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Tropo Recently

R

RedSox2004

Hello all. I am a longtime lurker, first time poster.

I am an activer DX'er. I live in South County. For those of you that like to DX on FM, did you find this August and even into this month to be one of the best tropo seasons in recent memory? I am interested in comparing notes with fellow DX'ers.

For about a week in late August, it was easy to pick up southern NJ. I heard "Cat Country 107.3" regularly. I also heard that same station on Friday night.

Just wondering if anyone else has had such good luck with tropo.
 
I haven't paid much attention to tropo signals in a long time. I picked up a Florida station from Rhode Island a long time ago. About a year ago I got a tropo signal on my TV when WYNW Fox 5 New York showed up. I think I already had a 5.1 and 5.2 showing up on my TV from Boston. The New York station neatly placed itself on 5.3 without any interference of the Boston station. Digital signals are cool. They are crystal clear no matter how far they travel.
 
I didn't have much time in August to do any DXing, but June and July were some of the best months I've had in years in Eastern CT and RI for Tropo and E-skip. If you're on Facebook, check out the FM DX watchdogs group. There are some great posters on there from New England, and I've caught a few openings I didn't know were happening through posts on the board.
 
I'm in Natick, MA, and I actually got some extreme tropo a couple of weeks ago. I got some NJ and Philadelphia radio stations, and I was able to get WNYW Fox 5 as well. I probably can't get 107.3 because of WAAF, but I did get a station from Wilmington on 99.5 WJBR.
 
I didn't think June and July were all that great for tropo or e-skip. August was totally different. My best catch was 98.9 in Salisbury, MD. I also picked up Philly once. I heard 104.5. But southern NJ stations were the most frequentry visitors.

I don't know if there is anything to it, but when there is tropo, it always seems to come from one direction. If stations from the north blast in, then I will pick up very little from the south. And vice versa. Two weeks ago, there was a great northbound opening. I caught 107.5 "Frank FM" from Portland, ME. That overpowered WFCC on the Cape. And I heard some of the W-Bach stations.

Thanks for the Facebook tip.
 
When I lived on Cape Cod, Tr was strong in 2002 & 2003. Numerous nights brought in Virginia Beach as well as northeastern North Carolina, including the OBX. I believe it was during the summer of 2002 when I received a call from a listener in Virginia Beach who was listening to my afternoon show on WCIB (Cool 102).
 
FWIW, I listen to 102.7 down in Narragansett Pier a LOT (for the obvious reason) and I've noticed a definite trend that it covers a lot more of the northern Bay area (including Providence) much, much better when it's above 85 degrees F outside. Even just in the difference of temps between day and night would have an observable difference in how clearly 102.7 "comes in" at my house in East Providence.
 
One time I was driving in the Naragansett region. I was at one of those beaches down there. I was tuned in to Pro-Fm. I was at a stop light and hit a dead spot in the Pro-FM signal. Pro-FM faded out and 92.3 K-Rock from New York came in. I don't think it was tropo. I just think I happened to find the one small spot in Rhode Island where Pro-FM was weak and it allowed the New York station to come in.

I found the exact same type of weak spot at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Connecticut. Park in the parking lot facing the water and 94 HJY will fade out and you'll get 94.1 WYSP in Philadelphia. It happened to me enough times where I don't think that was Tropo either. But an interesting case of how you'll occasionally hit certain spots just right and get amazing reception.

Please note that both cases were right next to water. As we all know Reception is always good on the beach.
 
Skynet, I still think that you are describing tropo. When tropo is active, it will overtake even local stations. I have never heard NYC's 92.3 over 92 Pro FM, but I have heard many much more distant stations overtake semi-locals and even locals at times. I have a lot of examples. Since you mentioned Narragansett, 106.1 WCOD comes in like a local. There were many nights last month that WBLI from Long Island blew out WCOD. On 100.7, WZLX comes in like a local most days and nights. This summer, I picked up a southern NJ station on that frequency. And one time, Power 105.1 in NYC blew out Lite Rock 105.
 
RedSox2004 said:
Skynet, I still think that you are describing tropo. When tropo is active, it will overtake even local stations. I have never heard NYC's 92.3 over 92 Pro FM, but I have heard many much more distant stations overtake semi-locals and even locals at times. I have a lot of examples. Since you mentioned Narragansett, 106.1 WCOD comes in like a local. There were many nights last month that WBLI from Long Island blew out WCOD. On 100.7, WZLX comes in like a local most days and nights. This summer, I picked up a southern NJ station on that frequency. And one time, Power 105.1 in NYC blew out Lite Rock 105.
Click to expand...

Well the time I got K-Rock over Pro-Fm it was only in one little spot. There was no traffic. So I backed up and received Pro-FM again. Then I would move forward a bit and then K-Rock came in. I repeated this about three times. That is not typical tropo behavior. Usually with tropo you don't have any control over what comes in. However when you start aiming your antenna in different directions and can control the reception, that seems to be good old regular reception to me. I believe I was far enough away from Pro-FM where the signal became weak enough to allow a booming K-Rock to shoot across Long Island sound. I happened to hit it just right.


