I am no stranger to tropospheric catches; however, actual e-skips are a different ball game. Should I just check the hepburn map and try to scan through the dial?
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How do you dx the FM band?
- Thread starter fordranger797
- Start date
I think the Hepburn map you are referring to is the Tropo map site. Tropo only.
I am not an FM DXer, the only FM DX I've heard was accidental and tropo, but I have read a few posts by FM DXers and I think some of them use the DXMaps site, checking the 6 meter map: http://http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php
DXMaps is a site that has a way of showing reception in the various ham bands. The one with activity that seems to be closest to the FM band is the 50 Mhz / 6 meter map (there is an "FM DX" map on the site, but I rarely, if ever, see any activity on it).
There may be other sites used, maybe some FM DXers here can help with that. But the DXMaps site will at least give you a clue as to E layer DX activity.
I am not an FM DXer, the only FM DX I've heard was accidental and tropo, but I have read a few posts by FM DXers and I think some of them use the DXMaps site, checking the 6 meter map: http://http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php
DXMaps is a site that has a way of showing reception in the various ham bands. The one with activity that seems to be closest to the FM band is the 50 Mhz / 6 meter map (there is an "FM DX" map on the site, but I rarely, if ever, see any activity on it).
There may be other sites used, maybe some FM DXers here can help with that. But the DXMaps site will at least give you a clue as to E layer DX activity.
I use this specific part of those DX maps.
http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=MUF&ML=M&Map=NA&DXC=N&HF=N&GL=N
If you see a spot in the 90-110 MHz range (or higher) roughly 400 to 500 miles from your location, you can check the radio but more often than not, you won't hear any E Skip because the height of the Es cloud can vary.
You will much more likely get some E Skip if there are two or more of these Es cloud markers together.
But even if you see a little cluster at the right distance only in the 50 to 90 MHz range, you should still check FM.
I've had many of my FM E Skip catches when the map showed that kind of thing with nothing actually showing on the map within the FM band range.
http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=MUF&ML=M&Map=NA&DXC=N&HF=N&GL=N
If you see a spot in the 90-110 MHz range (or higher) roughly 400 to 500 miles from your location, you can check the radio but more often than not, you won't hear any E Skip because the height of the Es cloud can vary.
You will much more likely get some E Skip if there are two or more of these Es cloud markers together.
But even if you see a little cluster at the right distance only in the 50 to 90 MHz range, you should still check FM.
I've had many of my FM E Skip catches when the map showed that kind of thing with nothing actually showing on the map within the FM band range.
As regulars here are aware, I'm basically an AM DXer. But occasionally, I'll take a stab at FM.
To get more to the point of the thread, back in the days before HD & Cable, what would get me on to the FM band was when I started seeing bars on low-band VHF channels on my analog TV. Next step would be to check the most vacant low-band TV channel, which at my location was channel 3. If there was DX there, I'd quickly also get onto the FM band.
And even now, as a frequent traveler, if I'm on the upper floor of a hotel and someplace away from loads of local signals, I usually will find time to sample what might be out there on the FM band.
To get more to the point of the thread, back in the days before HD & Cable, what would get me on to the FM band was when I started seeing bars on low-band VHF channels on my analog TV. Next step would be to check the most vacant low-band TV channel, which at my location was channel 3. If there was DX there, I'd quickly also get onto the FM band.
And even now, as a frequent traveler, if I'm on the upper floor of a hotel and someplace away from loads of local signals, I usually will find time to sample what might be out there on the FM band.
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