Nasional FM 96.5MHz Bukit Bakar received in Bintulu, Sarawak. Imagine what the receiving signal was if Kelantan FM 97.3MHz from Bukit Bakar was received in Bintulu, Sarawak.

Back to February 2022, a DXer from Bintulu tuned RTM Nasional FM 96.5MHz in Bintulu, Sarawak.

By watching this video on YouTube, I confirm that Nasional FM 96.5MHz that received in Bintulu, Sarawak was transmitted from Bukit Bakar, Machang, Kelantan at 1225km distance.

Video was recorded on 2nd February 2022 at 1745 hours (UTC+8). Signal was Sporadic E propagation and the transmitter power is 2kW.

Alongside Nasional FM 96.5MHz from Bukit Bakar, what if Kelantan FM 97.3MHz from Bukit Bakar is also received in Bintulu, Sarawak via same propagation (Sporadic E),

 

1. Listeners or DXers who receive Kelantan FM 97.3MHz in Bintulu could hear adjacent channel interference noise from RTM Bintulu FM/Wai FM 97.5MHz Bukit Setiam which is local transmitter in Bintulu, Sarawak when they tune the frequency by using cheaper radio receiver which has poor quality RF filters in the unit. Inversely, if they are using expensive or professional series radio receiver which equipped with high sensitivity or good quality RF filters, low interference from RTM Bintulu FM 97.5MHz is detected when tuning to Kelantan FM 97.3MHz.

2. If any radio stations are using FM 97.3MHz in Mukah or Selangau (Bukit Singgalang), Kelantan FM 97.3MHz from Bukit Bakar will potentially have co-channel interference with FM 97.3MHz from Mukah/Bukit Singgalang in Tatau and part of Bintulu during Sporadic E propagation.

 

3. If Bintulu FM uses 97.3MHz in Bukit Setiam, Sporadic E signal of Kelantan FM 97.3MHz from Bukit Bakar will be completely blocked in Bintulu, even in Mukah as Bukit Setiam is local transmitter for Bintulu, meanwhile it is the alternative for Mukah.

I know several of people who have no fundamental knowledge of frequency planning and radio propagation would publish such ridiculous comment below:

"Kelantan FM 97.3MHz Bukit Bakar is having adjacent channel interference with RTM Bintulu FM 97.5MHz from Bukit Setiam in Bintulu, Sarawak, no alternative frequency for Kelantan FM in Bintulu. So, RTM has to change Bintulu FM frequency from 97.5MHz to 97.7MHz in order to stop interference with Kelantan FM 97.3MHz in Bintulu, Sarawak."

I was used to receive such ridiculous comment on my YouTube video of receiving BFM 89.9 from Gunung Ulu Kali in Gua Musang and Felda Paloh, Kelantan. The comment mentioned that BFM 89.9 is interfered by Radio Klasik FM 89.7MHz from Bukit Chupak in Gua Musang (Kuala Betis), then he suggested RTM to change Radio Klasik Bukit Chupak frequency from 89.7MHz to 89.6MHz in order to avoid interference to BFM 89.9 coverage in Gua Musang.

Let me to explain this here:

==For BFM 89.9 in Gua Musang, Kelantan==

- Gua Musang is not the listening coverage of BFM 89.9 from Gunung Ulu Kali, all what I received its signal there is considered as distant tuning. It is not a problem when RTM Radio Klasik uses FM 89.7MHz in Bukit Chupak to cover Gua Musang town as RTM already meets the minimum frequency separation which set up by MCMC, 200kHz is the minimum frequency separation between Bukit Chupak and Gunung Ulu Kali. Hence, it is very sufficient.

 

==For Kelantan FM 97.3MHz in Bintulu, Sarawak (if happen)==

Kelantan FM 97.3MHz Bukit Bakar main targeting coverage is in Kelantan where is a state in east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, meanwhile RTM Bintulu FM 97.5MHz Bukit Setiam serves only Bintulu Division in Sarawak where is located in Borneo state. By looking at the map, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo State (Sabah/Sarawak/Labuan) are divided by South China Sea. Both are having totally different coverage, the distance between two transmitters are 1220km.

 

- The overspill signal of Kelantan FM 97.3MHz from Bukit Bakar to Bintulu, Sarawak is not constantly transmitting because it is Sporadic E propagation which is unusual radio propagation form using a low level of the Earth's ionosphere that commonly does not refract radio waves. 

- Sporadic E propagation does not hold long actually. The signal could be disappeared immediately when the small clouds are disappeared.

Changing radio frequency is very expensive and costing more time because the broadcast engineers have to replace transmitter equipment such as antenna, feeder cable and re-tune the combiners/filters. In addition, they have to re-calibrate the whole entire transmission system. RTM is using N+1 transmission system where multi-transmitters are sharing with a transmitter antenna. If RTM changes 1 of the frequency, RTM has to take down all the transmitter because the engineers need to re-tune and re-calibrate the system, somehow replace certain parts.