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E-Skip conditions this morning

J

JustinT

Around 9:15-9:30 this morning in MetroWest, started pulling in some strange stuff. In addition to the Cape signals coming in stronger than usual, I heard a variety of Mid-Atlantic signals. 104.9 WSJO "SoJo 104.9" from Atlantic City came in like a local, "New Jersey 101.5" relay 97.3 WXKW blew WJDF away, 92.5 WXTU from Philadelphia blew WXRV away, and some religious talk came through on 106.9 - pretty sure that was Philadelphia's WKDN. Also 106.5 WBMW and 101.3 WKCI from Connecticut, 102.1 WAQY from Springfield, 99.3 WJZS from Rhode Island, 105.3 WSHK from Portsmouth, and some classic rock on 92.7 that I can't quite figure out.

Anyone have anything similar?
 
It's been nuts the last few weeks... I seem to find on humid mornings the distant stations appear out of nowhere. I like DX'ing FM!
 
encarta95 said:
Around 9:15-9:30 this morning in MetroWest, started pulling in some strange stuff. In addition to the Cape signals coming in stronger than usual, I heard a variety of Mid-Atlantic signals. 104.9 WSJO "SoJo 104.9" from Atlantic City came in like a local, "New Jersey 101.5" relay 97.3 WXKW blew WJDF away, 92.5 WXTU from Philadelphia blew WXRV away, and some religious talk came through on 106.9 - pretty sure that was Philadelphia's WKDN. Also 106.5 WBMW and 101.3 WKCI from Connecticut, 102.1 WAQY from Springfield, 99.3 WJZS from Rhode Island, 105.3 WSHK from Portsmouth, and some classic rock on 92.7 that I can't quite figure out.

Anyone have anything similar?
Click to expand...

Generally, this is what is called tropospheric bending (or better known as "trops"). Trops are most common on evenings and overnights in the summer after high humidity and a hot day create a temperature inversion. The result, long distance reception, especially in the VHF and UHF ranges. FM (88-108 MHz) is in the spectrum between TV channels 6 and 7. The best time to get this is a few hours after sunset occurs. You'd be amazed on how far trops can bring in stations from afar. Unlike e-skip (with very brief openings), trops can bring TV viewing and comfortable FM reception for hours (and even days) at a time from hundreds of miles away. In fact, a DX viewer in Tulsa, Oklahoma picked up Boston's WSBK-TV (Channel 38) with full color back in 1978. On trops myself, I got full quieting Stereo from Family Life's WUGN-FM in Midland, Michigan at my home in Stoughton back in 1993. The distance....674 miles as the crow flies! Not too shabby.

The religious station you heard on 106.9 is WKDN (Camden, NJ). It's owned by Family Radio. I've gotten quite a few FM's from the Philly area over the years. Namely, WOGL/98.1, WUSL/98.9, WMGK/102.9, WKDN/106.9, WXPN/88.5, WWDB/96.5 (what ever they call themselves now) and WCHR/94.5 (when WJMN was off for maintenance). Try 93.7/WSTW from Wilmington, Delaware. It's probably one of the better signals from the Greater Philadelphia area.

Good luck and good DX'ing.
 
Last Night I Was Listening To The Radio And There Wasnt An Empty Spot On The FM Dial. I Know I Got A Station From Saracuse New York But I Dont Know What The Others Where
 
Eli Polonsky said:
Maybe WKVT Brattleboro, VT?
Click to expand...

Seems like that was probably it, or maybe WQDY 92.7 in northern Maine - didn't have time to stay and get an ID.

