。如果one FM“低功率”太平山頻道97.3MHz在太平以外地區如江沙,巴裏文打收不清,還可以調去87.8或87.6收聽。

低功率的97.3MHz在檳城會是雜音,甚至收不到,霹靂東北部也是依然收不到。

雖然如果one FM在太平Bukit Larut用的97.3MHz和來自打巴Changkat Rembian的Perak FM一樣頻率, 但是應該沒有問題. 因為97.3MHz Bukit Larut 0.1kW不會到霹靂南部的美羅, 打巴, 宋溪, Terolak和仕林河, 就算Bukit Larut的高度非常高..

可是97.3MHz兩個之間會在一些地區產生干擾, 地區有: 安順, Kampung Gajah, 波打, 巴力, Seri Iskandar和金寶.. 其實兩台在當地地區可以調去來自Gunung Kledang的95.6和87.6...