How likely is FM tropo between Hawaii and the west coast?

[gar hi]

I've read that it has happened and is more common than one would expect but that's all.

I ask because we've been in a growing unusually dry pattern with the trade wind rains shut off and that kind of dry stable pattern over the Gulf often meant to look for tropo reception when I was in Florida.

The Tropospheric Ducting Forecast forecast for the Eastern North Pacific has been looking more encouraging by the day.

http://dxinfocentre.com/tropo_enp.html

Nothing unusual showing up on FM yet but I will keep checking, of course.

So does anyone have any experience with this or know any more about it or am I getting my hopes up for nothing.

 

[MarioMania]

It would be uncommon gar

 

[davideduardo]

It would be uncommon gar

It is more likely to happen from the mainland to Hawaii than Hawaii to the mainland. There are dozens of paths at different headings from Hawaii to North America, but only a single narrow one from the Continent to Hawaii.

 

[gar hi]

So if there's a duct created by an inversion layer, the signal path is only in one direction?

I had thought that if you could hear stations from a certain location that they could also hear your local stations, as is the case with E Skip.

 

[boombox4]

If the two meter guys can receive it, so should you be able to.... but it may take a beam antenna, 'cause that's what they use, if memory serves.

PS, what I think Mr. Eduardo means is you'd have more stations in a broader swath of tropo territory on the Mainland to choose from as potential hot spots -- some areas may be better affected by tropo than others, just 100 miles away. Hawaii is a much narrower target for the right conditions than the coast of California. 100 miles N or S of Honolulu is nothing but ocean.

 

[davideduardo]

So if there's a duct created by an inversion layer, the signal path is only in one direction?

I had thought that if you could hear stations from a certain location that they could also hear your local stations, as is the case with E Skip.

No. As Boom said, there is a broad arc from Hawaii to points on North America... about 150° from Oaxaca to Alaska. If there is not a duct at one angle, there are more possibilities. But from the mainland, there is only one narrow beam to Hawaii.

 

[gar hi]

Now, I see what you are saying.

Thanks.

 

[Kelly A]

Back in the late 80's this actually happened to me. I had recently completed construction on an NCE station in Seattle, KNHC 89.5Mhz taking them up to 10kW ERP. Three weeks later was literally sitting on the beach in Kauai tuning around on one of those cheap FM stereo radios with headphones (not a Walkman). Ironically I was able to hear KNHC 89.5 from Seattle in perfect stereo like it was a local. Mind blown. The following day, nothing.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

Back in the late 80's this actually happened to me. I had recently completed construction on an NCE station in Seattle, KNHC 89.5Mhz taking them up to 10kW ERP. Three weeks later was literally sitting on the beach in Kauai tuning around on one of those cheap FM stereo radios with headphones (not a Walkman). Ironically I was able to hear KNHC 89.5 from Seattle in perfect stereo like it was a local. Mind blown. The following day, nothing.

Surreal. Did you think you were dreaming?

Have you ever tried to get a station that's really rare to hear or have never heard before, tuned the radio, turned the antenna, and heard it? Good new topic.

 

[MarioMania]

Anything is Possible

 

[Ai4i]

So if there's a duct created by an inversion layer, the signal path is only in one direction?
I had thought that if you could hear stations from a certain location that they could also hear your local stations,
as is the case with E Skip.

I am also confused.
You would need to be at the termination point on the west coast to receive HI,
but if you were in HI, you could receive stations from wherever along the west coast they originate.
Height is also important, it is easy to be too low or especially too high and be outside of the duct
BTW...tropo is much more pronounced on high VHF and especially UHF, so try a TV with a big antenna.
It is even more pronounced on the L band, but oh I forgot, DAB is only for civilized places!

 

[gar hi]

Back in the late 80's this actually happened to me. I had recently completed construction on an NCE station in Seattle, KNHC 89.5Mhz taking them up to 10kW ERP. Three weeks later was literally sitting on the beach in Kauai tuning around on one of those cheap FM stereo radios with headphones (not a Walkman). Ironically I was able to hear KNHC 89.5 from Seattle in perfect stereo like it was a local. Mind blown. The following day, nothing.

Wow, that's encouraging!

I looked at the map again now and there's a weak front passing through the state which is supposed to have some precipitation, so no hopes for any tropo in the near future.

Oh, well.