Radio Reception in East Wakefield, NH

[wpxt]

I brought my Grundig G6 with me when I went to my Aunt's camp on the water today and tried to see what I could pull in for stations. Anyways here is what I got. I didn't try any stations below 92.1 though.

FM
92.1 WPHX Modern Rock Sanford, ME (FNX)
92.5 WXRV AAA Haverhill, MA (925 The River)
92.7 WOXO Country Norway, ME
93.1 WMGX Hot AC Portland, ME (Coast 931)
93.3 WNHW Country Belmont, NH (933 The Wolf)
93.5 WMWV AAA Conway, NH (Music Without Boundaries)
93.9 WARX Contemporary Christian Lewiston, ME (Air 1)
94.1 WFTN CHR Tilton, NH (Mix 94-point-1 FM)
94.3 WCYY Modern Rock Biddeford, ME
94.9 WHOM AC Mount Washington, NH
95.3 WSKX CHR York Center, ME (Kiss 95.3)
95.7 WZID AC Manchester, NH (New Hampshire's 95-point-7)
95.9 WPEI Sports Radio Saco, ME (WEEI Sports Radio Network)
96.3 WJJB Sports Radio Gray, ME (The Big Jab)
96.7 WQSO News/Talk Rochester, NH (967 The Wave)
97.5 WOKQ Country Dover, NH
97.9 WJBQ CHR Portland, ME (Q 97-dot-9)
98.3 WLNH Hot AC Gilford, NH (98-point-3 LNH)
98.7 WBYY AC Somersworth, NH (98-point-7 The Bay)
98.9 WCLZ AAA North Yarmouth, ME (Different Is Good)
99.1 WNNH Classical Henniker, NH (WBACH)
99.3 WBQQ Country Kennebunk, ME (999 The Wolf)
99.5 WEVJ NH Public Radio Jackson, NH
99.9 WTHT Country Auburn, ME (999 The Wolf)
100.1 WPNH Modern Rock Plymouth, NH (Planet 100-point-1)
100.3 WHEB Rock Portsmouth, NH (The Rock Station)
100.9 WYNZ Classic Hits South Portland, ME (Big Hits Y 100-point-9)
101.1 WGIR Active Rock Manchester, NH (Rock 101)
101.5 WWHQ Classical Meredith, NH (WBACH)
101.9 WPOR Country Portland, ME
102.9 WBLM Classic Rock Portland, ME
103.7 WPKQ Country North Conway, NH
104.5 WVMJ Hot AC Conway, NH (Magic 104)
104.7 WBQW Classical Kennebunkport, ME (WBACH)
104.9 WLKZ Classic Rock Wolfeboro, NH (104-point-9 The Hawk)
105.1 WTOS Active Rock Skowhegan, ME (105 TOS)
105.3 WSHK Classic Rock Kittery, ME (The Shark)
105.5 WJYY CHR Concord, NH (105-5 JYY)
105.7 WLKC AAA Campton, NH (925 The River)
105.9 WBCI Religious Bath, ME
106.3 WHXR AOR Scarborough, ME (106-3 The Bone)
106.5 WNHI Contemporary Christian Farmington, NH (Air 1)
106.7 WXTP Catholic Talk North Windham, ME (The Presence)
106.9 WSCY Country Moltonborough, ME (106-point-9 FM New Hit Country)
107.1 WERZ Hot AC Exeter, NH
107.5 WFNK Classic Hits Lewiston, ME (107-5 Frank FM)
107.7 WTPL News/Talk/Sports Hillsborough, NH (107-point-7 The Pulse)

I also got 3 Lebanon, NH-Rutland, VT stations: 100.5 WXXK, 104.3 WWOD and 106.3 WHDQ. If anyone knows the area can you tell me if these stations would normally come in or if this was a tropo event. When I looked at google maps it looked like Lebanon, NH and Rutland, VT are line of site to East Wakefield and since the middle area of NH is mountainous maybe they would be regular signals.

