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No tropo yet and it's getting into the peak time for it too

gar hi

gar hi

We're getting into that time of year here on the west coast of Florida where the FM band usually lights up with stations from different parts of the state and other Gulf coast states but I haven't heard anything yet.

I think the El Nino weather pattern we've been having all winter and still are having is the reason.

This time of year, we usually have high pressure sitting over the region for days at a time and that's what's great for tropo DXing but the pattern so far has been a string of moist low pressure systems passing by from the west and it's been so much colder than average too.

Next week, it looks like we will get above average warmth and maybe that also means a return to typical tropo reception as well.

Now that I have a radio with great FM reception, I'm ready for some catches this year. My Sangean even has the RDS function which should come in real handy in getting station IDs.
 
I got some good tropo today,, Chicago booming into the Indianapolis south suburbs.
 
Mid West Clubber said:
I got some good tropo today,, Chicago booming into the Indianapolis south suburbs.
Click to expand...

That just goes to show how localized it can be. From the NW suburbs of Chicago, no evidence of tropo today. However, we've already had a couple of good days and it's quite early. From here, it seems to either bring in western Michigan or (during lesser events) Milwaukee area signals are enhanced and I can even get Sheboygan.
 
Ive gotten Philly tropo last week from about 80 miles away and Atlantic City, about 100 miles away. Nothing really unusual
 
Back when I used to live in New Jersey and we would go down to the shore in Beach Haven during the summer, it was very common to hear some FM stations from as far away as eastern North Carolina and even in the middle of the day when tropo usually is at it's weakest.

I used to assume the ocean had a direct influence on how far an FM signal travels but it doesn't. I think it only helps to enhance atmospheric weather conditions that can help the signal.
 
I did a little FM scam around 10:15 this morning and going up the dial, there didn't seem to be much of anything except I heard a weak hip hop station on 99.1 struggling with the stereo mode and I could only hear it with the antenna in one specific position.

They said something about Ft. Lauderdale and then said "locations all over South Florida".

It was WEDR from Miami. A catch of 205 miles!

Here is their radio locator coverage.

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WEDR&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

By 10:30, the station was completely gone. I should have done a scan much earlier.

For some reason, Miami area FM stations are a rare catch here in Tampa unlike the ones from Jacksonville when the conditions are ripe.
 
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