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Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

The technical side of broadcasting. Think IBOC is a sham? Talk about it here! How about HDTV? Post DX reports here as well.
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Turkeytop
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Re: Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

Post by Turkeytop » Sun Dec 16, 2018 12:16 am

101.7 CKNX Wingham
For a big part of my life, I lived up in that area. When CKNX FM first came on in 1977, it was the very first FM station up there. Prior to that, All FM reception was DX and very unreliable.


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

cckadlec
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Re: Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

Post by cckadlec » Sun Dec 16, 2018 2:18 am

Signals here in Fremont are intense like last night with signal meter readings upwards to 55dBu on many stations. The noise level is up to 25 (instead of the usual 0dBu) because this inversion is so intense. Most of London is blasting in here, stereo, RDS, and all. Star 102.5 Buffalo is in strong with Christmas music (370 mi.), 97.9 PXY Rochester (420 mi.), among others. Detroit too of course, but there is also a fair amount of other stations in opposite directions.


[ Radio and weather geeks, beware! Coastal tropo studies, the 3-hr. Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide, 6-hr. 500 Top-of-Hour IDs, and Chinese FM at www.chriskadlec.comTuner: Grundig G8 • Location: Fremont, Mich. ]

TVC_DX5678
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Re: Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

Post by TVC_DX5678 » Sun Dec 16, 2018 9:43 am

My final list of new logs from last night:

88.1 WLGH Leroy Township, MI
90.3 WCPN Cleveland, OH (over common tropo station WBLV)
93.5 CBCL London, ON (over semilocal WBCM)
94.7 WCSX Birmingham, MI (over local translator)
95.1 CKUE Chatham-Kent, ON (over local translator and WFBE)
98.5 WNWN Coldwater, MI (over semilocal WUPS)
100.5 CBBL London, ON
101.1 WRIF Detroit, MI (over local translator and possibly WGRY)
101.3 CKOT Tillsonburg, ON (over tropo pest WBFX)
102.3 WGRT Port Huron, MI
104.7 WIOT Toledo, OH
104.9 WBXX Marshall, MI (over semilocal WAIR)
105.9 WDMK Detroit, MI (over local WKHQ)
106.7 WDTW Detroit, MI (over semilocal WSRT, first log under the Alt format)



weathernut
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Re: Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

Post by weathernut » Sun Dec 16, 2018 4:21 pm

I, too had very similar results as the author from Fremont. I am in extreme western Muskegon county on Duck Lake and picked up 98.5 WNWN and WUPS, 102.5 WIOG was crystal clear over the local smile, WTCM was coming in clear over the local. 93.1 out of Chicago over Grand Haven.100.9, 103.3 and 106.5 out of Kalamazoo. 101.1 out of Chicago as well coming in clear. WCEN was fighting WTNR. Ironically you were picking up the drive in Fremont and I was picking up WLAV in Whitehall.



Chris1980
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Re: Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

Post by Chris1980 » Sun Dec 16, 2018 5:54 pm

Additional logs after my last post (also from Whitmore Lake):

95.3 WCFX Clare
99.9 The Wave Rogers City
101.7 WMRR (new)
103.3 Hits FM Tawas
104.5 WSNX
106.1 The Point Tawas
M106.3 Greenville
107.7 The Bay Alpena
107.9 107MUS (new)



jm
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Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 10:03 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

Post by jm » Sun Dec 16, 2018 8:51 pm

Today around noon, WRKR (107.7) was stepping all over the WBRN translator in Reed City.



ftballfan
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Re: Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

