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FM Bandscan at Lost Lake / Manastash Lake 19 mi W of Ellensburg, 6/24/2020

C

crainbebo

Scans conducted at multiple locations on Manastash Lake Trail #1350, about 20 miles west of Ellensburg. The trail leads to Lost Lake (at 4800 ft) and then Manastash Lake (at 5100 feet), both with camping spots and good fishing opportunities. Lost Lake is at 47.01N, -120.957W, and Manastash Lake is at 46.995N, -120.944W, just for reference to location. Here's another location where the notion of 'turn a corner, get different stations' applies. I had stations below Lost Lake that were not heard anywhere around Manastash Lake and vice versa. There are 11 new stations to the logbook, mostly translators and low-powered FM stations.

88.1 KCWU Ellensburg/KYRS Medical Lake (w/ Democracy Now, nulled KCWU)
88.3 KMLW Moses Lake
88.5 K203EN Ellensburg (KYKV)/KOMQ Omak (NEW only 100W!)/KLRF Milton-Freewater OR
88.7 KDMB Moses Lake
88.9 KCSH Ellensburg
89.1 KFAE Richland
89.3
89.5 KSOH Wapato/K208BY Moses Lake (KGIO-FM)
89.7 KWWS Walla Walla
89.9 KPLW Wenatchee/K210DK Ellensburg (KLWS)
90.1 KOLU Pasco
90.3 K212FK Wenatchee (KLWS - NEW)/KNWY Yakima/K212DB Moses Lake (KAWZ)
90.5 KBLU-FM Pilot Rock OR (NEW - only 535w 150 miles! They were playing all types of random music - Louis Armstrong, vintage country, Ramsey Lewis, etc. IDed at 4:30PM PT)/KACS Chehalis/possible 3rd UNID
90.7 KNWR Ellensburg
90.9 KRBM Pendleton OR
91.1 KYPL Yakima/KPBX-FM Spokane
91.3 KGTS Walla Walla
91.5 KLWS Moses Lake/K218DF Cle Elum (KAWZ)
91.7 KBLD Kennewick/tt KYFQ Bremerton/KRFA-FM Moscow ID (NEW)
91.9 KDNA Granger/KPBW Brewster (NEW)
92.1 CBU-FM1 Victoria BC/KUMA-FM Pilot Rock OR
92.3 KZUS Ephrata/KGON Portland OR
92.5 KZHR Dayton
92.7 K224EW Othello (EWTN Spanish)/KNCW Omak
92.9 KDBL Toppenish/KZZU Spokane
93.1
93.3 KRKL Walla Walla
93.5 KWDR Royal City (dead air whole time)/KOZI-FM Chelan
93.7 K229AD Yakima (KDYK)/KDRK Spokane/KQFM Hermiston OR
93.9 KTAC Ephrata/K230AX Sunnyslope (KCSY)
94.1 KSWD Seattle/KCLK-FM Clarkston (NEW)/K231CT Walla Walla (NEW 155W!! // KTEL-1490)
94.3 K232CV Ellensburg (KATS)/KSAE-LP Kennewick (NEW - 100W, with Spanish Religion, only possible match)
94.5 KATS Yakima/K233CJ Walla Walla (Fox Sports)
94.7 KZAL Manson
94.9 KIOK Pasco
95.1 K236AH Synarep (KNCW - 1 watt!!!! Have audio to prove it. It's a relog as I heard it barely at Lion Rock last week.)
95.3 KXLE-FM Ellensburg
95.5 KBFF Portland
95.7 KKSR Walla Walla
95.9 KZML Quincy
96.1 KFOO Opportunity/K241CV Yakima (KYAK)/KXXO Olympia
96.3 KRCW Royal City
96.5 K243CK Pendleton OR (KUMA-AM)/KJAQ Seattle
96.7 KWWW Quincy
96.9 KZTA Naches
97.1 KXRX Walla Walla
97.3 KIRO-FM Tacoma/KKRS Davenport
97.5 KOLW Basin City
97.7 KOMO-FM Oakville/KYSN Wenatchee/K249CV Omak (KEYG - NEW!)
97.9 KZTB Milton-Freewater OR/KLVP Aloha OR
98.1 KISC Spokane/weak KING-FM Seattle
98.3 KEYW Pasco
98.5 KEYG Grand Coulee
98.7 KMNA Mabton
98.9 KKZX Spokane/KNUC Seattle
99.1 KUJ-FM Burbank
99.3 KDRM Moses Lake/KMGW Naches
99.5 KZLY Ione OR/KQBG Rock Island/KZZL Pullman
99.7 KHHK Yakima/K259CR Milton-Freewater OR (KTEL)
99.9 KXLY-FM Spokane
100.1 KQFO Pasco
100.3 KXAA Cle Elum
100.5 KWIQ-FM Moses Lake
100.7 KHSS Athena OR/K264BF Wenatchee (KMLW)
100.9 KARY-FM Grandview
101.1 KOHO Leavenworth/tt KEYF Cheney
101.3 KGDN Pasco/K267AX Brewster (KCSY - NEW)
101.5 KPLZ Seattle/KATW Lewiston ID
101.7 KZXR-FM Prosser
101.9 KZIU Weston OR/KTSL Medical Lake
102.1 KPQ-FM Wenatchee
102.3
102.5
102.7 KORD Richland
102.9 KZTM Centralia/KEFA-LP Wenatchee
103.1 KYKV Selah (Tried hard for KCDA at a spot where the north opened up and Spokane stations were loud. Nada.)
103.3 KWLN Wilson Creek
103.5 KWHT Pendleton OR
103.7 KHTP Seattle
103.9 KBBD Spokane
104.1 KXDD Yakima
104.3 KZBE Omak
104.5 K283BX Wapato (KBBO-AM)
104.7 KKRV Wenatchee/KDUK Florence OR (NEW - briefly)
104.9 KYXE Union Gap/KEEH Spokane
105.1 KRSK Molalla OR (briefly)/K286CA East Wenatchee (KKRV)
105.3 KONA-FM Pasco
105.5
105.7 KRSE Yakima
105.9
106.1 K291BV Wapato (Big 106.1)/KZFN Moscow ID
106.3 Bible readings pirate Ellensburg
106.5 KEGX Richland
106.7 KKWN Cashmere
106.9 K295AU Moses Lake (KGTS)/K295BT Wapato (KTCR-AM)
107.1
107.3 KFFM Yakima
107.5
107.7 KWVN Pendleton OR
107.9 KMBI-FM Spokane

