FM Dx'ing in the Outer Banks, North Carolina

[ScottBurns]

I will be making my first trip to the Outer Banks in a few weeks, and I was wondering how the FM DX'ing is there. Given the geography and the ubiquity of water, I would imagine that there are many DX'ing opportunities there. I'd imagine that it is quite easy to pick up some east coast Florida stations, as well as stations as far north as New Jersey. Anyone have any DX'ing experiences in the Outer Banks?

 

[BRNout]

Under the right weather conditions, you can definitely get some pretty good tropospheric ducting that can deliver FM stations from 200+ miles away. From nearby Virginia Beach during such conditions, I was able to receive stations from as far north as Salisbury, MD, Dover, DE and the southern tip of NJ - a considerable distance.

However, the real magic with salt water is AM reception. From the Outer Banks, you should be able to pick up AM stations - in the daytime - from as far north as New York and as far south as Florida! Bring your best AM radio, because that is an area where AM dxing is probably more interesting than the FM side.

 

[pbf1]

I used to puck up Minnesota, Texas, and Nova Scotia stuff there!!

 

[DeadElvis]

You'll have the possibility of tropo up and down the Coast. Timing, of course, is the key. But, the past few days, the band has been up, so perhaps you'll get lucky.

Sporadic-E should be starting anytime now. That could be fun. Being on the water isn't the issue, though. It's the Season.

If I were going there, I would take some 6 meter ham gear. That's a great location for multi-hop to Europe. Very nice.

DE

 

[ScottBurns]

Thanks for your help. My real passion is FM, and I love beach DX'ing. Some of my best DX'ing experiences have come on the beach:
1. I DX'd stations in Houston and New Orleans from Clearwater Beach
2. It's easy to DX San Diego stations when on any Santa Barbara beach
3. It's relatively easy to DX Ventura and Santa Barbara stations from most northern San Diego County/southern Orange County beaches
4. I've DX'd nearly all of the Hawaiian Islands from Hanauma Bay near Honolulu
5. I've DX'd as far south as the Outer Banks from Rhode Island's south coast
6. I've DX'd South Florida stations from my car while driving over the various Beltway bridges in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

 

[romer979fm]

2. It's easy to DX San Diego stations when on any Santa Barbara beach

actually...you can DX most San Diego FM all the way west to Gaviota State Park (where the 101 takes a sharp northward turn into the mountains).
the signal path is 100% over water...passing just east of Catalina and the Channel Islands).

 

[ScottBurns]

Now that I am back from the Outer Banks, I must say that I was disappointed with the FM DX'ing. Maybe I just hit it at the wrong time, but in the southern half of the Outer Banks - from Buxton to Ocracoke, it seemed that the National Weather Service station bleeded out a good chunk of the dial. While many of the northern-most North Carolina stations were clearly audible, I figured that I would have opportunities to DX stations from New Jersey all the way to Florida. Maybe under more humid, summertime conditions...

 

[pbf1]

It's not ALWAYS good. Just certain times. My experience was mainly in May....individual results may vary.

 

[Aljr]

I'm not an FM guy but I've been going to Ocracoke a couple of times year since I was a kid. From mindlessly twiddling the FM dial,hearing FM stations from Myrtle Beach,SC to the Norfolk area is normal,IME.

There's a rock station in Wilmington,NC that is a good indicator,IMO. If that thing is pounding in conditions are good.

I've got a friend who lives Morehead City,NC.,just off the southern Outer Banks. He says the tropo can be mindblowing when conditions are right.

I go there for AM. In the days of dawn to dusk operation,it wasn't unusual to hear trans-Atlantic dx on the car radio if the conditions were good. It's damned near impossible now except in mid-winter and a decent antenna.

 

[ScottBurns]

I just hit Ocracoke and Buxton at the wrong time. The National Weather Service feed was bleeding even some of the local stations out. The fact that the Outer Banks are surrounded by salt water, however, must mean that depending on the conditions, FM catches can be made on stations as far north as Maine and as far south as Florida.

There are other locations on the East Coast where such DX'ing is possible. From Narragansett, Rhode Island, I have DX'd as far north as Scarborough, Maine and as far south as West Palm Beach.

 

[PhoenixPark]

Visited the Outer Banks some years back, enjoyed the place and the DXing. Unless you're in the middle of a full-blown Tropo, FM ain't no big deal.

Considering a clear-shot saltwater path, I would make sure to bring the best analogue AM receiver available and try for some mediumwave European DX where the spacing between stations is 9 khz.! Tuned on an analogue radio, the giveaway that Transatlantic stations are audible is heterodynes appearing on known North American AM frequencies. Check the web for an excellent listing of European MW stations, and look for the ones running better than 100 kilowatts. If you find one sandwiched between known North American frequencies, you got a shot at lifting it out of the soup on the Outer Banks.

Happy DXing and enjoy OBX!