In Penang, MYTV is covering the state with 4 transmitter sites currently such as:
1. Penang U4 for Georgetown
2. Seberang Jaya for Seberang Perai
3. Gunung Jerai (Kedah) for North Penang
4. Bukit Larut (Perak) for South Penang such as Nibong Tebal
Excluding Bukit Larut and Gunung Jerai, actually MYTV has 2 transmission site to cover Penang. In my opinion, I may think it should not be a necessary to operate two transmission sites to cover Penang (Island + Mainland). Both are operating same frequencies under SFN (single frequency network) together with Bukit Larut and Gunung Jerai (CH43 UHF 650MHz and CH45 UHF 666MHz).
In Penang, there is a better transmission site for MYTV, rather than lower sites Penang U4 and Seberang Jaya, it is BM Hill (Bukit Mertajam hill, also known as Bukit Tokun).
BM Hill is located in Bukit Mertajam, also known as Bukit Tokun. On the top of the hill, there is Telekom Malaysia transmission tower. When you drive from Penang Island to Seberang Perai via Penang Bridge, you will see this hill.
In terms of elevation, BM Hill is almost same height as Bukit Penara, but for the coverage to cover whole Penang state (Island + Mainland), it is more cost effective to install DVB-T2 transmitter in BM Hill than Seberang Jaya and Penang U4 in terms of transmission fees and maintenance costs.
Just my amateur opinion, current MYTV Penang digital terrestrial television transmission from TM Penang U4 and Seberang Jaya along with main site Gunung Jerai is not really cost effective because MYTV pays double transmission fees to Telekom Malaysia for Penang (Seberang Jaya and Penang U4). Nevertheless, the coverage of Penang U4 and Seberang Jaya are not strategic at all.
For my recommendation, I suggest MYTV to install DVB-T2 transmitter in BM Hill where located in Bukit Mertajam, Penang to replace Penang U4 and Seberang Jaya sites for covering Penang (except Balik Pulau). If MYTV launches DVB-T2 transmitter in BM Hill, rather than Penang U4 and Seberang Jaya, I believe this would be cost effective for the broadcast infrastructure company because MYTV does not need to pay double transmission fees to Telekom Malaysia (TM) for Penang digital terrestrial TV.
There may have another question which likely asked by my readers one day.
Why don't I suggest MYTV to install DVB-T2 transmitter in Bukit Penara, instead BM Hill for Georgetown, Bayan Lepas and Seberang Perai?
According to the coverage of Bukit Penara UHF band TV transmission, Bukit Penara has more blind spot coverage in east Penang Island and Seberang Perai than BM Hill. Somehow Bukit Penara FM radio transmission has blind spots in these region, which result weaker reception in some locations in Penang Island and Seberang Perai.
My friend receives RTM Mutiara FM in Sungai Dua where located nearby Gelugor, the receiving signal of low power transmitter FM 93.9MHz Gunung Jerai is clearer than FM 95.7MHz Bukit Penara.
I don't really know about the minimum field strength of DVB-T2 transmission coverage, hence I visit ITU website to read more as my amateur knowledge. The minimum field strength of DVB-T2 coverage is 42dBuV/m (50%), but better coverage is 58dBuV/m (70%).
So, there are two coverage map that I generate via Nautel free RF Tookit to compare between Bukit Penara and BM Hill DVB-T2 coverage, I set minimum field strength at 42dBuV/m which is ITU standards for DVB-T2 transmission. Yellow shaded region is 42-57dBuV/m, meanwhile green shaded region is 58dBuV/m and above.
As exact transmission parameter of existing MYTV transmitter is P&C technically, hence I just randomly place a simulation parameter with 3kW transmitter and 4 bay OMNI directional UHF antenna (SIRA UTV-11) for simulation coverage of DVB-T2. [Disclaimer: The coverage map information is unofficial and it is for simulation purpose and prediction only]
Compare between BM Hill and Bukit Penara DVB-T2 coverage, actually MYTV BM Hill coverage is better than Bukit Penara for Penang Island (except Balik Pulau) and Mainland Penang digital terrestrial television service because it has less blind spot coverage.
Current existing MYTV Penang digital terrestrial TV sites Seberang Jaya and Penang U4 does not cover Balik Pulau, so I will not include Balik Pulau as MYTV Penang coverage. In terms of saving cost to prevent from paying double transmission fees to TM for MYTV Penang DTTV service, for better coverage and cost, from my amateur view, I would nominate BM Hill as the all new MYTV digital terrestrial television transmission site to replace Seberang Jaya and Penang U4.
If MYTV launches DVB-T2 transmitter in BM Hill, MYTV can shut down its Seberang Jaya and Penang U4 digital terrestrial television transmission.
I may know some of readers will think it is easy to do a job task based on the suggestion in this article, but in the reality, it is not easy to replace MYTV existing Seberang Jaya and Penang U4 with BM Hill (Bukit Tokun) because it involves many factors. Money (Transmission fees, hardware costs) is the biggest factors, then following by politics and regulator (MCMC) approval.
To migrate the transmission system from old site to new site, it costs a lot of money, some of equipment cannot be reused when come to new site, but transmitters, antenna, filters and combiners are likely suitable to be reused. Besides that, the costly thing needs to be replaced when moving transmission system to new site is the cables (coax cables, connectors) due to different height of the tower. Next, after moving the transmission system to new site, the engineer needs to re-tune everything on the equipment because the transmission antenna system will be out of parameter when coming to new site.
The suggestion of launching MYTV transmitter in BM Hill to replace Penang U4 and Seberang Jaya is "happiness comes after toughness" (idiom) because broadcaster infrastructure provider pays lesser transmission fees than double after the pay extra cost to move transmission site to BM Hill.
Unless TM charges cheaper transmission fees to MYTV when MYTV uses two existing sites in Penang, so launching BM Hill transmitter to replace Penang U4 and Seberang Jaya is not a necessary.
Penang U4 + Seberang Jaya >> BM Hill (Bukit Tokun)
In conclusion, based on the suggestion, MYTV Penang digital terrestrial television coverage is only covered by Gunung Jerai, BM Hill and Bukit Larut. It means MYTV has 3 transmitter sites for Penang, from 4 sites to 3 sites, meanwhile 1 site was cut down.
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