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Best City in the U.S. to FM DX
- Thread starter ScottBurns
- Start date
Some places around the great lakes can be great for daytime DXing on FM; somebody already mentioned Newberry, Michigan. I remember many times on family vacations in Door County, Wisconsin, during the 80s, regularly pulling in Chicago and Milwaukee FM stations in broad daylight, as well as FMs from across Lake Michigan in the state of Michigan, both upper and lower. Like a lot of places, it's probably not that great nowadays -- a common theme.
K
kenrayc
Guest
This is not a particular spot ,but various spots in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Central CA, above the 5000 ft line which clear the coastal range, and not close to any of the antenna farms up there, In various spots, one being the entrance to Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks,I have picked up stations from Northern CA, San Francisco, Monterey, Los Angeles, The Central Coast, all Central Valley cities from Bakersfield to Sacramento, and Reno NV.
I'm sure this probably isn't the first time this was posted on this board but I thought I'd post it.
It's a tropo forecast prediction map going out several days too.
Click on your region near the top.
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo_eur.html
It seems pretty obvious how good tropo is over the oceans compared to land but it certainly isn't because the water itself conducts the FM waves as it does AM.
It's just that large areas of water often create the better atmospheric conditions.
Look out in the eastern Pacific on the forecast map site and it's almost constant between Hawaii and the west coast.
Someone earlier asked if it was possible to hear California FM stations in Hawaii and vice versa and I had assumed e skip was the only way but I've since done some reading and heard that tropo ducting between Hawaii and the west coast is very common as these maps suggest too.
It's a tropo forecast prediction map going out several days too.
Click on your region near the top.
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo_eur.html
It seems pretty obvious how good tropo is over the oceans compared to land but it certainly isn't because the water itself conducts the FM waves as it does AM.
It's just that large areas of water often create the better atmospheric conditions.
Look out in the eastern Pacific on the forecast map site and it's almost constant between Hawaii and the west coast.
Someone earlier asked if it was possible to hear California FM stations in Hawaii and vice versa and I had assumed e skip was the only way but I've since done some reading and heard that tropo ducting between Hawaii and the west coast is very common as these maps suggest too.
Interstate 64 around Williamsburg is an interesting place to DX. Several Raleigh-Durham, DC and Baltimore stations mixed in with Richmond, Hampton Roads, Fredericksburg and North Carolina's Outer Banks.
The Outer Banks is mentioned frequently as a great place for AM DXing, with the New York AMs coming in like locals with the salt water multipath.
South of the Outer Banks in Carteret County, NC (Bogue Banks or "The Crystal Coast"), there's great AM saltwater path from Jacksonville (WOKV, WBWL and 550 AM) and, to a lesser extent Miami, Florida (WIOD). In the days of analog TV, several of the Jacksonville TV stations could be seen here, too. On more than one occasion, I've driven along NC 58 around Salter Path (mid-island) and had Jacksonville's WSOJ 101.5 cut into WRAL-FM from Raleigh.
The Outer Banks is mentioned frequently as a great place for AM DXing, with the New York AMs coming in like locals with the salt water multipath.
South of the Outer Banks in Carteret County, NC (Bogue Banks or "The Crystal Coast"), there's great AM saltwater path from Jacksonville (WOKV, WBWL and 550 AM) and, to a lesser extent Miami, Florida (WIOD). In the days of analog TV, several of the Jacksonville TV stations could be seen here, too. On more than one occasion, I've driven along NC 58 around Salter Path (mid-island) and had Jacksonville's WSOJ 101.5 cut into WRAL-FM from Raleigh.
Charleston is a very good town to DX if you have good equipment, or even if you don't. With my car radio at home during the summer, I've been able to pick up stations from Orlando to Wilmington.
Most nights in the summer, since 96.1 moved to 95.9, I've been able to pick up the 96.3 in the Morehead City area, and Savannah/Hilton Head FMs (65-110 miles) are an almost constant occurrence. Columbia comes in often, and I cannot tell you how many times I've picked up Orlando in the car before.
Those stations have come in so many times. 105.9 and 105.1 can be nearly local here during some times throughout the summer, and I've heard most of the other 100,000 watt Orlandos, too.
Most nights in the summer, since 96.1 moved to 95.9, I've been able to pick up the 96.3 in the Morehead City area, and Savannah/Hilton Head FMs (65-110 miles) are an almost constant occurrence. Columbia comes in often, and I cannot tell you how many times I've picked up Orlando in the car before.
Those stations have come in so many times. 105.9 and 105.1 can be nearly local here during some times throughout the summer, and I've heard most of the other 100,000 watt Orlandos, too.
A
AustinTX
Guest
Had some really good stuff this past fall ontop of Sandia Peak in Albuquerque, NM while on a trip. Drove the wife nuts with my dx'ing but I had fun ;D
C
cd637299
Guest
Although not a city, 2 words: Florida Keys!
cd
cd
For a fixed/permanent DX location, I would rather not be on a mountain-top or some other area where you would have a dial full of distant pests.
