Wednesday, 12 February 2020

IKIM FM and Thailand Parliament radio station are having co-channel interference in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia





In northern region of Malaysia, Islamic radio station IKIM FM operates in Gunung Jerai on the frequency FM 89.0MHz to cover Penang, Kedah, Perlis and North Perak (Taiping).

Before June 2016, although IKIM FM 89.0MHz was transmitted from Gunung Jerai, but Penang could not receive it because it was from Lower Gunung Jerai (CELCOM tower). Therefore, Penang received FM 89.0MHz was Thailand Parliament Radio from Yala (Khao Pokyo). In order to cover Penang and North Perak from Gunung Jerai on FM 89.0MHz, IKIM FM transmits from TM Upper Jerai instead. Therefore, this allows Penang and North Perak to receive IKIM FM loudly and clearly, meanwhile Thailand Parliament Radio FM 89.0MHz Yala was no longer receivable in Penang and Kedah.

Malaysia and Thailand has joint technical committee to discuss about border coordination studies on telecommunication transmission. Both agreed that minimum frequency separation between Gunung Jerai and Yala for FM broadcast is 100kHz, but IKIM FM and Parliament Radio from Thailand was 0kHz.

When I was in Ipoh, the biggest surprise was I received two different radio stations on FM 89.0MHz, there were IKIM FM and Thailand Parliament channel.

About the broadcast coverage, IKIM FM 89.0MHz covers only Kedah, Perlis, Penang and North Perak at 2kW transmitter power, meanwhile Thailand Parliament Radio FM 89.0MHz covers Yala (except Betong), Narathiwat and Pattani to deliver parliament message to the community in that region.

Thailand Parliament Radio FM 89.0MHz covers most of Yala districts, but receiving condition in Betong is not good, technically Betong is not the parliament radio station coverage and market. Same as Radio Thailand Yala FM 92.0MHz, 94.25MHz and 95.0MHz, they don't cover Betong, instead launch Radio Thailand Betong FM 93.0MHz as district radio station to cater Betong listeners there.

As there is co-channel interference detected between IKIM FM and Thailand Parliament radio stations on FM 89.0MHz in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia where I recorded at Perak Cave Temple, but the location that I detected is not their broadcast area, just find something interesting about the interference.

When comes to Betong, Thailand, actually IKIM FM 89.0MHz cannot be received there, but Thailand Parliament channel FM 89.0MHz from Yala (Khao Pokyo) is still receivable in Betong without co-channel interference. I believe that there is no co-channel interference between IKIM FM and Thailand Parliament channel in Betong, Thailand. Therefore, no frequency migration is needed to be done between both.

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