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FM DX

C

Chris_Milwaukee

Inactive
Inactive User
Hey Jeremy,

For a long, long time I have been a fan of AM DX. I still have my Heathkit Shortwave radio (a TUBE jobber) up in the attic. About 12 years ago I picked up a station out of Denver and thought how rare it was to get DX from out west. It's amazing what you can pick up on 50' of 18 guage copper. But, that was AM DX.

I understand how tropos effect the FM signal, which can explain why some days I get The Drive crystal clear and other days it comes in like ca-ca. What I am curious about is how a line of sight signal like FM can actually "skip". If I was to seriously consider hunting for skip on the FM side, what types of recievers and antenna combos would you consider to be the cat's tookus? And how far away does a signal on the FM side have to originate from in order for it to be considered DX?

Also, speaking of technical stuff, I have not seen a post from Christopher Tarr in a coon's age. Is he still down on Grange Ave. or did he get the boot? Normally I would direct these types of questions to him.

Thanks for the knowledge
Chris from Milwaukee
 
> Hey Jeremy,
>
> For a long, long time I have been a fan of AM DX. I still
> have my Heathkit Shortwave radio (a TUBE jobber) up in the
> attic. About 12 years ago I picked up a station out of
> Denver and thought how rare it was to get DX from out west.
> It's amazing what you can pick up on 50' of 18 guage copper.
> But, that was AM DX.
>
> I understand how tropos effect the FM signal, which can
> explain why some days I get The Drive crystal clear and
> other days it comes in like ca-ca. What I am curious about
> is how a line of sight signal like FM can actually "skip".
> If I was to seriously consider hunting for skip on the FM
> side, what types of recievers and antenna combos would you
> consider to be the cat's tookus? And how far away does a
> signal on the FM side have to originate from in order for it
> to be considered DX?
>
> Also, speaking of technical stuff, I have not seen a post
> from Christopher Tarr in a coon's age. Is he still down on
> Grange Ave. or did he get the boot? Normally I would direct
> these types of questions to him.
>
> Thanks for the knowledge
> Chris from Milwaukee
>

There are the 2 major types of FM DX. Tropo and E-Skip.

E-Skip is usually several states and hundreds-thousands of miles away.

Examples:

1999 (My first ever E-Skip) Radio=Radio Shack AM/FM/Shortwave radio. Nothing special. The radio I use for regular radio listening.

KILO-94.3 Colorado Springs, CO (In as a local. I was trying to see if I could get WJKL Elgin, IL in one night and in really strong like a local was "94.3 KILO" which is pronounced "Key Lo" I rushed over to radio-locator (then MIT List Of Radio Stations On The Internet) and typed KILO and my jaw dropped at where it was from.

KSPZ-92.9 Colorado Springs, CO (On a 80s SoundDesign Boombox after I went hunting for more E-SKip)

2000 (My second ever E-Skip) Radio=1998 Ford Escort car radio and Radio Shack radio. Several stations from Louisiana with the most memorable being KPCH Dubach, LA an oldies station called "97.7 The Peach"

2001: (South) I got a few gospel FMs on the Ford car radio. One was on 106.5 can't remember much about it.

2002: June 23rd 2002: Wake up in the morning and turn on the radio shack radio. Stop at 101.5 and find a station giving a farm report. Turns out to be KSLS Liberal Kansas "101.5 The Twister" head to the living room, turn on a Phillips Magnavox boombox and start scanning and recording.

Stations that day included

92.9 KSPZ Colorado Springs, CO (Good to hear again)
94.3 KILO Colorado Springs, CO (Ditto)
98.5 KYGO Denver, CO (Mixing with some station from New Mexico)
99.9 KVUU Colorado Springs, CO
99.9 KTQM Clovis, NM
101.5 KSLS Libeal, KS
and several others.

June 2004:

Florida makes its way to Wisconsin. A few Spanish stations. Orlando's AC station. Several others.


Tropo is more of the closer stations (West Michigan, Madison, Green Bay are the most common for me) but its not impossible to get other stations.

It doesn't matter what radio you use. But a good radio that can get good FM signals would be helpful. Car radios are usually great for FM DXing.

