This is what summer is all about. These multi-hour Es openings are what every DXer looks forward to, even if the weather is hot or stormy. Our own DX_Sphere in Moses Lake ended up getting *double-hop* tonight from Tampa FL. 90.5 WBVM, 'Spirit FM', was heard at a distance of roughly 2,380 miles. AMAZING!!!
For me, I had nearly two dozen new FM logs tonight. First, it started in Kansas and Nebraska, and then it made a jarring flip over to California with multi-swapping up to the top of the band and gigantic signals from many markets. It ended in Arizona and Las Vegas. But before it left the FM band, it left me with an all-time low-power record on Es, which I will get to. This station defeats KWMV-LP 95.9 Westcliffe CO as my lowest-powered Es catch of all time. Let's start from the top, shall we?
6:35PM (PT) - DX_Sphere (Kyle) hears WBVM 90.5 Tampa FL from Moses Lake (he already had E-skip to Wichita on FM)
6:38PM - First signs of skip. 94.1 with Faith Hill and multiple other country songs. IDs always fade away. It was very likely (relog) KDNS Downs KS. Also, a 90.5 with a religious sermon, and 88.7 with classical. These were the only three in for about 15 minutes.
6:52PM - UNID 89.3 with what I consider country gospel. Like Gaither Homecoming-type music. Maybe KSSO Norman OK, Sonlife (Jimmy Swaggart) radio?
6:53PM - 95.1 KICT Wichita, KS; with T95 ID and RDS. Relog, 100KW at 1327 miles.
6:54PM - 93.5 KDGS Andover, KS; ad for Super CarGuys, three locations in Wichita. Relog, 15KW at 1343 miles.
6:59PM - 88.3 KYFW Wichita, KS; with BBN mailing address mentioned. NEW #757, 17KW at 1341 miles.
7:00PM - 89.1 KMUW Wichita, KS; over KFAE Richland with ID and mention of Wichita State University. NEW #758, 100KW at 1329 miles.
7:01PM - 92.7 KWME Wellington, KS; with TOH ID (just in time)! Into adult contemporary music. NEW #759, 14KW at 1349 miles.
7:03PM - 92.3 KKGQ Newton, KS; with new ESPN format, RDS 'ESPN WICHITA.' Relog, 95KW at 1325 miles.
7:07PM - 98.7 KNSS-FM Clearwater, KS; with Ben Shapiro show (only possible match). Relog, 50KW at 1341 miles.
7:09PM - 105.9 KQKY Kearney, NE; with top 40 music and RDS 'KQKY.' NEW #760, 97.6KW at 1163 miles.
7:12PM - 103.7 KEYN Wichita, KS; with Tom Kent, 'King of Wishful Thinking' Go West and RDS. Relog, 98KW at 1327 miles.
7:13PM - 102.5 KMKF Manhattan, KS; huge signal with weather forecast and RDS 'K-ROCK.' NEW #761, 37KW at 1318 miles.
7:15PM - 96.3 KACZ Riley, KS; RDS 'Z96-3'. NEW #762, 12.5KW at 1313 miles.
7:16PM - 99.3 K257GM Iola, KS; while looking for needed KWIC/Topeka, heard Mark Levin fading in and out with weak KMGW/Naches. This is the only possible match in the skip target area. They repeat News/Talk AM KIOL-1370. NEW #763, 250 watts at 1418 miles!! I believe this is the farthest translator I've ever heard, too! Also, Es #1 on 99.3.
7:19PM - 94.7 KSKU Sterling, KS; ad for DJ Liquor in Hutchinson. NEW #764, 50KW at 1275 miles.
Then the paths flipped! PLOT TWIST! Toto, we ain't nowhere near Kansas anymore...........
7:20PM - 93.7 K229AK Baywood-Los Osos, CA; strong with alternative music and ID 'Alt 100.9.' Couldn't find this anywhere until I got back into the house. Thank goodness I was able to find it, because it's my third-lowest-powered FM catch ever on Eskip! NEW #765, only 99 watts at 804 miles. They were amazingly strong for only 99 watts.
