Tuning to UP FM

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nate

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#28382 27-Nov-2008 17:33

Anyone else able to tune into UpFM on 107.5 FM? I can only listen to them online, have tried a couple times to tune into them from different parts of Auckland with no luck.

scottjpalmer

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#180762 27-Nov-2008 20:40

No go in Pukekohe ;-)

nate

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#180770 27-Nov-2008 21:14

scottjpalmer: No go in Pukekohe ;-)

Not surprised. I think it's an Auckland radio station, and Mr "I'm in Auckland but I'm not" it shouldn't reach you.

strobe

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#180845 28-Nov-2008 08:56

Hey guys, Mike here from UP FM.

Yeah, we only broadcast in Auckland at the moment and we're on the LPFM network (low power frequency modulation).

Commercial stations (ZM and the like) can broadcast up to 50,000W or so. LPFM stations are limited to 1W broadcasts.

We cover about 60-65% of the city, but obviously coverage is also going to be determined by the quality of the gear receiving it. Our 2007 Toyota Corolla's get it from around Albany on the hill through to the Bombays (with some intermittent interference through the shore past the sky tower). But if you had a [post not accepted due to bad words] old car stereo then you'd only get half that.

We're clear as day down south, get very good reception through west Auckland and get about ~30% of shore (on the CBD side).

But yeah, the stream will be a better quality sound than any terrestrial broadcast anyways.

Any questions, fire em through and I'll do my best to answer them for you. Otherwise, enjoy! ;D

www.upfm.dj

strobe

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#180846 28-Nov-2008 08:59

Oh lame. I'm a wannabe geek- that's not fair :/

LOL

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scottjpalmer

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#180853 28-Nov-2008 09:35

Welcome to Geekzone. Thanks for the official word.

strobe

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#180854 28-Nov-2008 09:40

I've been reading here and there for a while. Dropping in and keeping relatively up to date and whatnot. But yeah, only now had the reason to register. I was worried about registering earlier because I have a habit of sticking around and posting too much- I think I might try stick to the other 4 main forums I frequent ;/

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nate

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#180880 28-Nov-2008 12:19

strobe:Yeah, we only broadcast in Auckland at the moment and we're on the LPFM network (low power frequency modulation).

Commercial stations (ZM and the like) can broadcast up to 50,000W or so. LPFM stations are limited to 1W broadcasts.

Thanks for your post Mike, is Up FM ever going to move to higher power? I'm in Manukau at home and I can't tune in. At work in Newmarket I can't get you either.

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strobe

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#180883 28-Nov-2008 12:26

We'd love to be higher powered but it's just not possible.

With frequencies, there is only X amount of /physical/ space, all of which at the moment has been taken up.

Full power licences are auctioned off by the government (or Ministry of Economic Development). They're on a 20 year lease per frequency.

The last auction for two full powers was back in 2004 (and they expire in 2011). In other words, just 7 years.

These went for 6.3 and 6.5 million, respectively. We don't have that kinda coin laying around (and if we did, I sure as hell wouldn't be in radio ;P)

But yeah, even if we did, another multi-national would outbid us and it'd go higher again.

There was a medium power licence auction earlier this year, but the Auckland one (won by Big FM) went for $800,000 (but I have it on good authority that he was willing to go to around 1.5-1.7 million)...

As for Newmarket- that's directly in the middle of our two transmission locations. Which, unfortunately, interfere with each other... So yeah, there is a dead spot through a fair bit of Newmarket. Broadway, with a decent receiver, it 90% fine, but the overpass on the motorway is pretty much dead till just before Market Road.

All things considered, I think we're doing really well though. New Zealand is the most competitive radio market in the world, with Auckland being by far the most competitive.

Auckland has more radio stations per capita than anywhere in the world as well- more than double that of the second highest.

London, for example, had around 5 major ones (and 15 including pirates, etc). 12+ million people. Auckland, with around 1,000,000, has around 70 odd stations at last count.

So yeah, with the 'niche' style music, the competition, the lack of real frequency, we're pretty stoked tbh :)

www.upfm.dj

strobe

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#180885 28-Nov-2008 12:28

Oh, just been told that LPFM is only 0.5W, not 1.

Heh. It's been a while since I was at uni :/

Oh, and as for listening in Manukau- we get there quite clearly, as long as you have a good aerial- chuck some rabbit ears (TV antenna) in the back of your stereo and you'll be well set.

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scottjpalmer

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#180898 28-Nov-2008 13:16

strobe: . . . Oh, and as for listening in Manukau- we get there quite clearly, as long as you have a good aerial- chuck some rabbit ears (TV antenna) in the back of your stereo and you'll be well set.

Having seen the gully Nate lives in and having observed the lack of cell phone reception there he is going to need a bit more than rabbit ears :-)

Can you divulge the approximate transmitter locations strobe?

strobe

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#180901 28-Nov-2008 13:17

Top of Khyber Pass and top of Mt Hobson :)

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timbosan

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#180923 28-Nov-2008 14:18

I live in West Auckland and get a good signal in most places in my car, especially from the city going west. Although there was one strange issue, when I reached the Te Atatu turnoff, there must of been another station as it suddenly changed to Country and Western (URGH!) until closer to Swanson, doesn't seem to happen any more than.

Anyone know why? Pirate station maybe?

Oh, and UpFM is one of my favourite stations ;-)

strobe

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#180928 28-Nov-2008 14:41

There was another station there (TLC Radio) for a while but I don't think they knew we were on the same frequency, so when we approached them, they moved.

NZ is lucky that we get LPFM because most countries don't.

The catch though was that we had to monitor it ourselves. Which means, essentially, you can broadcast on the same frequency right next door to another LPFM station and there is nothing really they can do about it.

It's against the law, but if you report it to the MED, they'll say "Sweet, we'll tighten up and audit everyone and if you guys can't look after yourselves, we'll just take away your toys", etc.

So everything has to be sorted out ourselves. For the most part, that's fine. There have definitely been times where that hasn't been the case though, heh.

www.upfm.dj