Es- May 19

The first, and so far, only Es here in Delaware was noted on May 19.  Log is below:

88.9 WQCS 1700 Ft Pierce FL 864 mi, NPR, mentions of Port St Lucie

88.9 WKTO 1700 Edgewater FL, 774 mi,  CCM skip zone

88.9 WDNA 1705 Miami FL, 990 mi,  Jazz, skip zone,

89.3 WRMB 1715 Boynton Beach FL, 920 mi, Moody Broadcasting Network, sermon

89.7 WKCP 1935 Miami FL, 990 mi, Classical

90.7 WPBI 1940 West Palm Beach FL, 916 mi, Classical, new

 

A Delaware Change and a New Station in New Jersey

Seems the Reach FM translator in Dover DE on 106.3 has moved up to 106.7.  Not sure of the new calls.

A new station was noticed today- 88.1 WFDS Pennsville NJ with EWTN Catholic programming.  Listed at 1050 watts.  The owner is Chesapeake Catholic Radio, which had considered putting this new station here in Smyrna a few years ago but that fell through.  Looks like it ended up in Pennsville.  It is giving WYPR in Baltimore fits here, but since there are about 75 other NPR stations to choose from in these parts (and I exaggerate only slightly) that’s no great loss.

This now brings by FM station totals to 726.  No Es in these parts yet, but there is some decent Es going on out west as I type these lines so we wait.  There was a great Es opening to the Maritimes last May 5 so our first event could happen at any time.

 

Looking Ahead to the FM DX Season

I always start my FM DX season on May 1, although I did have some Es last April. and in April 2010  This will be my 5th FM Es season.  I logged by first FM DX on June 24, 2000 with KRPS 89.9 Manhattan, KS, that was wiping out my semi-local WOEL Elkton MD that day.  I noted it but did not follow up on it.  It was not until 2007 that I started paying attention to Es but by then, the season was over.  All my 2007 DX was tropo.  It was starting in 2008 that I started chasing FM Es DX,

My current FM log looks like this:

Total number of stations- 724.  I would like to reach 800 by the end of the year.

Total number of FM states- 35.  Missing are New Hampshire, Vermont and Ohio, all of which would be very tough via Es.  New Hampshire would be possible via tropo (I have Maine via tropo).  Vermont less likely and the Appalachians would  cut down my chances for Ohio, so I have to hope for very strong short skip.  It would be nice to bag New Mexico, Colorado or Montana, all possible from here in Delaware.

Total number of countries- 5.  Cuba and Mexico could be nice, but it’s double-hop distance to Central America.

Total number of provinces- 7.  I can’t expect much here except maybe Saskatchewan.  Anyone ever log anything out of Nunavut?

FM DX distance record-  99.1 KRYS Corpus Christi TX at 1492 miles.  Can I break the 1500-mile barrier?

My equipment is modest- mainly car radios, my Sony  XDRD1 HD and my stable of ultralight radios.  You can chase DX on an ultralight!

Tropo this year has been dreadful, with hardly any openings.

I hope to be reporting regularly during the upcoming season in these pages.  If it is an average season, I can expect maybe 20-25 days with Es, so the more the better!

 

New Log- 1600 WUNR

I was up near Christiana DE yesterday (northern Delaware near Wilmington) with my PL-310 in my “mobile office” (aka my truck) and I managed to add a new station to the log:

1600 WUNR Brookline MA at 2000, two IDs of “This is W-U-N-R” repeated then back into the gumbo.  A 309-mile catch and station number 1014 overall.

I also had added 4 new stations to the AM log in April and 20 new ones so far this year.  Eight of those came in March with the unusual auroral conditions during that month.

WDDE 91.1 Dover DE Changing Hands

Heard a blurb while listening to WDDE 91.1 in Dover DE that they will be going dark soon, and then signing back on under new ownership.  They are currently operated by Salisbury University and relay WSDL 90.7 in Ocean City MD.  They run the usual NPR fare.  Looks like both the University of Delaware and Delaware State University will be operating the new incarnation of WDDE when they sign back on.  I don’t think the programming will change.  WDDE will operate out of new studios in Dover.

WPEB 88.1 in Philadelphia

I was in downtown Philadelphia for several hours today and took advantage of it to do some listening to WPEB on 88.1.  They are listed at a whole 1 watt, the lowest powered “full service” station out there that isn’t a translator or LP station.

I drove up and down Broad Street in the vicinity of City Hall and WPEB mixed constantly with WNJS 88.1 in nearby Berlin NJ.  Most of the time, WNJS dominated but WPEB would often swap in and out, with a better signal north of City Hall, when you got away from the skyscrapers.  Most of the programming was jazz/blues-type instrumentals (1130-1300 local) with few announcements until around 2 PM when I heard an announcer welcome someone to WPEB, finally getting
an ID.  I was about 2 miles from their transmitter while listening. Seems like they do put some sort of signal into center city, and along I-95 north of the airport.

April 6 Update- a New Log and Some HAR Items

Was surprised last night by bagging 680-CFTR Toronto ON on my R-9012.

680 CFTR Toronto ON, 2205, under WCBM Baltimore (my local mega-pest on 680). Ads with Canadian websites, news reports with many mentions of Hamilton and Toronto. Definitely Canadian, although I couldn’t get the ID or a liner. Assume the one here for ULR log #851 and number 1012 overall. Heard on my R-9012. It’s superior nulling ability allowed my to knock down WCBM enough to pick out some details on CFTR.

A few observations:
1640. Was in Christiana DE April 6 and heard the HAR station from somewhere along the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Philadelphia area) re-broadcasting NWS from Philadelphia. But I think “City Radio 1640″ from Wilmington may be dark. I should have been able to hear it in Christiana (I’ve heard it in Middletown DE). No ID on 1640 heard but City Radio usually ran public safety related interviews and spots.

1700 There was an unknown station rebroadcasting NWS Philadelphia here, loud in northern Delaware and heard as far south as Woodloand Beach DE, right on the Delaware River. Silent as of April 6.

1610 WPEP712 (probable ID) from Elkton MD was also heard on April 6 in Christiana, with HAR info for I-95 along northeastern Maryland.

I just got back from a few days in the Shenandoah Valley. I really didn’t do much DXing there, except to note two HAR/TIS stations along I-81 on 1610, one in New Market VA at the New Market Battlefield State Historical Site and one in Harrisonburg VA, run by James Madison University.