7:21PM - 94.1 KLMM Oceano, CA; ID 'Radio Lazer'; regional Mexican music. NEW #766, 340 watts at 836 miles. Also surprisingly strong.
7:24PM - 105.9 KRAZ Santa Ynez, CA; with Chris Stapleton song and ID '105.9 Krazy Country.' RECORD-breaking Es catch, lowest-powered catch ever made! NEW #767, with a whopping 65 watts at 863 miles!! You will not believe how well they came in on flea power. They are on top of a mountain so 65 watts does sound like 650 or even 1,650 in comparison - with fringe coverage even going out to Santa Maria. But hey, this is what makes FM DXing so much fun.
7:27PM - 94.1 K231DC Lemoore, CA; with Relevant Radio mentions. This repeats KJOP-1240 Lemoore, which is an R-R affiliate. Recently came to air December 2020. And hey, more LP DXing! NEW #768, 110 watts at 740 miles.
7:30PM - 90.5 KGDP-FM Santa Maria, CA; Family Life Radio IDs. Relog, 17.5KW at 847 miles.
7:32PM - 92.1 KQKZ Bakersfield, CA; with 'Nasty' Janet Jackson and ID Q92.1. Relog, 3.6KW at 800 miles, not heard since June 2015 (logged as KVMX).
7:38PM - 103.7 KFBT Hanford, CA; promo sweeper, ID '103.7 the Beat.' Relog, 50KW at 723 miles.
7:39PM - 102.9 KXLM Oxnard, CA; ID 'Radio Lazer' (just like the 94.1 I logged earlier). NEW #769, 5.5KW at 885 miles.
7:39PM - 97.9 KMGV Fresno, CA; with 'Love Come Down' Evelyn Champagne King and ID 'Mega 97.9.' NEW #770, 2.1KW at only 688 miles. This was the closest Es log I made tonight.
7:42PM - 98.1 KKJG San Luis Obispo, CA; mixed with one other, with CBS News update and San Luis Obispo commercials. Relog, 4.5KW at 804 miles.
7:43PM - 94.1 KISV Bakersfield, CA; RDS with song/artist and 'HOT 94.1'. Relog, 4.5KW at 804 miles.
7:43PM - 95.1 KBBY Ventura, CA; ID as soon as I tuned in. Relog, 12.5KW at 894 miles.
7:46PM - 99.3 KKBB Bakersfield, CA; with 'Sweet Thing' Mary J. Blige and ID 'Groove 99.3.' NEW #771, 10KW at 801 miles. (Ironically, KKBB's format is the format that nearby KMGW used to run. Rhythmic Oldies with R. Dub's Slow Jams at night. I miss it greatly. So it was kind of like a time warp back a few years to hear this format on 99.3 locally...even for just a few minutes.)
7:49PM - 105.1 KKGO Los Angeles, CA; local ads, RDS scrolling 'GoCountry105.com.' NEW #772, 18KW at 892 miles.
7:53PM - 106.7 KROQ Pasadena, CA; RDS '106 KROQ.' NEW #773, 5.5KW at 892 miles.
7:54PM - 105.9 KPWR Los Angeles, CA; promo for Nick Cannon Morning Show on Power 106. NEW #774, 25KW at 892 miles. (See a pattern? These high-band L.A. stations have been elusive until now.)
7:55PM - 94.7 KTWV Los Angeles, CA; with RDS '94.7 the Wave' playing 'Jammin' by Bob Marley. Boy, I did not expect that on an Urban AC! Relog, 52KW at 892 miles.
7:56PM - 93.9 KLLI Los Angeles, CA; with ad in Spanish for Nissan of Downtown Los Angeles. NEW #775, 18.5KW at 892 miles.
7:57PM - 97.9 KLAX-FM Los Angeles, CA; still cleaning out needed L.A. stations, this one had a promo in SS that ended in 'La Raza.' Slam-dunk ID. Well-wanted - finally nabbed 'em! NEW #776, 33KW at 895 miles.
7:58PM - 96.5 KYXY San Diego, CA; with RDS 'KYXY." Relog, 26.5KW at 994 miles.
