Is there a pattern of Es cloud formation that can predict an FM band opening?

[gar hi]

I've been keeping an eye on the DX Sherlock site this long weekend hoping for an E Skip opening on the FM band for reception here in Tampa but nothing so far.

However, I've seen many Es clouds well above 88 mhz form in the northeast, midwest, and out west.

Do the high frequency Es clouds have to start out at lower frequencies or can they suddenly appear?

I've noticed a pattern where the higher frequency ones sometimes appear where there are clusters of lower frequency ones.

 

[crainbebo]

Well it has to start on 10m. Then it climbs to the 6 meter band, then TV2/3/4/5/6 before reaching FM. Nowadays it's harder to figure out when Es is happening, because there is no such thing as WPBT or KMID on 2 anymore.

Use the TVFM Skip Log as I said
http://www.dxworld.com/tvfmlog.html
and check regularly for paths into AL, GA, or FL. If so, check the 88-92 portion.

-crainbebo

 

[gar hi]

My experience in the old days of analog TV has always been that it starts on channel 2 and then will often spread up sometimes to channel 6 and beyond but from watching the maps, it seems some of these high frequency Es clouds will appear suddenly.

Or I'm thinking that they could have started out at a low frequency and were not reported until they hit the much higher frequency.

 

[gar hi]

Early this morning when I first checked the DX Sherlock map, there was a cluster of Es clouds in the Gulf just below New Orleans with MUFs above 130 mhz.

Since they were roughly 500 miles away from Tampa, I rushed to get my radio and I was expecting to hear stations from eastern Texas.

But there was nothing. No E Skip to be heard at all.

Then a couple more Es clouds above 140 Mhz suddenly appeared just to the north of where the others were and again, nothing at all to be heard here even though the distance seemed perfect for a single hop to here.

I don't get this.

My E Skip catches from the past two years were possible because I was able to see Es clouds on the map the right distance from here and when I put the radio on, there was the E Skip too.

 

[cd637299]

Early this morning when I first checked the DX Sherlock map, there was a cluster of Es clouds in the Gulf just below New Orleans with MUFs above 130 mhz.

Since they were roughly 500 miles away from Tampa, I rushed to get my radio and I was expecting to hear stations from eastern Texas.

But there was nothing. No E Skip to be heard at all.

Then a couple more Es clouds above 140 Mhz suddenly appeared just to the north of where the others were and again, nothing at all to be heard here even though the distance seemed perfect for a single hop to here.

I don't get this.

My E Skip catches from the past two years were possible because I was able to see Es clouds on the map the right distance from here and when I put the radio on, there was the E Skip too.

I caught TX early this morning on TV & FM----but it was Tropo!! I'd think that you woulda had a shot at that!

cd

 

[gar hi]

When I was looking at the map and wondering why I was not getting any stations, I was thinking that maybe I was not quite in the right path of the skip and that maybe those to the east of me could be getting it.

Now I hear you got Texas, I bet that was not tropo you had but some steady E Skip from those clusters of Es Clouds I noticed.

My FM band had nothing unusual other than the Orlando stations coming in a little better than normal but nothing to write home about.

I even went out to tune my car radio which is much more sensitive than my portable and still nothing unusual on the empty or non local frequencies.

 

[cd637299]

Now I hear you got Texas, I bet that was not tropo you had but some steady E Skip from those clusters of Es Clouds I noticed.

You lose the bet! I did get KUHF 88.7 FM, but also:

KRIV DT 26
KIAH DT 38
WGMB DT45
KNVA DT49 (a relog of all things)

All UHF, of course....unfortunately for some silly reason I hit the REW button on the VCR, and all of KIAH is lost. However I will make a YouTube of KNVA switching with my local LD WLMF. Much of KRIV & WGMB are missing too. Waaaahhhh

cd

 

[gar hi]

You were right.

Right now, I'm getting stations from as far as Texas.

Unusual late afternoon tropo!

I don't know why I was not getting the tropo you were this morning. Weird.

 

[cd637299]

You were right.

Right now, I'm getting stations from as far as Texas.

Unusual late afternoon tropo!

I don't know why I was not getting the tropo you were this morning. Weird.

BAMKUP! ("By all means, keep us posted")

cd

 

[nd2023]

There is a Facebook group called "FM DX Watchdogs". So for those of you who are addicted to Facebook, you can get notified about e-skip that way. Much better than watching channel 2 and hoping it comes to life.