Unidentified audio on 87.7 - Gulf Shores, AL

[tomservo]

Hey everyone, I caught a very brief listen of some audio on 87.7 that sounded like analog TV and I'm hoping someone can help me out. I never got a solid ID, instead heard looping instrumental music with a woman giving non-religious inspirational messages along the lines of "you're a special person".

Either a second station came in or they went to a break, as it faded back in the middle a commercial advertising cell phones, with a snippet saying "at Fido, you way more than that" before dropping back out.

Now, I know Fido is a cellular carrier in Canada, but I find it hard to believe that I may have heard Canadian TV 6 audio while on the beach at the Gulf of Mexico! Anyone have any ideas what this could be? There are no active LPTV 6 stations anywhere nearby that I know of, an certainly no one here would advertise a Canadian GSM provider.

The rest of the FM dial was completely normal, no unusual DX at all. I heard the same loop of instrumental music in two places several miles apart, so I think I can rule out an FM transmitter. Frankly, folks… I'm stumped. ???

 

[Davros2006]

Anyone know if CIII Toronto is still doing analog over-the-air? Not much else to consider.

 

[cd637299]

If Fido is a Canadian company, it's certainly possible that you heard Canada. You are in decent e-skip range of them.

You may have either heard the Global in paris ON (listed as CIII above), or CJOH Deseronto ON (near Kingston I think). If CBMT Montreal is still on and carries ads, it could even have been them.

I see Canadian TV from south FL a few times a week---especially my new "pest" Global 2 in Bancroft ON.

cd

 

[w9wi]

The two Global transmitters in Canada on channel 6 have both converted to digital. So has CBC Montreal (CBMT), which is now transmitting on a UHF frequency. (just to be complete, it does carry advertising)

CTV Deseronto (CJOH) is to my knowledge still on in analog. (yes, it's near Kingston)

Of course Deseronto is not the only possibility in Canada.

Zach, I think it's *very* possible you were listening to at least one Canadian TV station via skip. I wonder if the other one -- the one with the inspirational messages -- was the TVO educational transmitter at North Bay, Ontario?

Was the modulation on these signals low, compared to FM stations? Analog TV sound is modulated only 33% by FM radio standards.

 

[nd2023]

There was e-skip this evening, so you very well got Canada

 

[tomservo]

Was the modulation on these signals low, compared to FM stations? Analog TV sound is modulated only 33% by FM radio standards.

Yes, like I remember analog TV sounding 'back in the day'.

If this was indeed Canada (either signal) then that would be pretty sweet. It would definitely be a record of some sort for me in that direction (due north-ish).

I regret that I was unable to listen longer, but I had some out of town family with me and one particularly difficult member unleashed a string of expletives after just a few minutes of static.

 

[Darth_vader]

You too? I feel your pain, my brother......

 

[spunker88]

The MUF probably never made it high enough to allow the regular FM band, but TV audio. I was getting some ES to your area yesterday so CJOH-6 from Deseronto could be a possibility, they are still on air in analog. If it was indeed TV audio you would notice the sound level a lot lower so you have to turn the volume up. But there are still quite a few analog stations on in the rural parts of Canada so its hard to say.

 

[Bongwater]

Fido IS a Canadian company.....

 

[Darth_vader]

Are they related to the old Fidonet somehow?

 

[Bongwater]

Are they related to the old Fidonet somehow?

I don't think so.

 

[tomservo]

Are they related to the old Fidonet somehow?

No. Fido was started in the mid 90's with funding from Voicestream, an old 1900 MHz GSM provider (now T-Mobile). I just learned that Fido is now owned by Rogers Communications, who operates an 800 MHz cellular network in Canada. That's like AT&T owning T-Mobile!