Fun times this morning in Central GA

[DJK_31904]

While driving to work today, I noted a couple very good tropo catches. The window was HUGE, ranging all the way from Panama City Beach (SSW), to South Carolina, and the Ohio Valley (NNW). I was getting nothing, though, from areas west of me. If I weren't in such a hurry this morning, I would've taken time to ID a lot more stations.

105.7 "The Bull" WZOM Defiance, OH (6kW @ 603 miles)
88.5 "Family Radio" WFCH Charleston, SC (25kW @ 300 miles)
105.9 "Island 106" Panama City, FL (50kW @ 168 miles)

All but the 100kW Columbus locals were wiped out this morning, and even those suffered a lot of interference once I was about 25 miles from the city.

 

[Lawppy]

You got WZOM from GEORGIA!!?? All I can say to that is WOW....

That is one impressive tropo catch there.

Now i'm mad because I live about 55 miles away from Defiance (as the crow flies) and I only got slight enhancement from Toledo, Indianapolis and Chicago. Why couldn't I get Georgia? *GRRRR*

Anyways. Congrats on the killer tropo catch DJK.

http://michradio.blogspot.com<P ID="signature">______________
Lawppy.. Southern Michigan FM DX Freak
712 stations and counting</P>

 

[PoughkeepsieDXer]

> While driving to work today, I noted a couple very good
> tropo catches.
>
> 105.7 "The Bull" WZOM Defiance, OH (6kW @ 603 miles)

Are you certain it wasn't WIBL-105.7 "The Bull" from Augusta? WZOM would seem very very unlikely where you are. <P ID="signature">______________
Chris from Poughkeepsie
DX Enthusiast for more than 40 years
http://hometown.aol.com/dx1ng</P>

 

[gr8oldies]

Gotta agree, 6kW from Ohio on tropo is a bit unlikely. I've only heard WZOM a couple of times from Dayton. If the frequency was open, 50 kw WDFM 98.1 certainly would have been heard..as well as other Northwest Ohio signals (100.5 Findlay, 103.7 Tiffin). <P ID="signature">______________
Greetings from Ohio-where the governor wants everyone to know he's sorry.</P>

 

[DJK_31904]

> Are you certain it wasn't WIBL-105.7 "The Bull" from
> Augusta? WZOM would seem very very unlikely where you are.

More than likely you're right, since a lot of the Augusta stations were booming in as well. I normally don't jump to conclusions, but "The Bull" from Augusta didn't pop up in any of my preliminary web searches. Perhaps I should be a little more thorough?

I can confirm, though, that my best and by far luckiest catch was back in July, 90.1 WRUV from Burlington, VT (1040 miles). This was confirmed by hearing the request line phone number, and by a reception report to the station's engineer. He could hardly believe me because his station only runs a maximum 360 watts (licensed for 460) and barely covers the city of Burlington with any kind of listenable signal. But he agreed, that it was his station that I heard! It only lasted for about 45-60 seconds, but came in crystal clear when I heard it.