ESkip in Catskills 6-31

[Steve Green NEPA]

If it weren't drizzling outside (where the reception is far better than the house) I might be able to ID a few more stations. But with what sounds like a change-from-oldies, WKRZ 107.9 from Sarasota was coming into here a few moments ago -- 6:40PM.

'Here' is Woodbourne NY, 35 miles or so north of Port Jervis. It came in via the Grundig S450.

Here's hoping others on on the earie this evening!

(I had been listening for a supposed 107.9 LPFM in somewhat-nearby Ellenville.

 

[Buckeyes2001]

I'm seeing an 84 MHz cloud above Kansas City on the maps but that's been it for now. Earlier today though, I had some odd reception on 98.9 here in Vermilion, OH. A weak WMXY got rather quickly overtaken by an unknown oldies station from somewhere playing 'My Guy' by Mary Wells. The signal was near-local sounding with very little static. The reception last for about a minute then it disappeared as quickly as it appeared and was back to a scratchy WMXY and then CHCD a few min later. This was all at around 10:50am EDT

 

[crainbebo]

No reports at the time from what I could tell. WSRZ is "The Greatest Hits". Nice job.

-crainbebo

 

[gar hi]

Steve, if you were getting E Skip from my area, that means I would have heard E Skip from up there had I been listening.

The DX Sherlock maps were virtually blank around that time and looked like winter so I didn't bother to check the radio.

I missed a good opportunity, see.

Maybe I will have to go back to the old fashioned way of checking for it.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

It sound be pointed out that there is no June 31st - the fake goddess Juno obviously could not lobby for 31 days in her month, unlike Julius and Augustus Caesar who both got 31 days in their months.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Quite confusing. I may/may not have mis-posted.

The 107.9 I heard in the Catskills sounded at first like 'TRZ'.

The second time I heard it -- they didn't say a 'W' -- was at the end of an interminable spot cluster.
That 'ee' sound always has been a DXer bane.

The only thing that stuck was 'RZ'. And so I posted. Some good cx may have been afoot, and that's the priority. At the time, the DXing area was at zero coordiates on that stagnant front/thunderstorm line. WSRZ Sarasota came first to mind.
No logbook with me ; no computer ; no 'taping' device.

And so I then suspected wKrz Wilkes-Barre PA. Maybe they had a relay-translator. But WKRZ has such a huge signal in the market ; why would they need a translator?

And on the drive back to home, there was nothing through Wilkes-Barre on 107.9 except some indistinguishable mix of whatever.

All I know is what I heard, lol. My apologies for any impresiceness.

 

[frankberry]

It would be helpful if everyone who posts in the DX section would put their location in their User Profile. It's sometimes difficult to figure out exactly where you are located.
Just a thought.

 

[Buckeyes2001]

There's WCRZ 107.9 in Flint, MI though I don't know what the odds would be of hearing it in the Catskills nearly 500 miles away.

 

[fybush]

And so I then suspected wKrz Wilkes-Barre PA. Maybe they had a relay-translator. But WKRZ has such a huge signal in the market ; why would they need a translator?

To reach the Poconos more clearly, where they simulcast on WKRF 107.9 Tobyhanna. It's all "98 KRZ" except at the top of the hour.

And on the drive back to home, there was nothing through Wilkes-Barre on 107.9 except some indistinguishable mix of whatever.

Correct - the WKRF signal doesn't reach the valley.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

There's WCRZ 107.9 in Flint, MI though I don't know what the odds would be of hearing it in the Catskills nearly 500 miles away.

I've heard WRCK 107.3 Utica, NY in Flint, so I'd say it is possible, but I'd expect it in late summer and early fall when there is a so called "high ceiling" for tropo which allows FM tropo in this range of distance.

 

[dx1ng]

Steve...

It was definitely WKRF-107.9 you heard. As Scott said, they simulcast WKRZ Wilkes-Barre, and ID only as "KRZ" except for legal ID once an hour. WKRF's transmitter is on Camelback Mtn in Big Pocono State Park. WKRF is a regular second on 107.9 here in Poughkeepsie, behind dominant WEBE-CT.

By the way, no E-skip was noted in this area evening of 6/30 - let alone top of band FM!

As for the low-power WELV in Ellenville, never heard them here. Their antenna is 400 feet BELOW average terrain, so coverage must be very limited. You probably have to be able to see their antenna to hear them. There antenna is on the top of the school, in the middle of town which is deep in a valley. Also, being a school station, WELV may also have been off the air on the Sunday evening when you were listening. (Who knows... they may be off the air for the summer).

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Thanks, folks.
Mystery solved.

Here it is from Radio-Locator.

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WKRF&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

@frankberry : I have relatives in Sullivan County, and the place is far from a DX hotspot anyway. Terrible noise; weak signals. So it is anything but my main 'den'.
But, for reference sake, on the WKRF map, you'll see the city Monticello NY at upper right, and a populated beige blotch just to their northeast. That's 'proximately the spot where WKRF 107.9 came in.
The main spot for DXing (our home) is found at the lower left on that map. We're near the 'r' in the words 'Mount Carmel' PA.

Lo, dx1ng ! Were you the one who heard the actual WSRZ Sarasota several years back? Mention was made of Poughkeepsie reception during that eSkip session ......

 

[dx1ng]

Steve.

I don't know if I was "the one" you refer to, but I did log WSRZ on the afternoon of July 6, 2004... during the best FM skip opening of the 10 years I've been actively DXing here. In fact, that day I logged 4 Florida FM's on 107.9... and a fifth two years later. Lots of Floridas logged during that 2004 opening. Today I sit at 147 Florida FM's logged here... the only state that beats Florida is good old New York with 253 logged. Florida and New York together account for 1 of every 4 FM loggings here in Poughkeepsie, NY.