 

[samw54]

Hi there. Interesting catches but I think these are pretty standard fare for your location in East Wakefield. Of course, being on the water certainly helped, but nothing was really far enough away to be a tropo opening. Now, if you started hearing a bunch of Rhode Island or Connecticut stations, or New York state stations coming in, or stations from Long Island or New Jersey, then you definitely would have been experiencing a tropo opening. Remember that this is the peak season for spiratic E reception as well, especially during periods of thunderstorm activity, so keep that in mind. Keep an ear out for stations in the central time zone or even further afield. Spiratic E openings are amazing when they happen. Sometimes they are very brief, but sometimes they can last for hours. It's wild to suddenly not be able to get your normal FM stations that you would normally listen to except for your most local stations, and all of a sudden hearing lots of stations from Florida, Texas or Louisiana coming in. The most frequent spiratic E comes from the south, but sometimes other directions can be noted as well. A friend of mine once heard a station here in the Toronto Ontario area coming in from Rapid City South Dakota.

Sam

 

[THE_VIKING]

It's been a while since I've been in that particular area of NH, but I'd argue your shots from the Upper Valley stations are probably unusual and may have had something to do with whatever was in the air that day. My observations are purely anectodal, bear in mind, though I have worked for both WHDQ and WWOD and I've always been a reception geek, particularly with Q106.

WHDQ (106.1 actually, not 106.3) has the best signal of the bunch, broadcasting from the top of Mt. Ascutney, Vermont after years on Green Mountain in Claremont NH. By the time you reach I-93 it's not a local but you can pick the station up reasonably well in Concord and Chichester, but you really lose it once you get past Epsom on Rt. 4. I've also had very listenable stretches of reception in Meredith, up to about Center Harbor along route 25. I can't say in the random spots I've tried to tune in along the Route 16 corridor that I've ever picked up Q106 that well at all. The easternmost catch I've ever had of WHDQ was Tamworth, that even that was a stretch... this was of course from the old Green Mtn site.

WWOD isn't nearly as powerful as WHDQ. (I'm actually surprised you didn't pick up the similarly-formatted WABK out of Augusta for a longshot on that side of the state.) Even travelling down I-89, you really lose WWOD anywhere SE of New London/Sutton.

Can't vouch for KIXX but I feel like their signal has a bit more oomph than what the radio-locator map shows.

 

[pqgeorge]

I'm familiar with the East Wakefield, NH area. My parents had a cottage on the eastern side of Belleau Lake (Belleau Boulevard) back in the 70's. My bandscan from 1976 looked like this..... Ford Car Stereo (Philco)

