Tropo? Reception from Foley/Gulf Shores, AL 03-20-12

[tomservo]

Good semi-local DX this morning and yesterday morning. Here's a combined list for the two days of what I was able to get from Foley and Gulf Shores, Alabama, about halfway between Mobile, AL and Pensacola, FL. I didn't include any stations from those markets, Fort Walton Beach or Biloxi/Gulfport because those are easy regular catches here.

I've only lived here about a year so I'm not sure if it's tropo that's bringing in stuff from the inland north or not.

88.1 - WMAW - Meridian, MS - MPB/Public ** over Pensacola class C local **
88.9 - WILF - Monroeville - Religious (Life FM)

89.7 - WZKM - Waynesboro, MS - Religious (AFR)

92.1 - WJMG - Hattiesdburg, MS - Urban ** over Mobile local class C3 **
92.3 - WRKN - New Orleans, LA - Rock
92.3 - WLWI - Montgomery - Country
92.5 - WPAP - Panama City, FL - Country ** over local 250 w translator **

93.3 - WQUE - New Orleans, LA - Urban ** over FWB semi-local **
93.5 - WMLV - Meridian, MS - Religious (K-Love)
93.9 - WJAI - Jackson, MS - Religious (Air 1) ** on 1st adjacent to local class C **

94.3 - WTIX - New Orleans, LA - Oldies ** on 1st adjacent to local class C **
94.5 - WFLF - Panama City, FL - Talk
94.5 - KSMB - Lafayette, LA - CHR ** reception on early Mon. morning only ** RDS
94.5 - WHOD - Jackson, AL - Classic Hits ** RDS

95.5 - WJDB - Jackson, AL - Country ** RDS
95.5 - WTVY - Dothan - Country
95.5 - WHLH - Jackson, MS - Gospel ** reception on early Mon. morning only **
95.9 - WRBA - Panama City, FL - Classic Rock ** on 1st adjacent to local class C running HD**
95.9 - WBBN - Taylorsville, MS - Country ** on 1st adjacent to local class C running HD **

96.3 - WUSJ - Jackson, MS - Country ** on 1st adjacent to local class C running HD ** RDS
96.7 - WKXN - Greenville - Urban ** RDS
96.7 - WCKK - Walnut Grove, MS - Country
96.7 - KCIL - Morgan City, LA - Country
96.9 - WDJR - Dothan - AC
96.9 - KZMZ - Alexandria, LA - Rock ** RDS

97.1 - WEZB - New Orleans, LA - CHR ** RDS
97.1 - WOKK - Meridian, MS - Country ** RDS
97.7 - WYYX - Panama City, FL - Talk ** on 1st adjacent to local class C **

98.5 - WYLD - New Orleans, LA - Urban AC ** on 1st adjacent to local class C ** RDS
98.5 - WFSY - Panama City, FL - AC ** on 1st adjacent to local class C **

99.3 - WMFC - Monroeville - Oldies ** RDS
99.3 - WEBZ - Panama City, FL - Urban
99.3 - WHER - Heidelburg, MS - Country
99.5 - WRNO - New Orleans, LA - Talk

100.3 - WNSL - Hattiesburg, MS - CHR

101.1 - WYOO - Panama City, FL - Talk
101.1 - WNOE - New Orleans, LA - Country
101.3 - WJDQ - Meridian, MS - CHR ** on 1st adjacent to local class C running HD **
101.9 - WLMG - New Orleans, LA - AC ** RDS partial

102.1 - WRQO - Monticello, MS - Talk (Supertalk?)
102.5 - WJKX - Ellisville, MS - Urban AC ** on 1st adjacent to local class C **
102.9 - WMSI - Jackson, MS - Country ** on 1st adjacent to local class C **

103.3 - WMXS - Montgomery - AC
103.3 - WZKR - Collinsville, MS - Country
103.3 - WCDV - Hammond, LA - Country ** RDS
103.5 - WAKT - Panama City, FL - Country
103.7 - WFFX - Hattiesburg, MS - Classic Rock