Hope that helps. Check out www.fmdxweb.com for more info. I find that site helpful for DX information, especially with the tropo forcast.
<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> Hey Jeremy,
>
> For a long, long time I have been a fan of AM DX. I still
> have my Heathkit Shortwave radio (a TUBE jobber) up in the
> attic. About 12 years ago I picked up a station out of
> Denver and thought how rare it was to get DX from out west.
> It's amazing what you can pick up on 50' of 18 guage copper.
> But, that was AM DX.
>
> I understand how tropos effect the FM signal, which can
> explain why some days I get The Drive crystal clear and
> other days it comes in like ca-ca. What I am curious about
> is how a line of sight signal like FM can actually "skip".
> If I was to seriously consider hunting for skip on the FM
> side, what types of recievers and antenna combos would you
> consider to be the cat's tookus? And how far away does a
> signal on the FM side have to originate from in order for it
> to be considered DX?
>
> Also, speaking of technical stuff, I have not seen a post
> from Christopher Tarr in a coon's age. Is he still down on
> Grange Ave. or did he get the boot? Normally I would direct
> these types of questions to him.
>
> Thanks for the knowledge
> Chris from Milwaukee
>


Chris Tarr is still at Grange. He is busy these days, and spends most of his time on the Engineering board which he is the moderator.

If you are into MWDX, I hope you had the chance to lsiten to 1130 when we took down WISN for a night for some maintenance. While at the transmitter site I got New York, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Shreveport of course, but at 4AM got Vancover, BC which was ON TOP! Quite a signal! I was using my factory Ford car radio in my truck... nothing special.

Stay tuned as we will be bringing WKKV 100.7 down for some work soon. I will make an annoucement when we do.

Kent Winrich
Engineering
Clear Channel Milwaukee
 
> > Hey Jeremy,
> >
> > For a long, long time I have been a fan of AM DX. I still
> > have my Heathkit Shortwave radio (a TUBE jobber) up in the
>
> > attic. About 12 years ago I picked up a station out of
> > Denver and thought how rare it was to get DX from out
> west.
> > It's amazing what you can pick up on 50' of 18 guage
> copper.
> > But, that was AM DX.
> >
> > I understand how tropos effect the FM signal, which can
> > explain why some days I get The Drive crystal clear and
> > other days it comes in like ca-ca. What I am curious
> about
> > is how a line of sight signal like FM can actually "skip".
>
> > If I was to seriously consider hunting for skip on the FM
> > side, what types of recievers and antenna combos would you
>
> > consider to be the cat's tookus? And how far away does a
> > signal on the FM side have to originate from in order for
> it
> > to be considered DX?
> >
> > Also, speaking of technical stuff, I have not seen a post
> > from Christopher Tarr in a coon's age. Is he still down
> on
> > Grange Ave. or did he get the boot? Normally I would
> direct
> > these types of questions to him.
> >
> > Thanks for the knowledge
> > Chris from Milwaukee
> >
>
>
> Chris Tarr is still at Grange. He is busy these days, and
> spends most of his time on the Engineering board which he is
> the moderator.
>
> If you are into MWDX, I hope you had the chance to lsiten to
> 1130 when we took down WISN for a night for some
> maintenance. While at the transmitter site I got New York,
> Detroit, Minneapolis, and Shreveport of course, but at 4AM
> got Vancover, BC which was ON TOP! Quite a signal! I was
> using my factory Ford car radio in my truck... nothing
> special.
>
> Stay tuned as we will be bringing WKKV 100.7 down for some
> work soon. I will make an annoucement when we do.
>
> Kent Winrich
> Engineering
> Clear Channel Milwaukee
>

