Massive FM Band Opening Sunday Afternoon in Memphis

[DeadElvis]

Hope some of y'all caught this...

This afternoon the FM band was awash with huge signals, many from South Florida and Cuba. Without a doubt, this was the best crop of signals we had in all Summer on FM. It lasted for hours.

On the way home from the station, I heard local-quality signals from Miami, The Palm Beaches, Orlando, etc., many of which were in HD (one station, WPOW/Miami, was the first station I have received with an HD3). Havana on 96.7 was solid with its glistening mono signal.

Doubtless, the door swings both ways. Perhaps Floridians were treated to Kix106's NASCAR coverage, and Kim's generic glory. Who knows?

Might this happen again tomorrow? 'Tough to tell, but, keep an ear out.

DE

 

[mikl73]

i missed it

I'm yet to catch a good opening this year. The work schedule isn't favorable for DX'ing.

 

[DeadElvis]

Sorry you missed it; it was fun.

I was just LUCKY. I was on the air yesterday, and was watching it come up on the loggers, kicking myself for missing it. I did sneak to the parking lot a time or two, and heard it strengthening.

Apparently, as soon as I got in the car at 2pm central, it bust wide open -- more stations than I could ID. I just let the radio scan, and waited for HD text to pop.

When I got home, I went on the ham bands, so the FM went on without me.

DE

 

[Bob Brame]

Fascinating stuff DE...thanks. Wish I'd heard that.

Many, many years ago...40 or so...WREC got a call from a loyal listener who always kept his bathroom radio set on 600. While packing for a trip to...the Bahamas I think...he unplugged the radio and threw it in a bag. When he arrived at his destination hotel, he unpacked and placed the radio in the bathroom. Yep, no place like home for this guy who turned on the radio and was shocked to hear the top of the hour ID, "WREC, Memphis", followed by CBS news. Dad told me that story...maybe AT can confirm.

 

[Tynosaur]

Sorry, Bob, I can't call that Bahamas story to mind. I do remember DX requests from Germany and Belgium and from New Zealand and the Solomons on a regular basis. WREC's old Sportsline show had a regular caller from Waycross, GA, who listened to a clear signal every afternoon . WREC's nighttime pattern always nulls toward Baltimore and Des Moines due to a couple of grandfather clause stations in those markets at 600 khz so I-40 east around Arlington and I-55 north about Turrell drop way off. On the other hand, you can pick up WREC pretty well at night on Bourbon St. in NOLA. It's always been fascinating to me to hear about skips and unusual reception, particularly on the AM band.

On an earlier board posting, "DXing on KWAM ", I related the last dx report request I ever received...from a Japanese fellow who monitored KWAM when I was C.O.O. there. I was real impressed until I saw where he was when he heard those 450 watts of night pattern power...the Peabody Hotel!

 

[DeadElvis]

> It's always been fascinating to me to hear about skips and unusual reception, particularly on the AM band.

Here's one, not unlike the Bahamas story above...

My senior year in High School, I went with a group of folks down to Honduras on a mission trip. It was 1982 (gosh, I am getting old), and the Falkland Islands War was going on. Being a curious sort, and a British citizen, I wanted to keep up. So, I took a Radio Shack TRF radio (remember those?) with me.

The first hot, steamy night in San Pedro Sula, I tried to find a good strong US station for a newscast. To be sure, stations were there, with varying degrees of signals. WWL was one of the first stations I found. As I continued flipping, I found a VERY strong ad for Coca-Cola. "Clearly American," I thought. The tag on the end of the spot mentioned by "Coast Coca Cola Bottler," followed by the ID: WROA/Gulfport, one of my locals! At just 5 kW, it was by far the strongest US station there. Sure; it's only 5 kW, but it's an 8-tower directional, straight south just a few miles off the beach, right down the throat of Honduras. ERP, baby!

DE

 

[Tynosaur]

So, I took a Radio Shack TRF radio (remember those?) with me.

That made me go look on top of a bookcase just now where resides a Radio Shack Model 12-655 Long Range TRF Circuit AM radio (Made in Taiwan!). I bought it for my father back in the '70s and, after his death in '97, I put it on that bookcase. Still works just fine!

Which reminds me of my first shortwave radio - bought it on Beale St. in a pawn shop about 1966. One of the first things I heard on it was a Henry Mancini piece on a South African program called "Melodies From the Veldt", I think. I had this instant image of the African plain and that music playing and it seemed like I was actually there. I love checking shortwave to this day, but I've never been struck by anything since that entranced me so.

 

[bev hart]

I remember seeing a letter from a gentleman in Guam who had picked up WREC...AT, I think you were in possession of said letter...

 

[radiosaur]

DXing has really taken a hit with the deregulation of the power companies and the proliferation of Wi-Fi and such. Those rare far off stations are a real find nowdays among all the background noise.