104.5 - WXRR - Hattiesburg, MS - Classic Rock
104.7 - WZZK - Birmingham - Country

105.1 - WASJ - Panama City, FL - Variety Hits
105.1 - WJDX - Canton, MS - Classic Hits
105.3 - WBFZ - Selma - Urban
105.3 - WWL - New Orleans, LA - Talk
105.9 - WILN - Panama City, FL - CHR

106.1 - WMTI - New Orleans, LA - Sports ** full quieting Mon. morning over semilocal class A from Pensacola ** RDS
106.3 - WZLD - Hattiesburg, MS - Urban
106.5 - WOCY - Carabelle, FL - Hot AC ** over local class c2 **
106.7 - WKMX - Enterprise - Hot AC
106.7 - KMEZ - New Orleans, LA - Classic Urban
106.7 - WSTZ - Jackson, MS - Classic Rock
106.9 - WBPT - Birmingham - Classic Hits
106.9 - WEXR - Meridian, MS - Nostalgia

107.7 - WFXX - Georgiana - AC
107.9 - WPFM - Panama City, FL - CHR

 

[crainbebo]

That probably was Tropo off the Gulf of Mexico. You're in a good area for tropo, and AM DX as well. Get on the beach and see what you get! I know KCTA 1030 Corpus Christi is easily heard up and down the gulf. E-skip should be OK as well, just keep trying those open frequencies between May and July.

-crainbebo

 

[tomservo]

That probably was Tropo off the Gulf of Mexico. You're in a good area for tropo, and AM DX as well. Get on the beach and see what you get! I know KCTA 1030 Corpus Christi is easily heard up and down the gulf. E-skip should be OK as well, just keep trying those open frequencies between May and July.

-crainbebo

I haven't had much luck with KCTA yet, but I am listening.

I parked on the beach last night and AM was terrible. It's actually better a few miles inland. I don't think it's electrical because it's a state park and there are no overhead power lines or buildings… dunno why it would go to crap in a place like that!

 

[cyberdad]

That probably was Tropo off the Gulf of Mexico. You're in a good area for tropo, and AM DX as well. Get on the beach and see what you get! I know KCTA 1030 Corpus Christi is easily heard up and down the gulf. E-skip should be OK as well, just keep trying those open frequencies between May and July.

-crainbebo

We stay in a beach condo right on the AL-FL state line (next door to the Florabama on the Florida side). In fact, I'll be there for nine days starting the day after tomorrow (22nd).

On my last two visits, I've snagged KCTA mid-day "barefoot" on the Eaton E-10 as well as in the car. It's very weak, but definitely doable and clearly audible.

Zach: I'm not sure what might have happened at the state park, but if You're referring to the Alabama state park on the beach between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, I'd expect that to be a prime DX location....AM/FM/SW, you name it! That's pretty much always been my experience about five miles east of the park area.

As for the FM tropo, sometimes it's just the opposite of what most people would consider "normal". You can go days and even weeks regularly hearing many of those distant stations listed....then they'll disappear for a period of time. Sometimes it'll only be for a few hours, and then they return.

In my own example, I broadcast audio from my iPod and/or computer over 107.9 on a Whole House transmitter. It normally blows out anything on whatever channel I'm using for about a 100 foot radius. This is true even for regular semi-local signals But sometimes, WPFM....from 100 miles away....comes roaring in and plays havoc with my little setup!

 

[tomservo]

We stay in a beach condo right on the AL-FL state line (next door to the Florabama on the Florida side). In fact, I'll be there for nine days starting the day after tomorrow (22nd).

Oh cool. Hope you have a good time! Hopefully the weather will have calmed down by then. There's a riptide warning out today and tomorrow and the purple flags are flying — Portuguese Man-O-Wars are washing up on the beach.

I dunno what the noise was in the park. I may try to ride down to Perdido Key and see if it's any better there some time. This isn't the first time I've run into reception issues in the park. Before yesterday, the last time I stopped to DX was when the oil spill cleanup was still going on, and I kept getting interference from some sort of transmitter they had set up right near the pier. Whatever it was, it sounded like a trunked system except it was running at some odd frquency like 7337 kHz and was very wideband, covering a megahertz or two of shortwave spectrum. It was super strong and made a constant buzzing noise, but after leaving the parking lot it became almost inaudible. ???