Audio clips
KMBI (It was a LOT stronger above Lost Lake. 7 out of 10 bars and still 186 miles away.) - https://www.mediafire.com/file/zuahu6frvuua1f4/KMBI_107.9_WA_from_Lost_Lake_hike_6_24_20.WMA/file
K231CT (155W 142mi) - https://www.mediafire.com/file/uog7...Lake_approx_4600'_6_24_20_155w_142mi.WMA/file
KCLK-FM (100KW 186mi) - https://www.mediafire.com/file/5cje..._Lost_Lake_6_24_20_approx_4600'_elev.WMA/file
K249CV (48W at 125 miles - amazing!) - https://www.mediafire.com/file/azya...ke_5100'_elev_6_24_20_only_48W_125mi.WMA/file
K236AH (1 watt at apparently 129 miles. It's on a mountain, which makes it seem like 100...but I still get a kick out of this. KNCW was stronger and mixing with K224EW on the main 92.7 frequency. This was all alone and only in scattered spots at Manastash Lake. Talk about pure QRP DX! They have a CP to go to 95.5 with 25W. Perhaps they are actually on the 25W? This was not the 95.1 in Twisp either, also 1 watt. I did not hear KTRT-97.5 or KCSY-106.3 from that area.) - https://www.mediafire.com/file/i9lg...e_5100'_elevation_6_24_20_1_watt!!!!.WMA/file
KXXO (37KW 103mi) - https://www.mediafire.com/file/7p91...ve_Lost_Lake_5000'_elevation_6_24_20.WMA/file
KOMQ (100W 125mi) - https://www.mediafire.com/file/c68q...ke_5000'_elevation_only_100W_6_24_20.WMA/file

RDS pics + and a couple scenic ones too. Note the Spokane signals are about 170-180 miles away, still triggering RDS.
KXLY-FM - https://www.mediafire.com/view/6wxd8pkfs9r2q84/P1070434.JPG/file
KDRK - https://www.mediafire.com/view/yh75123mq2rogct/P1070435.JPG/file
KIRO-FM - https://www.mediafire.com/view/5z60r9uzhkupncj/P1070436.JPG/file
KPBX-FM - https://www.mediafire.com/view/0np72n4oq2nynhk/P1070438.JPG/file
KPBW - https://www.mediafire.com/view/ettky6ihej5wgix/P1070443.JPG/file
 
Last edited:
crainbebo said:
Scenic pics as I forgot to add them. The bench was dedicated to a local fisherman who died in 2006. I could have sat on that bench for hours just peering over the lake and the breeze.
Click to expand...

