[wankhade]

Over the weekend I was travelling from Pune to Konkan via Tamhini ghat in my Marazoo. Out of the blue the car started playing Arabic songs. The station name displayed was "SawtOmn2". A quick googling around revealed that it was one SWAT radio from Oman. By any chance it could be related to this topic? As I understand, FM signals can travel max like 50-100 kms, while this one is far off the Arabic sea.

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by wankhade

Over the weekend I was travelling from Pune to Konkan via Tamhini ghat in my Marazoo. Out of the blue the car started playing Arabic songs. The station name displayed was "SawtOmn2". A quick googling around revealed that it was one SWAT radio from Oman. By any chance it could be related to this topic? As I understand, FM signals can travel max like 50-100 kms, while this one is far off the Arabic sea.

That was a nice "catch" and you are indeed lucky to receive it and document it (thanks to the Radio Station ID). Indeed the FM signals travel only 100kms normally, but under certain atmospheric conditions, they travel couple of thousand kilometers. Oman is around 2000kms from Pune and it was tropospheric ducting(1) phenomenon that carried the signals so long.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_propagation

[bejoy]

2024 Updates

Only All India Radio provides DRM transmissions in India as of now. AIR maintains a portal with the locations/schedule and coverage maps
https://prasarbharati.gov.in/drm-digital-radio-of-air

Initiatives for adding support in the ICE for cars seems to have died down. e.g, I don't see the DRM support in Hyundai Exter. I request new car owners to check out the Radio settings and see of it exists.