Oh well. I'll definitely be on the look out for KCTA. That will be a good thing to snag.

 

[cyberdad]

Thanks, Zach.  We always enjoy our stays on the gulf...which is why we come back once or twice a year. Son, daughter, and daughter in law will be joining us this time for spring break.  Daughter and daughter-in-law are both teachers....daughter coming all the way from London for the 4th straight year!

Anyway, Perdido Key is usually noise free, so you might have better luck there. Lots of stuff to hear. With a good radio, you should be able to catch KCTA. You might also want to see if you can catch it if you have a good car radio.  I've repeatedly tried for KTRH on 740, and have repeatedly come up empty (but a weak signal from the 740 from Montgomery is usually present). Another Texan you can also try 560 for KLVI....which is sometimes present (under WOOF). 

Also thanks also for the heads-up about the weather....and the jellyfish. Yikes!  I usually run into those little buggers in June, but I guess they can show up anytime.

I'm thinking I'll post an AM bandscan (daytime), but according to the forecast I saw, I'll probably have to wait a day or two after I arrive tomorrow (Thurs 22nd) for the thunderstorms to clear out.  Once they do, it looks like a string of sunny days and temps in the mid/upper 70s. 

Should be perfect for daytime DX.  And of course, if I get bored, there's always the Florabama next door!

 

[DeadElvis]

I know KCTA 1030 Corpus Christi

I was in Pensacola Beach last week. Yep. KCTA was quite strong midday. No problems. Lots of Cubans, too -- 640 and 890 were especially strong. And, of course, Tampa/St. Pete was near-local on a few frequencies.

I did catch a little tropo on the way out of town. Jackson, MS; New Orleans; Montgomery, AL, etc. I did hear a few moments of 107.7 from Tampa under a couple of others. Being from the area originally, I know the conditions and am familiar with the dial.

DE

 

[gar hi]

This sure sounds like it had to be KCTA behind the other station here. This is from Honeymoon Island in Dunedin midday.

You can hear a preacher.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsW21MVXM8Q

 

[DeadElvis]

What is interesting about the AM signals coming in off the Gulf is how local to the shoreline they are.

On the Island at Pensacola Beach, one is never more than a few hundred yards from the water -- it's a true barrier island, being long and skinny. Those far-off Gulf signals can be quite strong, indeed. One of the Cubans, for example: on the beach, my wife's car actually hit it in scan. It was quite loud. But, if one drives just a few miles inland, it all but disappears. I didn't check KCTA while off the Island, but I am sure it follows that pattern. 820 from Tampa was as loud in Pensacola Beach as anything on the dial; by the time I got to I-10, it was just a whisper in the background.

FM tropo, of course, doesn't follow that rule. I was deep into Pensacola proper when I heard 107.7 Tampa -- albeit briefly. But even here in Memphis, one does get some deep South Florida 2m (144 MHz) stations occasionally about this time of year -- though, not yet this season.

There was a little tropo south this morning that is very indicative of early Spring. While it was a fairly anemic opening, I got a couple of Baton Rouge TV stations and was hearing WYNK in the car as late as 1230. That's fairly late in the day for that stuff.

DE

 

[gar hi]

For those of you who get to do some DXing from Pensacola Beach or that area, it would be interesting to hear what you can get on 1700 in the middle of the day.

So far, If I recall correctly, someone here got KVNS with an ID daytime as far east as New Orleans or that vicinity.

 

[cyberdad]

For those of you who get to do some DXing from Pensacola Beach or that area, it would be interesting to hear what you can get on 1700 in the middle of the day.

So far, If I recall correctly, someone here got KVNS with an ID daytime as far east as New Orleans or that vicinity.

gar...