Post by ftballfan » Sun Dec 16, 2018 10:30 pm

Here is what I got in Manistee, mostly in my car while waiting to go into the bars while out last night:
89.1 WLKB (not unusual, but strong enough to stop seek and trigger RDS)
90.9 WTCK (over WUPJ and WHRM) [NEW! surprisingly]
92.7 with country music (likely CJBX, which would be new here)
93.1 WDRQ (over WIMK and WMPA) [NEW!]
93.7 WBCT HD lock (no WKAD!)
94.1 WWDK (walking all over WWKR!)
94.7 WCSX (over WZOR; WIAA's TC translator also made a brief appearance)
95.1 WFBE (over usual WLST)
95.3 WCFX (over WWSS, rare here)
96.9 WLAV (strong despite their recent downgrade; also most of the Class B Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo stations (such as WLHT, WGRD, WMUK, WFUR, WKFR, WVGR, WSRW, WVFM, and WOOD) were in)
97.1 WXYT (over WGLQ) [NEW!]
98.7 WDZH (over WLDN) [NEW!]
99.1 WFMK (stopping seek, over WMYX and WIKB)
99.5 WYCD (over WPKR) [NEW!]
99.7 WUGN (over WDKF, RDS showing)
100.7 WITL (stopping seek, over WKKV and WOBE)
100.9 WQHN (uncommon here)
100.9 WWBR (not unusual, but strongest heard in years)
101.9 WDET (over WLDR and WDEZ) [NEW!]
103.9 WBZX (over WVBO, only second or third time EVER heard here)
104.3 WOMC (over WKZG)
104.5 with Christmas music mixing with WSNX
105.1 WMGC (over WGFM and WSBW) [NEW!]
106.1 with Bruno Mars (likely WTZM, which I have had before)
106.3 WGLM (over WGMV and WWMN, incredibly rare)
107.9 WCRZ (in four-way fight with WMUS, WBCV, and WCDY) [NEW!]

Also, stations such as 92.5 WFDX, 105.9 WKHQ, and 106.7 WSRT were blasting in like locals.



cckadlec
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Tropolicious Recordings

Post by cckadlec » Mon Dec 17, 2018 12:48 pm

Some recordings from the three-day tropolicious 400+ mile insanity that ranked as the second strongest event of 2018 (behind the week-long 400-600+ mile early July opening) here in Fremont, Michigan (100 mi. ene of Milwaukee).

At times, every frequency was on seek and the 2,600-foot inversion was so strong that signal levels registered on my radio as identical to my local stations for nearly every station heard. Such openings are typical only once or twice a year here and tend to be very unique to Michigan due to the water on three sides trapping the stations in and further enhancing their signals. Furthermore, openings of this strength in mid-December are even more rare.

Image

* 102.5 WTSS NY Buffalo (373 mi.) Clip 1 | Clip 2: In all night in the null of WIOG. I seemed to forget it for some time, so the added TOH ID is from the last gasp of life in the Buffalo/Erie side of the duct many hours later as it weakened. (TOH ID)

* 103.7 WRTS PA Erie (319 mi.): In most of the night with on/off stereo until the Buffalo/Erie side of the duct fell apart. Star 104 is my most distant regular tropo station, but still only shows up once or twice a year.

* 105.3 CFCA ON Kitchener (266 mi.): In all night over my most intense 11-mile local WHTS. (TOH ID)

* 101.3 CKOT ON Tillsonburg (259 mi.): In all night in a very easy null of strong 42-mile local WBFX.

* 95.9 CFPL ON London (238 mi.): In all night with a city-grade signal, on seek, in stereo, and with RDS, including much of my hour-long drive home. (TOH ID)

* 103.9 CKDK ON Woodstock (261 mi.): Supposedly in all night with the others, but hadn't noticed it as I stumbled through the dial overwhelmed.

* 102.3 CHST ON London (238 mi.): The tropo caused a null in my intensely strong 24-mile local WYBR leaving room for London to sneak in for the first-ever time here. (TOH ID)

* 103.7 WYUR IL Gilman (206 mi.): Caught on the second day of tropo just before sunset when the long-distance ones fell out.

* 90.9 WILL IL Urbana (275 mi.): Before sunset on the second day of tropo, this one is a monster signal in Illinois, but not common since other stations turned on nearby me.

96.5 WCMF and 97.9 WPXY, both Rochester (420 mi.), were noted as well but were brief "rogue" catches that were noted while looking for targets to record.

