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FM DXing Question about Panama City Beach

I heard Power 97.3, and I heard it relatively strongly. This was on Saturday morning. I know the station is licensed to Bainbridge, GA. But I wasn't sure if it is a reliable pick up.

You are 150 miles east of Panama City and WABD is still a local? I couldn't pick up WABD anywhere east of Panama City. Nonetheless, WABD is a powerhouse. I remember picking it up in New Orleans in the pre-translator days.
 
I heard Power 97.3, and I heard it relatively strongly. This was on Saturday morning. I know the station is licensed to Bainbridge, GA. But I wasn't sure if it is a reliable pick up.

You are 150 miles east of Panama City and WABD is still a local? I couldn't pick up WABD anywhere east of Panama City. Nonetheless, WABD is a powerhouse. I remember picking it up in New Orleans in the pre-translator days.

East? Oh, I'm an idiot. I meant west. I'm halfway between Pensacola and Mobile.

Sorry about that. I'm about 13 miles from the WABD transmitter site, so it's usually blotting everything out from 97.3-97.7 but the other night I heard 97.3 from Albany and 97.7 from somewhere... I know it wasn't Panama City because I've been told it is off the air due to lightning. Not sure what I was hearing. Sounded like AC or soft rock. Probably KDLC Dulac, La. I've heard it a few times recently.
 
WJIZ, 96.3 out of Albany is another station out of the Albany area that I have picked up in PCB on more than one occasion. What's strange is that 96.3 is a tough pick up in Tallahassee, which is 60 miles closer!!
 
WGEX 97.3 Bainbridge-Albany should still be easy to pick up in PCB. An uncommon combination of an odd transmitter location, terrain, and clear co/adjacent channels make it work. It hasn't been long since 97.3 ran commercials for Mexico Beach and Alligator Point businesses.
On the other end, 107.9, 98.5, 97.7 and 92.5 out of PCB boom into Bainbridge like locals and the locals listen. I think ABC 13 and NBC 7 out of PCB are still on cable in Bainbridge. 7 & 13 come in as locals on our tv antennas in Bainbridge.
 
the other night I heard 97.3 from Albany and 97.7 from somewhere... I know it wasn't Panama City because I've been told it is off the air due to lightning. Not sure what I was hearing. Sounded like AC or soft rock. Probably KDLC Dulac, La. I've heard it a few times recently.

97.3 from GA was strong in P'cola recently. I heard 97.7 too but never got a local commercial or ID. It must be 100kw KDLC because almost all other 97.7's are class A stations, as WYYX Bonifay used to be.
 
WJIZ, 96.3 out of Albany is another station out of the Albany area that I have picked up in PCB on more than one occasion. What's strange is that 96.3 is a tough pick up in Tallahassee, which is 60 miles closer!!

A nice ridge called Curry Hill divides Tallahassee and Albany causing the FM/TV interference. Curry Hill doesn't mess with signals west of the Appilachcola River.
I've got a large antenna at a house on top of Curry Hill. I can clearly pick up most big stations from Orlando to Macon to Montgomery to Mobile.
 
A nice ridge called Curry Hill divides Tallahassee and Albany causing the FM/TV interference. Curry Hill doesn't mess with signals west of the Appilachcola River.
I've got a large antenna at a house on top of Curry Hill. I can clearly pick up most big stations from Orlando to Macon to Montgomery to Mobile.

Try for 97.1 from Gainesville, GA. It has spotty reception along I-10 in Lake City, FL with nothing but a 31 inch whip.
 
It was back in the Eighties when we had a family reunion/vacation at a place in New Port Richey. That's north of Clearwater about 25 miles. I borrowed the Folks' rental car and idly drove up and down US 19 looking for pictures or souvenirs. Something called Power 96 or Power 96.5 was there on the car radio, from Louisiana. I didn't 'count' it on my meagre FM 'totals' list, but noted it anyway.

Two questions:
Obviously, it was not normal reception that afternoon. A Power 96 from Louisiana is not going to show up in the Tampa-St. Pete ratings.
But what kind of enhancement might it've been?
And is there a notable saltwater-path effect that benefits FM the way saltwater does for AM? The closest SE Louisiana point to New Port Richey goes maybe 450 miles, all of it across the Gulf.

Tia!
 
Tropo along the north east gulf coast is almost a daily occurrence. Any FM, even low power FMs, from Key West to Mexico come in. Not being able to pick up a couple FMs from over 250 miles away is unusual.
 
I've had the same thing happen between Gulf Shores (AL) and Tampa on FM back in the 90's.

This year I have been specifically looking for summer tropo and haven't heard anything more than about 150 miles out. It's been very disappointing.
 
This year I have been specifically looking for summer tropo and haven't heard anything more than about 150 miles out. It's been very disappointing.

Translators.
Yep.
Translators.

Also more inland tropo from Montgomery, B'ham and Mississippi this year for some reason.
El Niño?
 
Translators.
Yep.
Translators.

Also more inland tropo from Montgomery, B'ham and Mississippi this year for some reason.
El Niño?

Who knows. I've heard Montgomery, Jackson and even Greenwood, Mississippi more than I have Baton Rouge or Tallahassee.

My friend in Florence has heard Wyoming and Mexico with nothing more than portable or table top indoor radios this year. I'm jealous!
 
You know my location.
Panama City and New Orleans regulars have been rare this summer. Inland Alabama and Mississippi reception is abnormally strong.
I think it's translators on 100kw New Orleans and PCB area frequencies. Remember what the 94.5 translator in FWB did to WFLF-FM's signal?

Picking up Tallahassee is a treat. Their stations can barely cross into the central time zone. It's been that way since FM overtook AM.
 
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You know my location.
Panama City and New Orleans regulars have been rare this summer. Inland Alabama and Mississippi reception is abnormally strong.
I think it's translators on 100kw New Orleans and PCB area frequencies. Remember what the 94.5 translator in FWB did to WFLF-FM's signal?

Picking up Tallahassee is a treat. Their stations can barely cross into the central time zone. It's been that way since FM overtook AM.

Yeah, that Tallahassee catch was my first time in five years as far as I can remember. They are rare.

Panama City is much more common. WFLF is what I hear more than anything on 94.5 here, with the Dixie station in Jackson, AL being common as well. Other common PC freqs I hear on good nights are 89.1, 98.5, 99.3, 101.1, 103.5, 105.1, 105.9 and 107.9. I think I've heard 95.9 and 100.1 a few times as well, but those are more rare since they are on local HD sideband freqs.

It's nice to hear them waft in but I don't really consider them 'DX' so much since they're really not too far away. Ditto New Orleans for me, although it's much rarer to hear anything from there.
 
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