Just got here this afternoon. I haven't heard KVNS here before in the daytime, but I'll make a determined effort and report anything I come up with. As far as the X band goes, I'm also curious to see if I can get R. Rebelde on 1620. I'm about 23 miles from the Pensacola 1620 stick. But that signal here is only fair at best, coming via a land path with lousy ground conductivity.

I did take out the GE Superadio for about 15 minutes this evening just after sunset, but given that the radio was made in 1983, there's no X band. There was also a fair amount of noise from thunderstorms. The Supe overall did do a great job, however. For example, R. Enciclopedia was blasting in like a local on 530 with stuff underneath it, no less...and it was NOT TIS. I'll be investigating that further for sure.

I've got three other radios with me, and eight more days/nights to go, along with a forecast of clear weather beginning Saturday. Should be fun and interesting!

Private note to Radioman and the Chicago guys: No Chicago stuff present tonight. Cuba blasting in on 670 and 890...and even stronger on 880. 720 and 780 fairly empty. XEOY strong on 1000.

 

[radioman148]

Thanks Cyberdad. As always I'll be interested in hearing about what you hear not only from Chicago, but elsewhere. Have a great vacation!

 

[tomservo]

I did catch a little tropo on the way out of town. Jackson, MS; New Orleans; Montgomery, AL, etc. I did hear a few moments of 107.7 from Tampa under a couple of others. Being from the area originally, I know the conditions and am familiar with the dial.

Good catch. During the tropo WFXX from Georgiana has been disappointingly regular here. It's easy to pick out because the processing is so poor is stands out from all the other stations.

For those of you who get to do some DXing from Pensacola Beach or that area, it would be interesting to hear what you can get on 1700 in the middle of the day.

So far, If I recall correctly, someone here got KVNS with an ID daytime as far east as New Orleans or that vicinity.

Don't think I've ever heard anything on 1700 before other than something Spanish. I don't see how it could be WJCC from Miami but that's the only Spanish-language programming on that frequency I'm aware of.

In years past tuning to 1700 down here could get some sort of data feed centred around 1710 kHz. I traced the signal to a little shack near Coden in Mobile County but never figured out what it could have been. Some sort of US Navy transmission is all I could find from looking at the emblems on the "no trespassing" signs near the shack.

About the time the X-Band began filling up that data signal disappeared.

 

[cyberdad]

Weather finally cleared today (Saturday, 24th). Gorgeous bright sunshine, but the storms that have moved out onto the open gulf are still creating loads of noise. Not enough to completely screw things up on AM, but made for somewhat difficult listening. So I only did a quick scan a little before noon CDT using the Superadio...

A few highlights....

530: Cuba...doing quite well
540: WASG...New. Used to be on 550 from Atmore, AL. Now with 2,500 watts on 540 from the other side of Mobile Bay. Puny, but enough to take out WFLF.
640. Cuba. R. Progreso. Weak
670. Cuba. R. Rebelde...Fair
690: New Orleans....better than what it's been recently but nowhere near what had been a good signal on WTIX.
710: WNTM (Mobile). Signal seems to have improved, but Cuba still underneath
870: WWL...still the strongest daytime signal here
890: Cuba....barely. Very weak
1030: KCTA very weak with what seemed to be Spanish underneath
1180: Spanish...presumably R. Rebelde.
1250: Tampa...not quite like a local, but fair-good.
1600: KLEB (Grand Isle, LA)....another good signal. Better than I remembered it. Perhaps an upgrade and/or repairs after Katrina
1620: All Pensacola...no Cuba, even when nulled.

The Supe (vintage 1983) doesn't go above 1620. So I'll try for KVNS later on the E-10. I'll also do a more detailed couple of scans (including nighttime and FM) over the next couple of days.

 

[jd]

690: New Orleans....better than what it's been recently but nowhere near what had been a good signal on WTIX.

That's interesting, but according to the latest filings WIST is still operating under an STA with 2,500 watts non-directional days (1,250 at night).

1030: KCTA very weak with what seemed to be Spanish underneath
(including nighttime and FM) over the next couple of days.

