TECHNICAL STUFF
Tank FM Radio broadcasts from a purposely built studio complex located in West Kempsey.
There are two on-air studios which are fitted out with equipment typically found at a radio station.
The studios comprise of three microphones, two CD players, a sponsorship/music playback service, two laptop or external audio inputs and a Digital Delivery Network (DDN) computer. The latter is used to capture programs from the CBAA satellite receiver for delayed playback. It is also used for storage and playback of sponsorship announcements and, station promos and Community Service Announcements (CSAs).
Being a 24/7 based station, Tank FM also relies on our TDN, or Tank Digital Network. This computer based service provides the station music, news and sponsorship automation facilities that is used regularly throughout each day.
The broadcast consoles are AEQ 12 Channel Forum IP (Audio-over-IP) units. They are telephone "talk-back" capable and this facility is slowly being made operational through ongoing training.
Separate from the studios is a small equipment room that houses such items as our Stereo Tool audio processing server. This is a computer based compressor, limiter, audio restorer, stereo generator and RDS insertion package and also sends a separate processed audio feed to our Internet Streaming facilities. The room also contains a UHF Studio/Transmitter Link (STL) transmitter, satellite receivers for CRN-1, CRN-2 and BBC World News, off-air receiver, studio monitor amplifier, AEQ Phoenix and Tieline OB audio link devices, UPS with external battery storage and other bits and pieces that are all conveniently located securely and out of sight.
The multiplexed signal from the studio complex is transmitted to the main transmitter site at Greenhill, about 3km to the west of Kempsey.
The Greenhill transmitter site, at an elevation of 30m ASL, is the location of a large, steel water reservoir upon which is mounted, at a height of 30m AGL, our main transmitting antenna, as well as our UHF STL receiving antenna. The antenna is an dipole array with a gain of 3dB and this antenna is shared with 2KY/SKY Racing Radio, a commercial sports service. The signal is transmitted with vertical polarisation (polarity). Tank's main antenna is at the top far left in the photo.
The STL and FM transmission equipment is all of RVR (Italy) manufacture and comprises the UHF STL receiver and a FM exciter/transmitter running at 500 watts. The antenna gain of 3dB (that gives Tank FM a 2x power output factor) effectively gives us an Effective Radiated Power (ERP) of our licensed output - 1000 watts.
We currently are in the process of reviewing sites to relocate our main transmission site too. Our goal is to try improve our coverage area to both up the valley to cover beyond Bellbrook and down the valley to cover South West Rocks, Belmore River, Hat Head and Crescent Head regions better.