7:59PM - 89.3 KRSF Ridgecrest, CA; with a string of IDs for other Radio 74 stations - like KQQM Miles City MT. Only Radio 74 on 89.3 in CA. NEW #777, 890 watts at 810 miles. I didn't get KZIQ or any of the other Ridgecrest FMs, nor any of the Bishop FMs (KSRW, KIBS, KRHV) which would have been awesome. Too much LA and Central valley. It also mixed with an NPR station of some kind, very likely 600-watt KPCC Pasadena (or the KCRW satellite in Indio).
8:01PM - 99.7 XHTY Tijuana, BCN; with Regional Mexican, ID 'La Invasora' at TOH. NEW #778, 30KW at 1022 miles.
8:01PM - 99.9 KOLA Redlands, CA; start of '80s at 8 segment 'on KOLA.' Relog, 29.5KW at 917 miles.
8:05PM - 91.1 XETRA Tijuana, BCN; gigantic grade-A signal. Completely wiped KYPL to shreds. 4 to 5 bars on the car radio, 91X RDS and all. Years ago when I was growing up in western WA, 91X always had the biggest Es signal out of any FM I picked up. It continues to prove that statement. Because this is on a local frequency, it is NEW #779 to the Ellensburg logbook (well, many Es logs moved from Yakima). But in Seattle, it would be a relog. 100KW at 1018 miles.
8:08PM - 90.3 XHITZ Tijuana, BCN; ID 'Z90.3' and RDS. Wiped out weak-ish KNWY Yakima. NEW #780, 93.12KW at 1018 miles.
8:12PM - 92.1 KKCM Thermal, CA; Kix Country ID, clothing drive promo. Relog (not heard since 2014), 1.3KW at 952 miles.
8:13PM - 92.3 XHMMF Mexicali, BCN; big signal (2-3 bars on car radio out of five), with 'La Bestia Grupera' RDS and song/artist. Relog, 21.9KW at 1027 miles.
8:15PM - 94.7 KLOB Thousand Palms, CA; ad for La Quinta Chevrolet in Spanish. NEW #781, 1.65KW at 933 miles.
8:23PM - 93.1 KYMT Las Vegas, NV; RDS ID '93.1 The Mountain.' Relog, 23.5KW at 805 miles.
8:25PM - 95.1 KTTI Yuma, AZ; with RDS ID '95.1 KTTI' (KLJZ buried by Vegas, very unusual!) Relog, 50KW at 1041 miles.
8:31PM - 98.9 KHWY Essex, CA; with Popcrush Nights. Only possible match in the target area. Relog (from the middle of nowhere! Serving travelers of course), 9KW at 884 miles.
8:36PM - 95.5 KWNR Las Vegas, NV; with ID '95.5 the Bull,' country music. Relog, 92KW at 811 miles.
8:45PM - 96.3 KSWG Wickenburg, AZ; 'Heads Carolina, Tails California' Jo Dee Messina, ID '96.3 Real Country.' Relog, 5.8KW at 990 miles.
8:46PM - 92.3 KTAR Phoenix, AZ; Dave Ramsey show (only possible match). Relog, 98KW at 1043 miles.
8:47PM - 97.9 KUPD Tempe, AZ; ID '98KUPD'. Relog, 96KW at 1043 miles.
8:49PM - 99.9 KESZ Phoenix, AZ; ID '99.9 KEZ' and Delilah. Relog, 99KW at 1043 miles.
8:59PM - 92.1 KCMT Green Valley, AZ; with 'La Caliente' ID and Regional Mexican music. Relog, 50KW at 1157 miles.
There were also some UNIDs that will be processed in the coming days. One of them being a Spanish station on 99.9, and another on 96.9 that could be from California. KZTA is still on low power, which was awesome. And there was also a 96.9 with Stanley Cup coverage, and yet another with Spanish Religion that could be an LPFM from who knows where...or even an LP XE. I'll have to check the tape.
What an opening!
ALSO...P.S.
A DXer in Palmdale, CA on the skip log, N6AVI Mat, was able to work the other end and he logged the following locals/semi-locals (to me):
KXLE-95.3 Ellensburg (51KW)
KDBL-92.9 Toppenish (18KW)
KATS-94.5 Yakima (100KW)
KFAE-89.1 Richland (100KW)
I hear these stations every day...the opposite nearly always works in an Es opening. What fun.