With a permanent location in mind, I would look for an area with well-rounded tropo and Es possibilities. I would choose a rural area in the Southern half of Alabama or Mississippi, or the Panhandle of Florida. Specifically, somewhere around Apalachicola, FL (with a bit of distance from the high power transmitters there) would be ideal. This area of the US has abudant tropo, its typical Es range is fairly heavily populated, and the band is not completely full.
For a great tropo location, the Southern Texas coast is great. There's lots of open spots in the band, and tons of tropo around the Gulf Coast, and even into the mid-Southern states.
For a great Es location, I would pick the Panhandle of Texas, or western Oklahoma/Kansas. This area has a fairly open band, and the heavily populated areas in the Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southwest are all within the prime Es range.
With a permanent location in mind, I would look for an area with well-rounded tropo and Es possibilities. I would choose a rural area in the Southern half of Alabama or Mississippi, or the Panhandle of Florida. Specifically, somewhere around Apalachicola, FL (with a bit of distance from the high power transmitters there) would be ideal. This area of the US has abudant tropo, its typical Es range is fairly heavily populated, and the band is not completely full.
For a great tropo location, the Southern Texas coast is great. There's lots of open spots in the band, and tons of tropo around the Gulf Coast, and even into the mid-Southern states.
For a great Es location, I would pick the Panhandle of Texas, or western Oklahoma/Kansas. This area has a fairly open band, and the heavily populated areas in the Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southwest are all within the prime Es range.
C
cd637299
Guest
I love visiting Apalachicola/Carrabelle....but....they have been allocated a full power channel 3. What Apalachicola would wanna do with it is anyone's guess.
Aside from that, yeah, a great spot!
cd
Aside from that, yeah, a great spot!
cd
KG6VSW said:
Northeastern NM is teriffic for Es! Basically anywhere from Raton to almost Santa Fe features lots of open frequencies and distant horizons. I picked up Es (some stations for extended time periods) 4 out of 6 times I've driven along I-25 and was able to dx! Got stations from CA to TN on different occasions. That's what an open band will do for ya.
But the above comments bring up an excellent point: the "best" place depends on what you're looking for. A mountaintop with reception of stations from hundreds of miles away is pretty cool. However, if you're interested in what tropo and the oddball Es will do for you, you need to look in a different area. So, the ultimate answer is that it depends. The best Es places aren't the best tropo places and neither, as it turns out, are the best line-of-sight locations. But this thread sure is pretty darn interesting to read!
for reliable distant reception...Lookout Mountain TN/GA...(city is in both states).
find a parking place on the Covenant College campus and you have every frequency filled
(Atlanta-Knoxville-Nashville-Huntsville-Birmingham-etc). just moving short distances changes the
cast of characters greatly. I did this several years ago...and it took hours to sort 'em all out.
find a parking place on the Covenant College campus and you have every frequency filled
(Atlanta-Knoxville-Nashville-Huntsville-Birmingham-etc). just moving short distances changes the
cast of characters greatly. I did this several years ago...and it took hours to sort 'em all out.
As a Florida native, I have never had any luck with FM DX'ing from anywhere in the Keys. I have been to the Keys three separate times. Perhaps I just had no luck each time.
On the other hand, I have successfully DX'd several Keys stations from various locations in Florida. I have picked up several Keys stations from Siesta Key Beach, just south of Sarasota. I have also occasionally picked up Keys stations from I-595 W in western Broward County.
On the other hand, I have successfully DX'd several Keys stations from various locations in Florida. I have picked up several Keys stations from Siesta Key Beach, just south of Sarasota. I have also occasionally picked up Keys stations from I-595 W in western Broward County.
C
cd637299
Guest
@ScottBurns---Granted, I bring an outdoor antenna & tripod with me to the Keys. I try to avoid Marathon & Key West due to electrical noise/interference.
cd
cd
The only time I was ever in the Keys was back in the spring of 86. I stopped for the night in some little mom and pop motel about half way down with a TV that only had rabbit ears.
The tropo was great because I could get all kinds of stations competing with each other from Cuba to Miami to Tampa to even the panhandle. It was a mess (in a good interesting way) and no one station could come in with any stability at any given time.
The tropo was great because I could get all kinds of stations competing with each other from Cuba to Miami to Tampa to even the panhandle. It was a mess (in a good interesting way) and no one station could come in with any stability at any given time.
Last night was really good in the Charleston area. I was picking up 105.1 from Miami, mixing with Orlando, and Columbia stations at 97.5 and 106.7 were coming in at the same time, with 105.7 from Augusta coming in loud and clear next to our local 105.5.
Sunny from Orlando was also coming in really well. This happens most of the summer.
Sunny from Orlando was also coming in really well. This happens most of the summer.
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