What was the best e-skip opening you ever received? For me, July 6, 2004 was the best. E-skip started in the morning to Florida, then faded out midday. Early afternoon, it was back with a vengeance, bringing in stations all over the country. Every frequency from 88.1 to 107.9 was 3 or 4 stations deep. The locals were unlistenable all day, so much so that non-DXers noticed and complained about it. Someone watched e-skip as high as channel 13! I got my shortest and longest skip record that day.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Your best e-skip opening ever
- Thread starter nd2023
- Start date
I'll be honest, I'm not sure if my records are from e-skip or not.
I've logged Birmingham (AL) to North/South Dakota, Pell City (AL) to Montréal during heavy thunderstorms and a full HD decode for several minutes of KZRR Albuquerque from Grenada, Mississippi. I think I've also done Birmingham to Brownsville and maybe that nearby part of Mexico but was unable to ID anything in Spanish. That incident might've been my best opening had I not been driving to work at the time.
The B'ham to ND/SD was probably my best opening. I was sitting out in my car, on the job, for literally hours, gettings IDs like crazy. IIRC it went on for about four hours a morning for two or three mornings in a row.
I've logged Birmingham (AL) to North/South Dakota, Pell City (AL) to Montréal during heavy thunderstorms and a full HD decode for several minutes of KZRR Albuquerque from Grenada, Mississippi. I think I've also done Birmingham to Brownsville and maybe that nearby part of Mexico but was unable to ID anything in Spanish. That incident might've been my best opening had I not been driving to work at the time.
The B'ham to ND/SD was probably my best opening. I was sitting out in my car, on the job, for literally hours, gettings IDs like crazy. IIRC it went on for about four hours a morning for two or three mornings in a row.
My best e-skip opening ever so far is ongoing since, well, technically mid-spring 1981, but I didn't really care about listening to the radio then - all I wanted was to eat, sleep, and be held. 
Translation: I have yet to experience any e-skip.
I'm waiting for the day when I get simultaneous e-skip from Australia, Asia, Europe and Africa (stations from each of those continents audible on the same frequency similar to the AM graveyards at night), preferably so strong that even if I was within 0.1 km of a grandfathered 100+kW class C and directly in its beam (maybe 0.02 km from WMC for example), the e-skip would completely block reception of the local station, even if it's not anywhere near the same or IF-related frequency. (I wonder how strong e-skip from those continents would have to be to totally block reception of this station from this location?) (There are two videos linked, not just one.)
Translation: I have yet to experience any e-skip.
I'm waiting for the day when I get simultaneous e-skip from Australia, Asia, Europe and Africa (stations from each of those continents audible on the same frequency similar to the AM graveyards at night), preferably so strong that even if I was within 0.1 km of a grandfathered 100+kW class C and directly in its beam (maybe 0.02 km from WMC for example), the e-skip would completely block reception of the local station, even if it's not anywhere near the same or IF-related frequency. (I wonder how strong e-skip from those continents would have to be to totally block reception of this station from this location?) (There are two videos linked, not just one.)
July 6, 2004. No doubt.
I'm a 2 meter ham enthusiast. That afternoon, 2 meters (144 MHz) was open for almost 4 hours. It was mass hysteria -- 2m sounded like 20 meters. ARRL VHF editor, W3ZZ, who passed away just this weekend, called the event the biggest VHF opening ever seen in North America. I even worked W3ZZ in that opening:
http://t.co/Ql1GoNxa
MUF got well above 200 MHz. TV DXers saw skip as high as channel 13 (WLOX-13 Biloxi was seen in New York State, for example). The same DXer posted several videos from that day. Here's the best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKEVM3djJtk&feature=youtube_gdata_player
It was one to remember...
DE
I'm a 2 meter ham enthusiast. That afternoon, 2 meters (144 MHz) was open for almost 4 hours. It was mass hysteria -- 2m sounded like 20 meters. ARRL VHF editor, W3ZZ, who passed away just this weekend, called the event the biggest VHF opening ever seen in North America. I even worked W3ZZ in that opening:
http://t.co/Ql1GoNxa
MUF got well above 200 MHz. TV DXers saw skip as high as channel 13 (WLOX-13 Biloxi was seen in New York State, for example). The same DXer posted several videos from that day. Here's the best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKEVM3djJtk&feature=youtube_gdata_player
It was one to remember...
DE
Wow, E Skip on channel 7!
In the old days when I liked to see it start on channel 2 and then spread to channel 6 and FM, I had always thought it couldn't go higher but I've since learned it sure can.
