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How do you DX the FM dial?

F

fordranger797

Hello everyone,

This is a bit of an embarrassing question, as I've been an avid radio and broadcast engineering buff for years, but can anyone tell me how to DX using a troposphereic map? I find it interesting that so many people on this board have been able to record instances involving FM e-skip. My knowledge of how all of this stuff works ends with the AM dial, and I would love to learn how to do the same with FM. So far, I've been able to catch multiple instances of "tropo," but never an actual skip. How would I go about doing this?
 
You can check for e-skip on this map:
https://www.dxmaps.com/spots/mapg.php?Lan=E
The map shows what the maximum usable frequency is for each location. E skip is relatively rare in the FM band compared to lower frequencies. This is part of the reason FM was moved to 88-108 mhz from where it was at 42-50 mhz, where Eskip is common on the lowest TV channels.
Dx receptions are logged here:
http://dxworld.com/tvfmlog.php
When many people log reception, try checking empty frequencies for stations. When you receive and ID a station, post it so that others can know that Eskip or tropo is occurring.
 
I have 88.1 set on the second tier of my car pre-sets. It has a distant signal from WUTC, Chattanooga, TN but I can easily tell if something's brewing E Skip wise, since the lower frequencies are where it starts.
 
Yup, DXmaps and TVFM log for me. I am nearly always on the TVFM log from May through August. Here in Ellensburg I've already logged 23 new stations on Eskip.
 
Remember, E-skip isn't as prominent here west of the Cascades, or in other parts of the country. At least not at FM frequencies. The only FM DX I've ever heard was tropo.
 
Nope, it's not as prevalent but this year has been rather decent. So maybe there will be some really good openings out to western WA as we go on. A DXer I know in Laramie WY picked up Seattle and Victoria FMs last month, including the 99.7 CBUF relayer in Victoria. Here I was getting Wichita and Hastings NE, but I wonder if I was still living on the westside, if I could snag KUWR and other WY/CO FMs in that opening. I heard 91.9 Laramie several times when I lived west of the Cascades, and KAZY-93.7 Cheyenne was also common too with their hard rock format.
It also helps that I only have a small smattering of locals here, and a few unnullable semi-locals (it would take the mother of all Eskip openings to wipe out KFFM no matter how multipathed they sound). Seattle FMs are just static here except for occasionally KIRO 97.3, and of course the tropo and airplanes scatter the Tiger Mountain stations and KPLZ here and there. Even up to Roslyn and Ronald (less than 50 miles from Tiger) they are barely or never there. The End? The Wolf? Never heard of it. There are multiple spots in town where 92.1 and 98.5 Victoria are there always, probably knife-edge scattering over Mt. Stuart.
 
Thank you for the replies!

It sounds like I should keep an eye on the online troposphereic maps, and check some of the lower frequencies on the FM dial. Living in western Washington, it sounds like logging any instances of credible e-skip will be difficult, but I would love to try. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of open space on the lower end of the FM dial, but I will try.
 
Also, curse the FCC for not keeping the FM band at 42-50 MHz.
That would have provided skip every summer but much less tropo ducting.
 
Not a regular FM DXer, but curious! So, what I'm looking for on the MUF ES map is an MUF of >87 at my location, correct?
 
You are looking for shortening 6m paths. Preferably WITHOUT the FT8/Digital tab. That skews the Es clouds because it's weak signal prop. CW/SSB is the best way to check, or just check the nearest open or semi-open channel to 88.1 mhz.
 
I’ve been wondering about this as well. It looks like the domain expired, but something else might be going on. Besides the FM page, this is affecting the AM, SW, NDB, and UHF pages as well.
 
Word has it that it will return soon as a log-in site. The site op was upset about the trolls and non-DX conversations that were growing over the months and years.
 
crainbebo said:
Word has it that it will return soon as a log-in site. The site op was upset about the trolls and non-DX conversations that were growing over the months and years.
Click to expand...

Good to know. Meanwhile there has been no e-skip in my area since June 12 - not even a single fade-up.
 
Does this count as a DX?

While scanning through the radio dial the other night, I was able to pick up KCRX from the Oregon coast in the Seattle area. Initially, I wrote off this station as being the result of tropo, but after further consideration I think this could be evidence of a DX. Regardless of whether or not this is an official DX or not, it still was surprising to hear in the Seattle metropolitan area, especially with a strong signal on 102.5 in the market. Would anybody like to weigh in? I think this catch is somehow "more cool" if it IS the result of tropo, simply because it's a relatively low powered station located at a pretty significant distance away from my region.
 
Tropo scatter no doubt. I never heard KCRX 102.3 from my old Seattle-area locations. But they were always loud and stable on trips to the Washington Coast (i.e. Pacific Beach, Moclips). Wonder if it's still possible since KSWW went HD. Out there I had stable signals from Lincoln City/Newport FMs as well, the strongest being KCRF 96.7. I could go right out to the beach and right at the waves, 96.7 was full stereo at 150+ miles, same with 100.7 and to some extent, 102.7, albeit KYTE moved to an inland site recently to rimshot into Salem/Corvallis.
 
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