$=Stereo

88.5 $ WFCR, Amherst, MA (Classical, NPR)
89.7 $ WGBH-FM, Boston, MA (Classical, NPR)
90.1 $ WMEA-FM, Portland, ME (Classical, NPR)
91.3 $ WUNH, Durham, NH (college rock, album)
92.1 $ WSME-FM, Sanford, ME (oldies, Drake/Chenault)
92.3 $ WPRO-FM, Providence, RI (Top 40) common trop
92.5 $ WHAV-FM, Haverhill, MA (BM)
92.7 $ WOXO, Norway, ME (AC)
92.9 $ WEZF-FM, Burlington, VT (BM)
93.5 WBNC-FM, Conway, NH (//WBNC-AM)
93.7 $ WCGY, Lawrence, MA ("The Rock Garden")
93.9 WCOU-FM, Lewiston, ME (//WCOU-AM)
94.3 WIDE-FM, Biddeford, ME (//WIDE-AM)
94.5 $ WCOZ, Boston, MA (Album Rock)
94.9 $ WMTQ, Mt. Washington, NH (BM)
95.7 $ WZID, Manchester, NH (BM)
96.1 $ WSRS, Worcester, MA (BM)
96.5 $ WTIC-FM, Hartford, CT (Classical) common trop
96.9 $ WJIB, Boston, MA (BM)
97.5 $ WDNH-FM, Dover, NH (Country)
97.9 $ WDCS, Portland, ME (Classical, religious)
98.3 $ WLNH-FM, Laconia, NH (Top-40 //WLNH-AM)
98.5 $ WROR, Boston, MA (Oldies, "The Golden Great 98!")
98.9 $ WKXA-FM, Brunswick, ME (Country)
99.1 $ WPLM-FM, Plymouth, MA (BM, Big Band Sounds)
99.5 $ WSSH, Lowell, MA (BM)
100.1 WPNH-FM, Plymouth, NH
100.3 $ WHEB-FM, Portsmouth, NH (Top-40 //WHEB-AM)
100.7 $ WCOP-FM, Boston, MA (Country)
100.9 $ WRQN, Portland, ME (Top-40/album, "Rockin' 101")
101.1 $ WGIR-FM, Manchester, NH //WGIR-AM)
101.9 $ WPOR-FM, Portland, ME (Country)
102.3 WKXL-FM, Concord, NH (//WKXR-AM)
102.5 $ WCRB-FM, Waltham, MA (Classical)
102.9 $ WGAN-FM, Portland, ME (BM, "Stereo 103")
103.3 $ WEEI-FM, Boston, MA (Soft Rock)
103.7 WERI-FM, Westerly, RI ("Hit Parade") Drake/Chenault
104.3 $ WKME-FM, Gardiner, ME ("Hit Parade") Drake/Chenault
105.1 $ WTOS, Skowhegan, ME (AOR)
105.7 $ WVBF, Framingham, MA (Top-40/Rock)
106.1 $ WECM, Claremont, NH ("Hit Parade") Drake/Chenault
106.3 $ WJBQ-FM, Scarborough, ME (Top-40)
106.7 $ WBZ-FM, Boston, MA (Top-40) "Rockin' Stereo"
107.1 WKXR, Exeter, NH (//WKXR-AM)
107.3 $ WAAF, Worcester, MA (Rock)
107.5 $ WBLM, Lewiston, ME (Rock)
107.9 $ WWEL-FM, Medford, MA (BM)

Trops from Boston and Providence were almost nightly as well as Hartford. No sign of WXLQ 103.7 in Berlin, NH. WKNE-FM was also not very strong. WERI-FM from RI was almost always there. SO much has changed with so many new stations coming on the air after the late 70's. I'm sure the dial is all different now.

 

[Maine-i-ac]

Thanks WPXT and Peter for sharing these. It's always interesting to see what one can get. I have to go a few miles down the road to Caterpillar Hill and do one of these sometime.

 

[amguy]

Hi Maine-i-ac

Where you are you can only can ONE station....remember? AND, it's AM!

 

[samw54]

Wow, Peter Q. George, your 1976 nostalgic look at the granite state FM dial from about the same location as wpxt reminded me of my own granite state DX experiences during 1972-73 from Nathaniel Hawthorne College in Ahtrim where my room mate was a big fan of 97.5 WDNH (now WOKQ) in Dover. Also, from 1976 through 1983, I did some DX-ing at my grandparent's home in Bartlett, but because number 1 they were down in the valley and number 2, they lived in a mobile home, radio reception was not that great from there.
Most of what I got from Bartlett were a good number of the Portland stations, WKXO in Norway at 92.7, WLNH which was calling themselves "Stereo LNH" in those days at 98.3 and of course, WMTQ-WHOM Mount Washington and WIGY Bath-Brunswick. Once in a while, WCOP FM 100.7 (now WZLX) made it into the MOunt Washington Valley at night and during the early morning.

But Peter, your loggings seem so comfortably familiar to me, with wonderful old call letters like WHAV FM in Haverhill at 92.5 for example and WBNC FM at 93.5 in Conway, WMTQ MOunt Washington at 94.9, WDNH in Dover at 97.5, WROR 98.5 in Boston, WCOP FM in Boston at 100.7, WKXL FM in Concord at 102.3. That frequency has been silent in the Concord area for some time now, WGAN FM in Portland at 102.9 which has been WBLM for decades now, WEEI-FM which has been WODS for an equally long time, WECM 106.1 in Claremont which was originally WTSV FM and is now WHDQ, WVBF at 105.7 used to be WKOX-FM in Framingham, but now they are WROR. And then of course you are absolutely right, 106.7 used to be WBZ-FM, but they used to call themselves 'BZ-FM. I had nearly forgotten about WWEL, they've been WXKS for so long. And by the way, there's no way you would have ever heard the radio station in Berlin at 103.7 in Wakefield under either the WMOU or WXLQ call letters, because they operated with only 3kW of power, and their transmitter was right in Berlin, not on top of Mount Washington which happened later. But wow, peter, thanks so much for your recollections from this time period, obviously you and I were DX-ing at about the same time!