For me, I had nearly two dozen new FM logs tonight. First, it started in Kansas and Nebraska, and then it made a jarring flip over to California with multi-swapping up to the top of the band and gigantic signals from many markets. It ended in Arizona and Las Vegas. But before it left the FM band, it left me with an all-time low-power record on Es, which I will get to. This station defeats KWMV-LP 95.9 Westcliffe CO as my lowest-powered Es catch of all time. Let's start from the top, shall we?
6:35PM (PT) - DX_Sphere (Kyle) hears WBVM 90.5 Tampa FL from Moses Lake (he already had E-skip to Wichita on FM)
6:38PM - First signs of skip. 94.1 with Faith Hill and multiple other country songs. IDs always fade away. It was very likely (relog) KDNS Downs KS. Also, a 90.5 with a religious sermon, and 88.7 with classical. These were the only three in for about 15 minutes.
6:52PM - UNID 89.3 with what I consider country gospel. Like Gaither Homecoming-type music. Maybe KSSO Norman OK, Sonlife (Jimmy Swaggart) radio?
6:53PM - 95.1 KICT Wichita, KS; with T95 ID and RDS. Relog, 100KW at 1327 miles.
6:54PM - 93.5 KDGS Andover, KS; ad for Super CarGuys, three locations in Wichita. Relog, 15KW at 1343 miles.
6:59PM - 88.3 KYFW Wichita, KS; with BBN mailing address mentioned. NEW #757, 17KW at 1341 miles.
7:00PM - 89.1 KMUW Wichita, KS; over KFAE Richland with ID and mention of Wichita State University. NEW #758, 100KW at 1329 miles.
7:01PM - 92.7 KWME Wellington, KS; with TOH ID (just in time)! Into adult contemporary music. NEW #759, 14KW at 1349 miles.
7:03PM - 92.3 KKGQ Newton, KS; with new ESPN format, RDS 'ESPN WICHITA.' Relog, 95KW at 1325 miles.
7:07PM - 98.7 KNSS-FM Clearwater, KS; with Ben Shapiro show (only possible match). Relog, 50KW at 1341 miles.
7:09PM - 105.9 KQKY Kearney, NE; with top 40 music and RDS 'KQKY.' NEW #760, 97.6KW at 1163 miles.
7:12PM - 103.7 KEYN Wichita, KS; with Tom Kent, 'King of Wishful Thinking' Go West and RDS. Relog, 98KW at 1327 miles.
7:13PM - 102.5 KMKF Manhattan, KS; huge signal with weather forecast and RDS 'K-ROCK.' NEW #761, 37KW at 1318 miles.
7:15PM - 96.3 KACZ Riley, KS; RDS 'Z96-3'. NEW #762, 12.5KW at 1313 miles.
7:16PM - 99.3 K257GM Iola, KS; while looking for needed KWIC/Topeka, heard Mark Levin fading in and out with weak KMGW/Naches. This is the only possible match in the skip target area. They repeat News/Talk AM KIOL-1370. NEW #763, 250 watts at 1418 miles!! I believe this is the farthest translator I've ever heard, too! Also, Es #1 on 99.3.
7:19PM - 94.7 KSKU Sterling, KS; ad for DJ Liquor in Hutchinson. NEW #764, 50KW at 1275 miles.
Then the paths flipped! PLOT TWIST! Toto, we ain't nowhere near Kansas anymore...........
7:20PM - 93.7 K229AK Baywood-Los Osos, CA; strong with alternative music and ID 'Alt 100.9.' Couldn't find this anywhere until I got back into the house. Thank goodness I was able to find it, because it's my third-lowest-powered FM catch ever on Eskip! NEW #765, only 99 watts at 804 miles. They were amazingly strong for only 99 watts.
7:21PM - 94.1 KLMM Oceano, CA; ID 'Radio Lazer'; regional Mexican music. NEW #766, 340 watts at 836 miles. Also surprisingly strong.