Peter Q. George (K1XRB) said:
Generally, this is what is called tropospheric bending (or better known as "trops"). Trops are most common on evenings and overnights in the summer after high humidity and a hot day create a temperature inversion. The result, long distance reception, especially in the VHF and UHF ranges. FM (88-108 MHz) is in the spectrum between TV channels 6 and 7. The best time to get this is a few hours after sunset occurs. You'd be amazed on how far trops can bring in stations from afar. Unlike e-skip (with very brief openings), trops can bring TV viewing and comfortable FM reception for hours (and even days) at a time from hundreds of miles away. In fact, a DX viewer in Tulsa, Oklahoma picked up Boston's WSBK-TV (Channel 38) with full color back in 1978. On trops myself, I got full quieting Stereo from Family Life's WUGN-FM in Midland, Michigan at my home in Stoughton back in 1993. The distance....674 miles as the crow flies! Not too shabby.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info... always seem to get the terms confused. I'm now clear on the difference between trops and e-skip, but are trops the reason that the big Cape signals (101.9, 104.7, 106.1) come in very well nearly every afternoon in the western suburbs? Or would that be something different? Thanks.
 
encarta95 said:
Thanks for that info... always seem to get the terms confused. I'm now clear on the difference between trops and e-skip, but are trops the reason that the big Cape signals (101.9, 104.7, 106.1) come in very well nearly every afternoon in the western suburbs? Or would that be something different? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes, tropo can just be enhancement within 50-100 miles. In addition to the evening, and night like Pete mentioned, I've also had some of my best tropo in the morning. The middle of the day tends to be the worst time of the day for tropo, so if you're getting it then, you know it's a hell of an opening.

This map is a great indication of current tropo conditions. It does have it's bugs once in a while, where you'll see a big teardrop, indicating a glitch in the software or someone's APRS setup (the ham radio system that is used to produce the map). Most of the time it gives a very accurate pictures of whats going on though.

http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/path.cgi?map=na
 
jlehmann said:
encarta95 said:
Thanks for that info... always seem to get the terms confused. I'm now clear on the difference between trops and e-skip, but are trops the reason that the big Cape signals (101.9, 104.7, 106.1) come in very well nearly every afternoon in the western suburbs? Or would that be something different? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes, tropo can just be enhancement within 50-100 miles. In addition to the evening, and night like Pete mentioned, I've also had some of my best tropo in the morning. The middle of the day tends to be the worst time of the day for tropo, so if you're getting it then, you know it's a hell of an opening.

This map is a great indication of current tropo conditions. It does have it's bugs once in a while, where you'll see a big teardrop, indicating a glitch in the software or someone's APRS setup (the ham radio system that is used to produce the map). Most of the time it gives a very accurate pictures of whats going on though.

http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/path.cgi?map=na
Click to expand...

All of this talk about DX'ing, trops and e-skip has convinced me to dig out some of my "big guns" of DX equipment, sitting dormant for a few years. Ah, yes! This was the equipment that helped me snag hundreds of FM stations in 36 states and 5 Canadian provinces since the late 80's. I tested it and it all works! ;D My arsenal.... a mid 1980's SONY STR-VX750 receiver modified with 110 kHz IF filters, a Channel Master Stereo-Probe 9 Yagi fed with RG-6 coax and an 18 db Realistic RF amplifier. Bring on the e-skip and the trops! I'm ready!

It's good to be home!

73,
-Pete
 
Around 8:15pm - driving in downtown Wakefield MA - picked up "Sunny 103.5". from Greenville, SC. Then got country music at 98.9, an announcer with a Southern twang, then actual call letters: WBAM. Montgomery, Alabama. Later, stations fighting it out at 98.9: WBAM, and WSPA in Spartanburg, SC (also near Greenville)..

Tropos are frustrating. So much activity, multiple stations coming in on each open frequency, but i can only monitor one frequency at a time. Feel like i'm "missing" something..
 
Research_Weenie said:
Around 8:15pm - driving in downtown Wakefield MA - picked up "Sunny 103.5". from Greenville, SC. Then got country music at 98.9, an announcer with a Southern twang, then actual call letters: WBAM. Montgomery, Alabama. Later, stations fighting it out at 98.9: WBAM, and WSPA in Spartanburg, SC (also near Greenville)..

Tropos are frustrating. So much activity, multiple stations coming in on each open frequency, but i can only monitor one frequency at a time. Feel like i'm "missing" something..
Click to expand...

Yesterday's event was actually E Skip, although some of it was very short. You guys will figure it out eventually!
 
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