I got KKRQ Iowa City, IA on 100.7 in Kenosha one time when you guys had WKKV off.
<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> Hey Jeremy,
>
> For a long, long time I have been a fan of AM DX. I still
> have my Heathkit Shortwave radio (a TUBE jobber) up in the
> attic. About 12 years ago I picked up a station out of
> Denver and thought how rare it was to get DX from out west.
> It's amazing what you can pick up on 50' of 18 guage copper.
> But, that was AM DX.
>
> I understand how tropos effect the FM signal, which can
> explain why some days I get The Drive crystal clear and
> other days it comes in like ca-ca. What I am curious about
> is how a line of sight signal like FM can actually "skip".
> If I was to seriously consider hunting for skip on the FM
> side, what types of recievers and antenna combos would you
> consider to be the cat's tookus? And how far away does a
> signal on the FM side have to originate from in order for it
> to be considered DX?
>
> Also, speaking of technical stuff, I have not seen a post
> from Christopher Tarr in a coon's age. Is he still down on
> Grange Ave. or did he get the boot? Normally I would direct
> these types of questions to him.
>
> Thanks for the knowledge
> Chris from Milwaukee
>
Yeah it is strange picking up distant stations on FM.

The other day here in my Muskego, WI. home I received KFDI 101.3 Wichita, Kansas, KUTT Fairbury, Nebraska, KAZR Pella-Des Moines, Iowa and a number of northwest Illinois stations as well.

-John L.
Muskego, WI.
 
> > Hey Jeremy,
> >
> > For a long, long time I have been a fan of AM DX. I still
> > have my Heathkit Shortwave radio (a TUBE jobber) up in the
>
> > attic. About 12 years ago I picked up a station out of
> > Denver and thought how rare it was to get DX from out
> west.
> > It's amazing what you can pick up on 50' of 18 guage
> copper.
> > But, that was AM DX.
> >
> > I understand how tropos effect the FM signal, which can
> > explain why some days I get The Drive crystal clear and
> > other days it comes in like ca-ca. What I am curious
> about
> > is how a line of sight signal like FM can actually "skip".
>
> > If I was to seriously consider hunting for skip on the FM
> > side, what types of recievers and antenna combos would you
>
> > consider to be the cat's tookus? And how far away does a
> > signal on the FM side have to originate from in order for
> it
> > to be considered DX?
> >
> > Also, speaking of technical stuff, I have not seen a post
> > from Christopher Tarr in a coon's age. Is he still down
> on
> > Grange Ave. or did he get the boot? Normally I would
> direct
> > these types of questions to him.
> >
> > Thanks for the knowledge
> > Chris from Milwaukee
> >
>
>
> Chris Tarr is still at Grange. He is busy these days, and
> spends most of his time on the Engineering board which he is
> the moderator.
>
> If you are into MWDX, I hope you had the chance to lsiten to
> 1130 when we took down WISN for a night for some
> maintenance. While at the transmitter site I got New York,
> Detroit, Minneapolis, and Shreveport of course, but at 4AM
> got Vancover, BC which was ON TOP! Quite a signal! I was
> using my factory Ford car radio in my truck... nothing
> special.
>
> Stay tuned as we will be bringing WKKV 100.7 down for some
> work soon. I will make an annoucement when we do.
>
> Kent Winrich
> Engineering
> Clear Channel Milwaukee
>

Kent,

I appreciate if you could tell us that. I caught WKKV off the air on late December Thursday night last winter and heard WBYT, Elkhart, IN on 12/30.

-John L.
 
> >
> >
> > Chris Tarr is still at Grange. He is busy these days, and
>
> > spends most of his time on the Engineering board which he
> is
> > the moderator.
> >
> > If you are into MWDX, I hope you had the chance to lsiten
> to
> > 1130 when we took down WISN for a night for some
> > maintenance. While at the transmitter site I got New
> York,
> > Detroit, Minneapolis, and Shreveport of course, but at 4AM
>
> > got Vancover, BC which was ON TOP! Quite a signal! I was
>
> > using my factory Ford car radio in my truck... nothing
> > special.
> >
> > Stay tuned as we will be bringing WKKV 100.7 down for some
>
> > work soon. I will make an annoucement when we do.
> >
> > Kent Winrich
> > Engineering
> > Clear Channel Milwaukee
> >
>
> Kent,
>
> I appreciate if you could tell us that. I caught WKKV off
> the air on late December Thursday night last winter and
> heard WBYT, Elkhart, IN on 12/30.
>
> -John L.
>


Ahhh yes, I remember that night well UGH! I will let as many people know as I can. I will post here as well as some of the other Wisconsin borads.
 
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