Sam

 

[pqgeorge]

Wow, Peter Q. George, your 1976 nostalgic look at the granite state FM dial from about the same location as wpxt reminded me of my own granite state DX experiences during 1972-73 from Nathaniel Hawthorne College in Ahtrim where my room mate was a big fan of 97.5 WDNH (now WOKQ) in Dover. Also, from 1976 through 1983, I did some DX-ing at my grandparent's home in Bartlett, but because number 1 they were down in the valley and number 2, they lived in a mobile home, radio reception was not that great from there.
Most of what I got from Bartlett were a good number of the Portland stations, WKXO in Norway at 92.7, WLNH which was calling themselves "Stereo LNH" in those days at 98.3 and of course, WMTQ-WHOM Mount Washington and WIGY Bath-Brunswick. Once in a while, WCOP FM 100.7 (now WZLX) made it into the MOunt Washington Valley at night and during the early morning.

But Peter, your loggings seem so comfortably familiar to me, with wonderful old call letters like WHAV FM in Haverhill at 92.5 for example and WBNC FM at 93.5 in Conway, WMTQ MOunt Washington at 94.9, WDNH in Dover at 97.5, WROR 98.5 in Boston, WCOP FM in Boston at 100.7, WKXL FM in Concord at 102.3. That frequency has been silent in the Concord area for some time now, WGAN FM in Portland at 102.9 which has been WBLM for decades now, WEEI-FM which has been WODS for an equally long time, WECM 106.1 in Claremont which was originally WTSV FM and is now WHDQ, WVBF at 105.7 used to be WKOX-FM in Framingham, but now they are WROR. And then of course you are absolutely right, 106.7 used to be WBZ-FM, but they used to call themselves 'BZ-FM. I had nearly forgotten about WWEL, they've been WXKS for so long. And by the way, there's no way you would have ever heard the radio station in Berlin at 103.7 in Wakefield under either the WMOU or WXLQ call letters, because they operated with only 3kW of power, and their transmitter was right in Berlin, not on top of Mount Washington which happened later. But wow, peter, thanks so much for your recollections from this time period, obviously you and I were DX-ing at about the same time!

Sam

Thank you Sam! Yes, it was a great time for DX'ing, not only on the FM side but on AM and TV as well! At night, the AM band was alive with signals from all corners of the country! Loved listening to the big ones like WABC/770, WLS/890, CKLW/800... ah the list goes on and on. On the TV side we'd always get the semi-locals like WCSH/6, WMTW/8, WMUR/9, WENH/11, WGAN/13 and WMEG/26. During the analog days, 26 was the best of them all, except for WMTW with its' perch atop Mt. Washington!

During trops, on practically every night during the summer we'd get WGBH/2, WBZ/4, WCVB/5, WNAC/7, WSBK/38 and WLVI/56. WTIC/WFSB-3 from Hartford was a visitor on occasion! But during the summer, we always got those beautiful sporadic-E openings that..... practically was a daily occurrence. During my stays in East Wakefield I've seen perfect color pictures from WSB-TV (2/Atlanta), KGLO-TV (3/Mason City, Iowa), WOI-TV (5/Ames, IA), CBWFT (3/Winnipeg, MB), WCCO-TV (4/Minneapolis, MN), WTTV (4/Indianapolis, IN), CKPR (3/Thunder Bay, ON) and so many others. How I miss those days of analog e-skip. Thanks for your nice comments and I hope to hear from you again soon. 73, Pete