My best E Skip was on FM.
1380 miles - Bar Harbor, Maine to Tampa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLmPdUvOrrA
In the old days when I liked to see it start on channel 2 and then spread to channel 6 and FM, I had always thought it couldn't go higher but I've since learned it sure can.
My best E Skip was on FM.
1380 miles - Bar Harbor, Maine to Tampa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLmPdUvOrrA
gar fla said:
My best e skip was Miami to Chicago on FM and it was in winter--January 1977.
C
cd637299
Guest
I wish I had paid more attention to that June 2004 thing. I do seem to recall the IBOC being blown out one day; maybe it was then.
There was a day in 1983 when I had my first catch of TGV ch 3 Guatemala. I was excited to see it then, but did not know how common it was. That time, I was hearing Guatemala on FM & I think they were still running split frequencies like 88.8. At that time, all I had was the whip; no outdoor deal. If only I knew then what I know now.
(The TGV was via a community antenna for the homeowner group. I shoulda undone the cable & put it into the FM.)
cd
There was a day in 1983 when I had my first catch of TGV ch 3 Guatemala. I was excited to see it then, but did not know how common it was. That time, I was hearing Guatemala on FM & I think they were still running split frequencies like 88.8. At that time, all I had was the whip; no outdoor deal. If only I knew then what I know now.
(The TGV was via a community antenna for the homeowner group. I shoulda undone the cable & put it into the FM.)
cd
gar fla said:
If you follow some of those links, you'll also find some video of WLOX-13 and WTOK-11 (both in Mississippi). I think there are a few other, too, from the same opening. But the WDAM video is by far the best.
In my hard-core TV DX days, I saw high-band Es once. I IDed a couple -- channel 9 from North Platte, NE being the highest. But that was a long, long time ago.
BTW, the link to the W3ZZ QSL failed before. Here's the long version, if anyone cares:
https://twitter.com/peterbaskind/status/209707106583052289/photo/1
DE
The July 6, 2004 event. Absolutely without a doubt.
In Michigan, it started around late morning with Gulf Coast stations and it didn't seem like it would be anything out of the ordinary. But by late afternoon-early evening, the radio had gone completely bonkers. I had short-haul Es to Baltimore and Philadelphia. It eventually got longer and shifted down the Mid-Atlantic coast and settled in North and South Carolina, but the intensity of these stations was so great that it was wiping out locals. This was the evening of my dad's 50th birthday party, so I would have paid more attention to the epic Es at hand if not for the party, but I did step in and out of the barn (where my DX'torium was located at this time) a few times to hear what was up.
Our background music for the party was via local CHR outlet WKFR 103.3, a 50kw station located about 30 miles north of here. I remember being in the pool with cousins and hearing a rap song and thinking it was a bit unusual that particular song was on WKFR, as they were (and still are) a very 'safe' CHR which rarely plays rap music. Turns out it was not WKFR, but a Rhythmic station from Georgetown, SC!! The signal was so strong and so steady that nobody at the party noticed it wasn't even a local station.
I've gotten shorter skips, longer skips, more impressive catches overall in 10 years of logging DX, but the best opening overall has to be this one. I hope we can get another like it soon!
In Michigan, it started around late morning with Gulf Coast stations and it didn't seem like it would be anything out of the ordinary. But by late afternoon-early evening, the radio had gone completely bonkers. I had short-haul Es to Baltimore and Philadelphia. It eventually got longer and shifted down the Mid-Atlantic coast and settled in North and South Carolina, but the intensity of these stations was so great that it was wiping out locals. This was the evening of my dad's 50th birthday party, so I would have paid more attention to the epic Es at hand if not for the party, but I did step in and out of the barn (where my DX'torium was located at this time) a few times to hear what was up.
Our background music for the party was via local CHR outlet WKFR 103.3, a 50kw station located about 30 miles north of here. I remember being in the pool with cousins and hearing a rap song and thinking it was a bit unusual that particular song was on WKFR, as they were (and still are) a very 'safe' CHR which rarely plays rap music. Turns out it was not WKFR, but a Rhythmic station from Georgetown, SC!! The signal was so strong and so steady that nobody at the party noticed it wasn't even a local station.
I've gotten shorter skips, longer skips, more impressive catches overall in 10 years of logging DX, but the best opening overall has to be this one. I hope we can get another like it soon!
my best E-skip was a few years ago, I was sitting at home listening to WZRR, Rock 99 out of Birmingham AL via tropo (it normally is blocked here by a translator) when the signal faded, but instead of the local translator on 99.5 taking back over, it was another rock station. picked up for a few minutes, and then was gone and WZRR took back over. I thought it might have been WRNO out of New Orleans or WKSM from Ft Walton Beach, Both of which are still over 400 miles away. But actually turned out to be KQMT from Denver, at a distance of 1060 miles.
