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Tropospheric Ducting?

H

Hal9000

I was able to tune in 94.3 WTIX-FM yesterday morning (2/21/20) from approximately 6:00 AM till 10:30 AM. WTIX is a New Orleans based oldies station with a transmitter approximately 212 miles away from my location in Central Louisiana. There was a clear and strong signal until it completely faded out. Nothing has been heard since, even a closer station on the same frequency.

I have been trying to determine how this was possible. My home is roughly 100 feet above sea level. The WTIX tower is 981 feet above sea level. It is definitely not within line of sight.

Would this be an example of tropospheric ducting?
 
Hal9000 said:
I was able to tune in 94.3 WTIX-FM yesterday morning (2/21/20) from approximately 6:00 AM till 10:30 AM. WTIX is a New Orleans based oldies station with a transmitter approximately 212 miles away from my location in Central Louisiana. There was a clear and strong signal until it completely faded out. Nothing has been heard since, even a closer station on the same frequency.

I have been trying to determine how this was possible. My home is roughly 100 feet above sea level. The WTIX tower is 981 feet above sea level. It is definitely not within line of sight.

Would this be an example of tropospheric ducting?
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It sure seems like it to me.
 
Yes, reception of distant stations is usually caused by tropo ducts. I'm about 70 miles away from WTIX and their signal was very strong with no static and in stereo on Saturday night/Sunday morning. Usually they are rather weak at my location. Many other stations were also enhanced.
 
Where we vacation on the beach near Pensacola, several New Orleans FM stations are clearly listenable via tropo as often as not, Especially in summer. Conditions vary. Sometimes, they'll be in all day. Sometimes they'll disappear for a few hours, or even a day or two. Distance involved is about 135 miles.
 
Easy peasy Tr. Try in the spring and late summer. Gulf tropo can be absolutely nuts sometimes. Openings from NW FL to Miami are NOT uncommon. Nor is south Texas, or Tamaulipas.
 
I lived in Arkansas, about 20 miles north of Pine Bluff, from 1977 to 1980. Every spring and summer, there'd be several nights when stations from the Gulf Coast would roll in, with a rock station in Pascagoula, Miss., the strongest.
 
Every Summer in the Sacramento Valley in the Mornings I can pick up 98.1 KISQ from San Francisco, Then it fades about 10am, It comes back at night
 
When I lived in Kuwait few times a year, tropo ducting would allow me to hear FM stations from Bahrain, Qatar, and UAE, full quieting on the FM receiver in my truck. I had a few of the presets set for a handful of FM stations in that region and I'd scan going to and from work.
 
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ContinuousWave said:
Good catch! WTIX and sister KWMZ, which is lower power, share the same tower way south of NOLA...friend of mine is their engineer.
CW
iheart NOLA CE ;)
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Growing up in New Orleans back in the 60’s, I listened to 690 AM which had the WTIX call letters. I understand the owner of the current FM WTIX has tried to copy the format of the original AM station. I enjoyed listening a couple of days ago. It brought back good memories.
 
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