Here
we attempt to answer some of your commonly asked questions to
do with reception problems of South East Radio. If you have a particular technical query not dealt with here please Click here to send a question to Andy who is our Head Technician - we'll reply to you personally and will be pleased to post the answer here if we think it would be useful to other listeners.
This is the list of transmitter locations and frequencies for South East Radio
Mount Leinster 95.6 FM
Forth Mountain 96.4 FM
New Ross 96.4 FM
Gorey 96.2 FM
Enniscorthy 96.2 FM
Wexford (Centre) 96.2FM
The Mount Leinster and Forth Mountain transmitters cover the largest geographical areas.
When driving around in my car, sometimes your signal is fuzzy or completely disappears
This is a common problem with car radios which have a loose connection or small or broken aerial. Don't be fooled by a 'nice looking' radio or aerial because even if the car is brand new it doesn't mean the connections are all good. In most parts of County Wexford, and even further afield in the region, you should be able to pick up a good strong signal from one of South East Radio's transmitters. Some points to check: Make sure you are tuned into the correct frequency for the area you are travelling in (see list). Is your radio an RDS radio? (most newer cars are now equipped with these radios which display the name of our station when you tune us in). If it is, ensure the RDS button is "on" and this will automatically tune the radio to the best available frequency for the area you are travelling in. We would suggest you check that you have a good aerial (the vertically positioned kind are better) and make sure it is connected properly to the radio. Unless you have an RDS radio you will have to re-tune for best reception. If your radio won't 'find' us in 'search' mode, try tuning in manually as described in your manual (if you still have one!)
I can't hear you on my hi-fi or midi system
Please check that you have a proper FM type aerial plugged in or connected to the FM terminals at the back of the unit. It might sound like stating the obvious, but many people have been incorrectly attaching the AM (or MW) aerial to the FM/VHF terminals - this is not suitable for good FM reception. The small round or square black plastic aerial is only intended for MW or AM reception (not FM!).
In most areas an indoor 'wire' type FM aerial will be sufficient for good reception. These usually come supplied with Hi-Fi systems, but you can buy one in record shops and TV/Hi-Fi dealers. A decent one should not set you back much more than €4 or €5
If you live in a well known problem area for TV or FM reception you will need a to have a loft or external aerial installed. This pointed at the Mount Leinster transmitter (or your nearest local relay in the list above) should give you good stereo reception. Make sure you use a 'directional' FM aerial (it looks a bit like a TV aerial) - not the onmi-directional kind as these can give you interference from other distant stations. Most electrical or DIY stores will have what you need and they are not expensive, just ask.
My alarm clock radio or small radio reception is not very good
Try moving the radio near to a window and use as much of the aerial as possible (sometimes moving it near to a radiator works, and sometimes the corner of a room works well for some strange reason!)
If it has a 'telescopic' aerial ensure it is extended fully. Most clock radios have a roll of thin wire bundled at the back - this is the FM aerial! Extend it fully, it might take some fiddling around, but unless you live in a particularly bad reception area, you should hear us clearly on smaller radios.
When using my walkman, your signal is always disappearing or unstable
Sadly, some cheaper personal stereos are not ideal for FM reception because they only use the headphones (or you) as the aerial! This is aggravated in some poor reception areas, and in some workplaces like factories (where machinery can cause interference).