7:24PM - 105.9 KRAZ Santa Ynez, CA; with Chris Stapleton song and ID '105.9 Krazy Country.' RECORD-breaking Es catch, lowest-powered catch ever made! NEW #767, with a whopping 65 watts at 863 miles!! You will not believe how well they came in on flea power. They are on top of a mountain so 65 watts does sound like 650 or even 1,650 in comparison - with fringe coverage even going out to Santa Maria. But hey, this is what makes FM DXing so much fun.
7:27PM - 94.1 K231DC Lemoore, CA; with Relevant Radio mentions. This repeats KJOP-1240 Lemoore, which is an R-R affiliate. Recently came to air December 2020. And hey, more LP DXing! NEW #768, 110 watts at 740 miles.
7:30PM - 90.5 KGDP-FM Santa Maria, CA; Family Life Radio IDs. Relog, 17.5KW at 847 miles.
7:32PM - 92.1 KQKZ Bakersfield, CA; with 'Nasty' Janet Jackson and ID Q92.1. Relog, 3.6KW at 800 miles, not heard since June 2015 (logged as KVMX).
7:38PM - 103.7 KFBT Hanford, CA; promo sweeper, ID '103.7 the Beat.' Relog, 50KW at 723 miles.
7:39PM - 102.9 KXLM Oxnard, CA; ID 'Radio Lazer' (just like the 94.1 I logged earlier). NEW #769, 5.5KW at 885 miles.
7:39PM - 97.9 KMGV Fresno, CA; with 'Love Come Down' Evelyn Champagne King and ID 'Mega 97.9.' NEW #770, 2.1KW at only 688 miles. This was the closest Es log I made tonight.
7:42PM - 98.1 KKJG San Luis Obispo, CA; mixed with one other, with CBS News update and San Luis Obispo commercials. Relog, 4.5KW at 804 miles.
7:43PM - 94.1 KISV Bakersfield, CA; RDS with song/artist and 'HOT 94.1'. Relog, 4.5KW at 804 miles.
7:43PM - 95.1 KBBY Ventura, CA; ID as soon as I tuned in. Relog, 12.5KW at 894 miles.
7:46PM - 99.3 KKBB Bakersfield, CA; with 'Sweet Thing' Mary J. Blige and ID 'Groove 99.3.' NEW #771, 10KW at 801 miles. (Ironically, KKBB's format is the format that nearby KMGW used to run. Rhythmic Oldies with R. Dub's Slow Jams at night. I miss it greatly. So it was kind of like a time warp back a few years to hear this format on 99.3 locally...even for just a few minutes.)
7:49PM - 105.1 KKGO Los Angeles, CA; local ads, RDS scrolling 'GoCountry105.com.' NEW #772, 18KW at 892 miles.
7:53PM - 106.7 KROQ Pasadena, CA; RDS '106 KROQ.' NEW #773, 5.5KW at 892 miles.
7:54PM - 105.9 KPWR Los Angeles, CA; promo for Nick Cannon Morning Show on Power 106. NEW #774, 25KW at 892 miles. (See a pattern? These high-band L.A. stations have been elusive until now.)
7:55PM - 94.7 KTWV Los Angeles, CA; with RDS '94.7 the Wave' playing 'Jammin' by Bob Marley. Boy, I did not expect that on an Urban AC! Relog, 52KW at 892 miles.
7:56PM - 93.9 KLLI Los Angeles, CA; with ad in Spanish for Nissan of Downtown Los Angeles. NEW #775, 18.5KW at 892 miles.
7:57PM - 97.9 KLAX-FM Los Angeles, CA; still cleaning out needed L.A. stations, this one had a promo in SS that ended in 'La Raza.' Slam-dunk ID. Well-wanted - finally nabbed 'em! NEW #776, 33KW at 895 miles.
7:58PM - 96.5 KYXY San Diego, CA; with RDS 'KYXY." Relog, 26.5KW at 994 miles.