For what it's worth, KCTA runs Spanish language programming on Saturdays, although according to their schedule it doesn't start until noon (and continues until sign off).

1600: KLEB (Grand Isle, LA)....another good signal. Better than I remembered it. Perhaps an upgrade and/or repairs after Katrina

KLEB [Golden Meadow] supposedly is still running 5,000 watts, although they may have cleaned things up a little. There was also a report on the Louisiana board that the signal has been noticeably stronger in the New Orleans area, but FCC records indicate that the CP for 7,500 watts was never built out and expired in March of last year.

 

[cyberdad]

690: New Orleans....better than what it's been recently but nowhere near what had been a good signal on WTIX.

That's interesting, but according to the latest filings WIST is still operating under an STA with 2,500 watts non-directional days (1,250 at night).

It may just be that the Supe is doing a better job with WIST than the radios I've used in the recent past. I don't think that's the case with KLEB, however. My last few times down here, the signal didn't seem to be quite up to snuff. To a very noticeable degree. Maybe they've now got things back up to previous performance levels.

As for KCTA, it was between 11:30 and noon when I heard them in English. Tough listen however, between the noise and the very weak signal.

 

[cyberdad]

Couple of quick updates from a more detailed midday AM scan....

640: Thought I could pull KTIB from under Cuba. Nothing doing
710: The full "Cuba Chorus" very apparent under semi-local WNTM
740: Three stations here. WMSP (Montgomery) weak, but the strongest of the bunch. Couldn't ID the other two, but I'll keep after it. Presume one of them may be KTRH.
950: Heard faint R. Reloj time pips....but no other audio identifiable.
1030: Clear copy on KCTA
1600: KLEB. The fact that this now has a killer signal was more evident than yesterday with the absence of noise
1620: Well what do you know about this? Without yesterdays storm-generated noise, R. Rebelde was indeed present with WNTP (Pensacola) nulled.

 

[schmave]

Couple of quick updates from a more detailed midday AM scan....

640: Thought I could pull KTIB from under Cuba. Nothing doing
710: The full "Cuba Chorus" very apparent under semi-local WNTM
740: Three stations here. WMSP (Montgomery) weak, but the strongest of the bunch. Couldn't ID the other two, but I'll keep after it. Presume one of them may be KTRH.
950: Heard faint R. Reloj time pips....but no other audio identifiable.
1030: Clear copy on KCTA
1600: KLEB. The fact that this now has a killer signal was more evident than yesterday with the absence of noise
1620: Well what do you know about this? Without yesterdays storm-generated noise, R. Rebelde was indeed present with WNTP (Pensacola) nulled.

Daytime in Panama City a few years ago the Orlando 740 came in well daytime. That could be one. KTRH would have to cross a lot of land to get to you.

 

[cyberdad]

Couple of quick updates from a more detailed midday AM scan....

640: Thought I could pull KTIB from under Cuba. Nothing doing
710: The full "Cuba Chorus" very apparent under semi-local WNTM
740: Three stations here. WMSP (Montgomery) weak, but the strongest of the bunch. Couldn't ID the other two, but I'll keep after it. Presume one of them may be KTRH.
950: Heard faint R. Reloj time pips....but no other audio identifiable.
1030: Clear copy on KCTA
1600: KLEB. The fact that this now has a killer signal was more evident than yesterday with the absence of noise
1620: Well what do you know about this? Without yesterdays storm-generated noise, R. Rebelde was indeed present with WNTP (Pensacola) nulled.

Daytime in Panama City a few years ago the Orlando 740 came in well daytime. That could be one. KTRH would have to cross a lot of land to get to you.

I was thinking Orlando could be in the mix. One of the two that are under WMSP seems to be in Spanish. IIRC, there's a Spanish 740 in Georgia.

 

[gar hi]

1620: Well what do you know about this? Without yesterdays storm-generated noise, R. Rebelde was indeed present with WNTP (Pensacola) nulled.

Nice!

That's a 585 mile catch. Very impressive for such a high AM frequency in the daytime.


Or even a low AM frequency when you think about it.