My best is probably 6/29/10, where I had a 226w translator from Texas [K205CW Follett, TX, 88.9] as well as many new logs from CO, KS and WY [huge signals, 2m open, etc].
I also had fun on 5/22/11 where I had many new logs from CA including KHOP 95.1 Modesto, CA [694 miles]. 6/22/11 had a low-power record, KDBN 101.1 Parachute, CO with 200w. 7/20/11 was 144 MUF skip to NM, allowing many new logs to come in from ABQ and the surrounding areas.
-crainbebo
I also had fun on 5/22/11 where I had many new logs from CA including KHOP 95.1 Modesto, CA [694 miles]. 6/22/11 had a low-power record, KDBN 101.1 Parachute, CO with 200w. 7/20/11 was 144 MUF skip to NM, allowing many new logs to come in from ABQ and the surrounding areas.
-crainbebo
For me it was back in Feb. 2008 and getting KFWR 95.9/Mineral Wells, TX coming in up here in Vermilion, OH so strong at times that it actually bled over onto local WKFM 96.1.
My dad says that back in the 70s he remembers being in Florida and there was an e-opening back here to Ohio and was hearing our local stations down in Florida via e-skip. Has anyone here ever experienced that? Been out of town and heard your local stations from back home come in via e-skip?
Also, I wonder what is the shortest distance anyone has ever logged something via e-skip?
My dad says that back in the 70s he remembers being in Florida and there was an e-opening back here to Ohio and was hearing our local stations down in Florida via e-skip. Has anyone here ever experienced that? Been out of town and heard your local stations from back home come in via e-skip?
Also, I wonder what is the shortest distance anyone has ever logged something via e-skip?
Buckeyes2001 said:
The answer to that question is going to be a function of frequency. The lower the frequency, the greater the possibility of really short Es.
Back in my TV DX days, I saw channel 2s in the 400 mile range, which is short but not amazing. On 6m (50 MHz), however, I have worked stations as close as 250 miles. Those are odd contacts -- they can get very strong, but are very unstable. On 144 MHz, I have heard a path as short as 458 miles in one VERY intense opening. I didn't attempt to work the station, though, as I already had him via tropo and didn't want to slow him down during a notable opening.
DE
crainbebo said:
Actually, it was not. It was July 29, 2007.
That was a very robust opening, though. It was a Sunday, so I was working that morning on Sirius at Graceland. When I left for the studio at 8am central, Es was already running. While I was on the air, I was able to run to the car and hear a few FM stations via Es and I worked a few stations on 6m FM. The MUF was quite high; often the band was saturated.
Timing was good. As I left at 2pm, the FM band was full. South Florida was all the way to the top of the band with HD. Orlando/Tampa was also there. When I got home, 2m was open, lasting about an hour.
I kinda wish I had worked the 458 mile guy (he's in Tallahassee). But I did work South Georgia at about 500 miles. Once 2m started to close, 6m (50 MHz) was still short. I worked Alabama, for instance, at just 300 miles -- and that was with just 5 Watts.
I am sure 10 meters (the 28 MHz ham band) was even shorter; I didn't get down there.
DE
I'm fairly certain July 6, 2004, was the day I had simultaneous openings in multiple directions, logging stations in New Jersey, Florida, Idaho and Washington all at once. I was working overnights at the time, and I logged the last station of the night (after not sleeping for most of the day) in the parking lot at work.
I remember an afternoon in 2001, probably June, when I was monitoring e-skip on channel three (WWAY), then in a matter of seconds, it blasted past 107.9 and nearly reached channel 7. I think I logged more than a hundred radio stations in that opening.
I remember an afternoon in 2001, probably June, when I was monitoring e-skip on channel three (WWAY), then in a matter of seconds, it blasted past 107.9 and nearly reached channel 7. I think I logged more than a hundred radio stations in that opening.
TheRob said:
If it was June 2001, I was getting KDFW channel 4 from Dallas/Ft. Worth from up here in Vermilion, OH with rabbit ears and then about 30 min later getting KARK from Little Rock in the 1:00 hour here at it was noon hour there and the noon news was on. A short bit later, I had WTVY coming in on Ch. 4 from Dothan, AL.
If I would of know about E's and DXing before 2009..I would have gotten a Little TV to DX it
- Status