7:59PM - 89.3 KRSF Ridgecrest, CA; with a string of IDs for other Radio 74 stations - like KQQM Miles City MT. Only Radio 74 on 89.3 in CA. NEW #777, 890 watts at 810 miles. I didn't get KZIQ or any of the other Ridgecrest FMs, nor any of the Bishop FMs (KSRW, KIBS, KRHV) which would have been awesome. Too much LA and Central valley. It also mixed with an NPR station of some kind, very likely 600-watt KPCC Pasadena (or the KCRW satellite in Indio).
8:01PM - 99.7 XHTY Tijuana, BCN; with Regional Mexican, ID 'La Invasora' at TOH. NEW #778, 30KW at 1022 miles.
8:01PM - 99.9 KOLA Redlands, CA; start of '80s at 8 segment 'on KOLA.' Relog, 29.5KW at 917 miles.
8:05PM - 91.1 XETRA Tijuana, BCN; gigantic grade-A signal. Completely wiped KYPL to shreds. 4 to 5 bars on the car radio, 91X RDS and all. Years ago when I was growing up in western WA, 91X always had the biggest Es signal out of any FM I picked up. It continues to prove that statement. Because this is on a local frequency, it is NEW #779 to the Ellensburg logbook (well, many Es logs moved from Yakima). But in Seattle, it would be a relog. 100KW at 1018 miles.
8:08PM - 90.3 XHITZ Tijuana, BCN; ID 'Z90.3' and RDS. Wiped out weak-ish KNWY Yakima. NEW #780, 93.12KW at 1018 miles.
8:12PM - 92.1 KKCM Thermal, CA; Kix Country ID, clothing drive promo. Relog (not heard since 2014), 1.3KW at 952 miles.
8:13PM - 92.3 XHMMF Mexicali, BCN; big signal (2-3 bars on car radio out of five), with 'La Bestia Grupera' RDS and song/artist. Relog, 21.9KW at 1027 miles.
8:15PM - 94.7 KLOB Thousand Palms, CA; ad for La Quinta Chevrolet in Spanish. NEW #781, 1.65KW at 933 miles.
8:23PM - 93.1 KYMT Las Vegas, NV; RDS ID '93.1 The Mountain.' Relog, 23.5KW at 805 miles.
8:25PM - 95.1 KTTI Yuma, AZ; with RDS ID '95.1 KTTI' (KLJZ buried by Vegas, very unusual!) Relog, 50KW at 1041 miles.
8:31PM - 98.9 KHWY Essex, CA; with Popcrush Nights. Only possible match in the target area. Relog (from the middle of nowhere! Serving travelers of course), 9KW at 884 miles.
8:36PM - 95.5 KWNR Las Vegas, NV; with ID '95.5 the Bull,' country music. Relog, 92KW at 811 miles.
8:45PM - 96.3 KSWG Wickenburg, AZ; 'Heads Carolina, Tails California' Jo Dee Messina, ID '96.3 Real Country.' Relog, 5.8KW at 990 miles.
8:46PM - 92.3 KTAR Phoenix, AZ; Dave Ramsey show (only possible match). Relog, 98KW at 1043 miles.
8:47PM - 97.9 KUPD Tempe, AZ; ID '98KUPD'. Relog, 96KW at 1043 miles.
8:49PM - 99.9 KESZ Phoenix, AZ; ID '99.9 KEZ' and Delilah. Relog, 99KW at 1043 miles.
8:59PM - 92.1 KCMT Green Valley, AZ; with 'La Caliente' ID and Regional Mexican music. Relog, 50KW at 1157 miles.
There were also some UNIDs that will be processed in the coming days. One of them being a Spanish station on 99.9, and another on 96.9 that could be from California. KZTA is still on low power, which was awesome. And there was also a 96.9 with Stanley Cup coverage, and yet another with Spanish Religion that could be an LPFM from who knows where...or even an LP XE. I'll have to check the tape.
What an opening!
ALSO...P.S.
A DXer in Palmdale, CA on the skip log, N6AVI Mat, was able to work the other end and he logged the following locals/semi-locals (to me):
KXLE-95.3 Ellensburg (51KW)
KDBL-92.9 Toppenish (18KW)
KATS-94.5 Yakima (100KW)
KFAE-89.1 Richland (100KW)
I hear these stations every day...the opposite nearly always works in an Es opening. What fun.
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