RTM Kelantan FM can be received through radio on the frequency 97.3MHz from Bukit Bakar in Bayan Lepas, Penang?

 

I watch someone, named Senn Lens published his radio signal monitoring audio clip on YouTube which greatly surprises me today.

 

He received RTM Kelantan FM via radio on frequency FM 97.3MHz in Bayan Lepas, Penang by using Poco X3 Pro radio receiver yesterday.

 

Here is the video clip (audio only) of Kelantan FM 97.3MHz from Bukit Bakar in Bayan Lepas, Penang.

 

Apart of Kelantan FM, actually FM 97.3MHz is also used by RTM Perak FM 97.3MHz in Changkat Rembian for Tapah, Bidor, Temoh and Chenderiang. This makes me more doubtful of FM 97.3MHz reception in Bayan Lepas, Penang. Hence, I need to make a comparison between both radio stations based on transmitter system parameter data.

 

==Kelantan FM 97.3MHz==

* Transmitter power: 2kW

* Transmitter site: Bukit Bakar, Machang, Kelantan

* Height above sea level: 580m

* Antenna height: 76m

* ERP: 4kW 

* Distance to Bayan Lepas, Penang: 225km

 

==Perak FM 97.3MHz==

* Transmitter power: 0.5kW

* Transmitter site: Changkat Rembian, Tapah, Perak

* Height above sea level: 186m

* Antenna height: 45m

* ERP: 1.5kW 

* Distance to Bayan Lepas, Penang: 165km 

 

Compare with both transmission data between Kelantan FM and Perak FM,

 

1. The transmitter site and antenna height of Kelantan FM 97.3MHz Bukit Bakar are much higher than Perak FM 97.3MHz Changkat Rembian

 

2. The transmitter power of Kelantan FM 97.3MHz from Bukit Bakar is more than Perak FM 97.3MHz from Changkat Rembian. With calculation of antenna gain, the effective radiated power (ERP) of Kelantan FM 97.3MHz is also more than Perak FM 97.3MHz.

 

In terms of signal propagation, RTM Perak FM 97.3MHz operates at low power transmission, the reception of the radio station doesn't beam very much to west direction. Between Bayan Lepas and Changkat Rembian, there is a high terrain in Gunung Bubu where Changkat Rembian signal is blocked by the mountain between Taiping and Ipoh from transmitting to the northwest side. Even in Taiping, Perak FM 97.3MHz is only having very little signal (much lesser than Gunung Ulu Kali).

 

Meanwhile Kelantan FM 97.3MHz operates at 2kW transmission power in Bukit Bakar, and ERP value is higher than Perak FM 97.3MHz, so the possibility of Kelantan FM 97.3MHz signal overspill to Bayan Lepas, Penang is very high.

 

From the investigation above, based on transmission data comparison, the frequency FM 97.3MHz which caught in Bayan Lepas, Penang is Kelantan FM from Bukit Bakar.

 

==DX report of Kelantan FM in Penang==

* Frequency: FM 97.3MHz

* Power: 2kW

* Transmission site: Bukit Bakar, Kelantan

* Receiving location: Bayan Lepas, Penang

* Distance: 225km

 

Although Kelantan FM 97.3MHz from Bukit Bakar is having very little signal in Bayan Lepas, Penang, I believe it will have adjacent channel interference from two local transmitters such as Sinar FM 97.1MHz and Kedah FM 97.5MHz from Gunung Jerai because 97.3MHz is "sandwiched" by 97.1 and 97.5 in Kedah, Perlis, Penang and North Perak.