Beautiful.

We just had a day that hit 108° and there was a compost fire to the east that filled the valley with smoke so toxic that we got text messages to stay indoors.

Just viewing your pics made me feel better.
 
Thanks. This place felt like an escape from the craziness of the current world. No worries about social distancing, masks, new COVID cases, possible 2nd lockdowns...just the breeze of the trees, cawing ravens in the distance and the plip plopping of the waves on Manastash Lake. I know there's trout in that lake.
I will try and go back up there in the next several days where I can do some alternative routes. At Lost Lake there's another trail that hugs the lake and then heads up to a 4x4 trail overlooking the lake. Above Manastash Lake I could keep going up to Manastash Ridge itself (approx 5500 feet).
 
I went back on 7/3, and while there were more people camping for the 4th of July weekend, I still got some time to DX at a couple of spots. You can now add KQBC-90.5 Benton City (Radio 74, 200w) and K222BP 92.3 Prosser (KOLU, 23w) to the logbook. The KQBC was the unid Religion that I heard 6/24. Both are relogs.
Tried for KQWS-90.1 Omak (3kw) with KOMQ and the 1w Synarep translator in, no dice. Nothing got through multipathed KOLU.
 
Back again earlier this afternoon, my 4th attempt. This time I was actually able to get up above the lake on a rather steep trail to the ridgetop around 5600'. Then followed the ridge and a rather slippery rock formation to a high point at 5,897 feet. I logged several NEW stations for the Ellensburg logbook up at both the lake today AND a couple on top of the ridge, albeit Yakima/Tri-Cities signals were screamin' loud up there (80-100% signal).

105.5 K288GN Chelan, WA; barely audible with Doobie Brothers' 'Takin' it to the Streets' and a KORE Community Radio ID mentioning 99.1, 105.5 and 105.9. Only TWO WATTS at 69 miles. 105.5 is a wide open channel, which helps.
90.9 K215AD Chelan, WA; sermon // 107.9 KMBI. 75 watts, 69 miles, south blocked (no KRBM).
96.5 K243CD Brewster, WA; Catholic religious talk // 88.7 KDMB. Only 10 watts at 83 miles.
103.5 CHQM Vancouver, BC; prev. heard in Yakima, with traffic report and QM-FM IDs. 100KW, 186 miles
103.3 K277BG Grandview, WA; with CCM music // 91.3 KGTS. 23 watts, 81 miles
89.9 KGRG-FM Auburn, WA; hard rock song and ID for KGRG. 250 watts, 61 miles, with KPLW/K210DK phased. Had a 60% signal at the 5,897' high point I visited. Mt. Rainier was in full view along with Mt. Aix, Nelson Butte, and most of the Enchantments.
104.9 KTDD Eatonville, WA; RDS '104.9 UP' and Christian music. 17KW, 63 miles, over mountains

finally the kicker of all this
97.9 CBRJ-FM Phoenix, BC; very weak under KZTB around 1840 PT with As it Happens discussion on Montreal COVID tests, along with the controversy over the Washington Redskins changing their name. CBCR1 site matches the same content for tonight's 'As it Happens' show. This is my FIRST Eastern BC station! Only 618 watts, 181 miles! CBRJ repeats CBTK in Kelowna, 88.9. The signal was heard north of Manastash Lake on a high trail point, approx. 5050 or 5100 feet.

Now up to 729 total FM stations in the logs. More pics coming up tomorrow...
 
Man, Lost Lake and Manastash Lake seem to be really good places to DX. Sometime before classes start, I might take my SPARC SHD-TX2 and portable TV up there and see what I can get. Nice scans though!
 
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