As far as HJY fading out and pulling in WYSP in Philly, it was during daylight hours and I did it the same way. I angled my car a little differently and depending on how I aimed it either HJY came in or WYSP was received. Once again that is not typically how tropo works. This is how I came to the conclusion that the water was working to my advantage and I happened to find a couple of sweet spots for these signals. The HJY/YSP thing happened on 3 different occasions months apart. If anybody lives in the Madison Connecticut area or are visiting town, go to Hammonasset Beach State Park and try it for yourself. Pull into the parking lot closest to the water and park in a space as close to the water as possible. Should be easy. I think they only have that one parking lot. Tune in 94.1 and angle your car a few different ways. I am telling you with almost 100 percent certainty that this is not tropo and you will be able to receive WYSP like a local. I know that it's 190 miles from Philly. But the path of that signal must be mostly over water or something. Each and every time I went back I tried this with the exact same result.


For the record, it looks like WYSP is no longer a Rock station and now simulcasts 610AM WIP. Reception results should be no different. I think they operate with the exact same power as they did when they were a rock station.
 
Just this Saturday, when it was pretty darn toasty out there, I was annoyed by how much WWFS was blowing away co-channel WRNI-FM while on Block Island. Even though BI is maybe 15-20 miles from WRNI-FM but more like 150-175 miles from the Empire State Building. Those over-water paths are incredible when the weather's hot.

I brought a Sony XDR-F1HD (the best FM tuner of the modern age) and a simple dipole thinking it'd be a snap to get WRNI, but I just couldn't get stable reception no matter what I tried. Now, if I had a proper yagi instead of that useless dipole, I'll bet that would've solved the problem. I'll also bet if I'd gone back out on Sunday, after the front came through and things cooled off quite a bit, WWFS wouldn't be nearly as powerful. But neither bet is much consolation to your average listener who's very confused by all the interference to a station who's 60dBu almost covers the island.
 
Skynet, you very well might be right. I have never found anywhere in RI where 92 Pro-FM is weak. But I am sure that a place like that exists.

Aaron, I have never had much luck DX'ing on Block Island. The local signals - like WVEI-FM and WJZS tend to jam the entire dial. With a better radio, is it possible anywhere on Block Island to get New Jersey 101.5 over B-101?
 
To nitpick, there are only two "local" signals that actually transmit from Block Island: WCRI and WJZS.

In theory, signals like WRNI-FM, WVEI-FM and probably WRIU are "local" but they're all transmitting from the mainland. Well, and the AM's...like 1230 in Westerly...all tend to come in quite well on Block Island thanks to the saltwater path.

Other than 95.9 and 99.3, in theory you can DX almost anything out on Block Island...IF you have the right antenna; namely a good high-gain yagi, or perhaps a log periodic. Most RI signals on the mainland should be at a right angle to most of the NYC/NJ signals so it ought to work well. But when it's hot out all bets are off; the over-water paths can totally go either way...either wiping out the "local" signals or wiping out the DX ones.
 
RedSox2004 said:
Skynet, you very well might be right. I have never found anywhere in RI where 92 Pro-FM is weak. But I am sure that a place like that exists.
Click to expand...

PRO-FM has weak spots up in Cumberland on the opposite side of Diamond Hill, and on the RI/Mass line not far west of 146. But that's so much terrain shielding. Otherwise it is definitely one of the top 5 signals in the state, RF wise.
 
Necrat said:
PRO-FM has weak spots up in Cumberland on the opposite side of Diamond Hill, and on the RI/Mass line not far west of 146. But that's so much terrain shielding. Otherwise it is definitely one of the top 5 signals in the state, RF wise.
Click to expand...

At the South County beaches it is about 35 miles away from Pro-FM's tower. I believe that is far enough away to allow Pro-FM to weaken enough so that it's vulnerable to other stations on 92.3. Those New York FM's travel nicely along the water of Long Island sound. This is why K-Rock was able to overtake Pro-FM in one particular spot. Now if I was only 10 or 15 miles away from Pro-FM I would say NO way. But at 35 miles away Pro-Fm has already lost half it's power.
 
Skynet, from east or south-facing Rhode Island beaches, I always found it easier to pick up coastal NJ stations than NYC stations. In addition, Long Island stations also have been easier to catch. The only two NYC stations I have ever picked up from a Rhode Island beach are 107.5 WBLS (overtaking WFCC on the Cape) and Q 104.3. However, I have an extensive list of stations I have heard from Long Island and New Jersey, including Cat Country 107.3 (I think an earlier poster mentioned it) and SoJo 104.9.
 
I remember one instance years ago when driving around Exeter that 92 PRO-FM was battling with then 92.3 K-Rock, although PRO-FM was the clear winner. However, that same night WBRU was defeated by WPLJ. In fact, a number of instances WPLJ emerged victorious. Then WNEW would also take out then WPJB or WAKX. When 100.3 Middletown was WZRI/Z-100 playing mostly 80s music, Z-100 from New York overtook one evening, leaving a date of mine wondering why "her 80's station" was now another PRO-FM.

Jacko
 
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