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E Skip season is here

If u are in Texas, Mexico & Central America would be easiest (you bagged Guatemala already). I recommend this site, and see the country and logo pages:

www.tvdxtips.com

Warning: Mexico TV is a pain to try to ID!

cd
 
I'd say that height, as far as sporadic-E, is not as much a factor as height would be for Tropospheric catches. However, I will say this----

With no more analog full-power TV stations in the US, I'd think any height would help....in fact, I think it would help in catching one of the few low-band DTV stations that exist. I caught my first two DTV stations via sporadic-E this week (WCYB DT5 in VA, WHBF DT4 IL).

I don't think you will have to overdo it on height, though. Just make sure you have a proper antenna that is made to catch those elusive chs 2 to 6 signals!

Wednesday was a banner day for sporadic-E, but it's been nearly bone dry the last 2 days. Here's a site I recommend, with it's own "channel 2 cam" which reloads every 10 seconds....

www.dxfm.com

cd
 
I own a CM3020! I have received some great Tropo on it, and it is low-cost---however, it seems to only perform well on upper VHF & UHF. As far as FM & ch 2-6, the jury may still be out.

I also own, for trips, the Radio Shack VU90XR, but it has been discontinued. I cannot vouch for performance, but check this out---price decent too:

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...ntenna-(4BG26)&c=TV Antennas&sku=716079000505

www.solidsignal.com is great for answering questions. Just be specific in what you are trying to "catch"!

cd
 
That website "solidsignals.com" led me to find a large AM loop similar to the Wellbrook 1530 in design and appearance and I may get that later this year.
 
cd637299 said:
I own a CM3020! I have received some great Tropo on it, and it is low-cost---however, it seems to only perform well on upper VHF & UHF. As far as FM & ch 2-6, the jury may still be out.

I also own, for trips, the Radio Shack VU90XR, but it has been discontinued. I cannot vouch for performance, but check this out---price decent too:

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...ntenna-(4BG26)&c=TV Antennas&sku=716079000505

www.solidsignal.com is great for answering questions. Just be specific in what you are trying to "catch"!

cd
Click to expand...
I also have a VU90XR and I am trying to do DTV Es.
 
My CM3020 + amp caught the 2 DTVs, but for some reason, analog Es just don't come in as well with it as I think they should. Often I get better response with my FM antenna!

Soon I plan to put up the VU90XR temporarily and run a cable to the TV to see which antenna performs best for 2-6. i will have to take it down when I am done, because the neighborhood will look ugly!

I live in a mobile home, so I can't be elaborate!

My 2 antennas can be seen here:

http://tvdxexpo.com/dunnedtv/cdantennaa.jpg

cd
 
I think I had something yesterday while walking to my brothers at 98.5, I was hearing KRXQ trying to come in..they were plying "Nothing but a good time by Poison..

Then an Commercial was booming for a sec..then it faded..

I wasn't worth making a new thread yet
 
cd637299 said:
My CM3020 + amp caught the 2 DTVs, but for some reason, analog Es just don't come in as well with it as I think they should. Often I get better response with my FM antenna!

Soon I plan to put up the VU90XR temporarily and run a cable to the TV to see which antenna performs best for 2-6. i will have to take it down when I am done, because the neighborhood will look ugly!

I live in a mobile home, so I can't be elaborate!

My 2 antennas can be seen here:

http://tvdxexpo.com/dunnedtv/cdantennaa.jpg

cd
Click to expand...
Same here but mine is way taller than yours. I could see mine from the intersection FM 51 and County Road 3198. And I need guy wires since the wind here is crazy.
 
Last summer I posted that I thought I was picking up 99.1 the Planet out of Arizona while I was on the northwest side of Chicago. Three days last week, it happened again. Same station, same general area I got it. I know there was a lot of e-skip last week... but I am beginning to think that, as one person had speculated, I may actually have been listening to a pirate.

- The Planet's format is classic rock. So is this station -- but I once heard Cameo's "Word Up" and another R&B song. Not sure those fit in.
- The station came in very strong in a couple miles' radius... on the north end, Milwaukee's WMYX, also at 99.1, started cutting in.
- In all of my listening, at various times in the hour, I never once heard a station ID, no call letters, no location. Also, there were never any commercials.

I've tried checking 99.1 the Planet on the Web, but the station's web page doesn't really provide any information at all.

So did I get fooled?
 
Yes, I believe you got a pirate. KFMM The Planet 99.1 is 1333 miles according to Radio-locator, but when you got this pirate in late august last year, there was little E-skip.

-crainbebo
 
I did heard some E skip this evening, but the signals were weak. I identified only a couple--KHLL 100.9 Richwood, LA, WLMG 101.9 New Orleans advertising HD radio, and WKBU 95.7 also New Orleans, and a 101.7 playing Spanish, probably KTCY Azle, TX, NW of Dallas. No HD signals. I'm in VA.
 
E-Skip during the summer on the FM (VHF) and TV (VHF and UHF) bands helps to make up for the fact that AM skywave isn't quite as good during this time of the year.
 
E-skip dosen't effect UHF. The highest Es has been ever recorded is the 222 mHz ham band.

-crainbebo
 
crainbebo said:
E-skip dosen't effect UHF. The highest Es has been ever recorded is the 222 mHz ham band.

-crainbebo
Click to expand...

Okay, well there's tropo as well as E-skip. That seems more present this time of year as well. I have DX'ed UHF signals with the old analog television system. Also, once last summer, I was able to pickup a distant DTV station's "PSIP" id on its main and subchannels but not get any program content (video or audio). The station was "WSEC" in Jacksonville, Illinois, which is at least 100 air miles or so the the southeast of my location. WSEC, a PBS member station, broadcasts on its all-time digital channel 15 (both pre- and post-transition) in the UHF band but remaps to virtual channel 14 (its former analog assignment) via PSIP. Like I said, all I got was the PSIP data for all three of its subchannels but was unable to view or listen to any program content. Dx'ing digitally just isn't the same as with analog and it is a lot more difficult and, as I have recently said in other posts, I hope radio remains analog for as long as it can, and possibly permanently.
 
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