Better CHBN reception for Truro on 100.8FM

Over the past 18 months CHBN has been working on a major upgrade to its FM transmissions on 100.8 MHz.

This project started back in 2024 when the station first applied to the UK broadcasting regulatory body, OFCOM, for a significant increase in the maximum power we are allowed to transmit from our site at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

We began transmitting full-time from the Treliske site 12 years ago, using an aerial which had been installed a couple of years previously for temporary 4-week RSL (Restricted Service Licence) station, so we reckon its about 16 years old now.

We were allowed 25 Watts which was, at that time, the power limit for virtually all community radio stations around the country. However, we never considered that this was sufficient to cover the whole of the city well. In recent years similar stations have successfully applied for power increases and in 2024 CHBN did the same. Since being awarded a reasonable power increase we have been working on the practical requirements for this including fund-raising, and the acquisition of not only a new and more powerful transmitter but also a ne and more effective transmitting aerial.

In August 2026 specialist contractors were employed to install the new aerial which has been in full-time use since then, but initial results were a little disappointing and since then further work has been done and the new aerial is now working as intended and has already improved reception across the city.

The final stage of the work will be to replace our twelve year old transmitter with a new, more powerful unit and this was finally completed on 15 September.

Overseeing the project, CHBN presenter and assistant programme co-ordinator Mike Brown said "This upgrade has been a long time coming and we're so looking forward to this. When dealing with the hospital trust there's inevitably a lot of paperwork and guidelines to be followed but we're getting there. Reception from the new aerial is already better than we expected, so when everything is in place, and we finally turn up the power reception will be so much better, stronger and clearer for everyone in and around Truro. We're currently looking at the second half of September for that final stage of the work to be completed and when we're finally up on full power we think everyone will notice a difference, especially those driving around the city listening on car radios."

CHBN is also available in Truro and around the world on smart speakers, on the station's free CHBN Radio mobile app, and online at chbnradio.org