FM DXing Question about Panama City Beach

[charlestondxman]

I remember when I was in Madeira Beach (near St. Petersburg) a few summers ago on a high-rise, and I had Mobile on 99.9 and 104.1 nearly the entire time. I think the farthest I got was WMXS Montgomery on 103.3. I also had enhancement from the south bringing in Jacksonville and Savannah signals.

 

[Poledo]

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.

Look for WKGC.
GC 90.7's morning music show is the best thing on radio in central time zone Florida right now. Like a better version of 92Zew.

 

[ftballfan]

Back in March I spent a week in Orlando. I had a south-facing second floor room. Over the week, I got almost all of the Fort Myers-Naples area stations along with several Miami and West Palm Beach stations

 

[tomservo]

Look for WKGC.
GC 90.7's morning music show is the best thing on radio in central time zone Florida right now. Like a better version of 92Zew.

I don't think I've heard that but one out twice. By far the most common thing on 90.7 besides the translator in Spanish Fort is WWOZ in New Orleans. I've had several nights this summer where it was rock solid and steady from midnight until near sunrise.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

So does a salt-water path give FM stations the same acceleration it gives to AM stations?

On the *AM* band, up on Long Island's south shore, WBOF 1550 Virginia Beach, WTYD 1270 Norfolk, and even the more distant (450 miles or so) WOBR Outer Banks NC on 1530 were regular daytime catches.

But it took a detectable 'tropo' to hear FM stations from South Jersey, DelMarVa, Norfolk, etc.

 

[tomservo]

The only benefit is it's perfectly flat terrain so there's nothing to block an FM signal, but nothing really to enhance it either.

 

[charlestondxman]

So does a salt-water path give FM stations the same acceleration it gives to AM stations?

On the *AM* band, up on Long Island's south shore, WBOF 1550 Virginia Beach, WTYD 1270 Norfolk, and even the more distant (450 miles or so) WOBR Outer Banks NC on 1530 were regular daytime catches.

But it took a detectable 'tropo' to hear FM stations from South Jersey, DelMarVa, Norfolk, etc.

AM saltwater is different from FM because of the 5000 ground conductivity. Tropo happens on FM all summer here in SC, but during the late fall and winter, it's mostly normal conditions. I get about 100 miles on a normal day. I can hear Savannah signals at about 90 miles year round but it's tough to get farther during the winter without special equipment.