And obviously plenty more recordings with a few hundred stations received. As I've been lost in radio waves here for 15+ years, not much new to be heard. I just strive to enjoy the most intense openings, such as this one.

Image


[ Radio and weather geeks, beware! Coastal tropo studies, the 3-hr. Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide, 6-hr. 500 Top-of-Hour IDs, and Chinese FM at www.chriskadlec.comTuner: Grundig G8 • Location: Fremont, Mich. ]

Mega Hertz
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Re: Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

Post by Mega Hertz » Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:47 pm

WRKR coming in like a local in Brighton. Anyone have a lead on anyone on 106.5 playing Christmas music? Could be a pirate but comes in fairly well on Grand River and 96.


"Internet is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining."
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cckadlec
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Re: Holy Winter Tropo Blasters!

Post by cckadlec » Tue Dec 18, 2018 7:50 pm

Mega Hertz wrote:
Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:47 pm
Anyone have a lead on anyone on 106.5 playing Christmas music? Could be a pirate but comes in fairly well on Grand River and 96.
You are hearing FM106.5 Kalamazoo, our local Santa-sponsored station.


[ Radio and weather geeks, beware! Coastal tropo studies, the 3-hr. Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide, 6-hr. 500 Top-of-Hour IDs, and Chinese FM at www.chriskadlec.comTuner: Grundig G8 • Location: Fremont, Mich. ]

cckadlec
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WDEE off the air this weekend

Post by cckadlec » Sat Jan 12, 2019 6:01 pm

My 27-mile local 97.3 WDEE has been off the air all weekend so far. Within the first few hours of noticing, I managed to easily hear, from Fremont:

97.3 WMEE Fort Wayne (167 mi.), which is a regular in 24/7
97.3 WJMO Essexville, Joe FM (109 mi.), also a regular, exceptional depending on where I stand
97.3 WRNW Milwaukee, The Game (103 mi.), pretty much expected 24/7, though the best signal is found in the shower
97.3 KGRR Epworth / The Rock (254 mi.) in and out, expected in WDEE's absence typically
97.3 WJZE Oak Harbor / Hot 97.3 (189 mi.), typical during any tropo
97.3 WHDG Rhinelander / Hodag (208 mi.) also typical here

and maybe 97.3 WJWC-LP Grand Rapids, 49w / The Beat (35 mi.), though it was likely just Hot 97.3 instead as this one barely makes it out of the suburbs; though I do get the other lower power translators on open frequencies. I have yet some time to attempt it.

Edit: easily audible signal of WJWC this evening with mention of call letters and urban music.

With the station still off the air and conditions half decent, I'll see if I can get anything through WMEE. I've had them off the air before, but never for more than an hour. It's rare to have such an extended chance to explore this frequency.


[ Radio and weather geeks, beware! Coastal tropo studies, the 3-hr. Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide, 6-hr. 500 Top-of-Hour IDs, and Chinese FM at www.chriskadlec.comTuner: Grundig G8 • Location: Fremont, Mich. ]

cckadlec
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WDEE off the air this weekend

Post by cckadlec » Sun Jan 13, 2019 3:08 pm

97.3 KHKI Des Moines, 105kw (417 mi.) with fading legal ID here in Fremont on still-off-the-air 27-mi. local frequency.

Fade-ups of the usual KGRR (254 mi.), WHDG (208 mi.), and WRNW (103 mi.) as well as solid signals from WMEE (167 mi.) and WMJO (109 mi.), and a weak but steady WJWC-LP (49w at 35 mi.).

Assuming a catastrophic transmitter failure on the part of WDEE that's been off for the whole weekend. Oh well. They should take a break for a while. It's all fine...


[ Radio and weather geeks, beware! Coastal tropo studies, the 3-hr. Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide, 6-hr. 500 Top-of-Hour IDs, and Chinese FM at www.chriskadlec.comTuner: Grundig G8 • Location: Fremont, Mich. ]

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