My Best Tropo and Es Audio

This the best of my DX audio. It began on reel-to-reel tapes, dubbed later to cassette tapes, then to RealAudio files and lastly to mp3 files. Quality varies. There's some good stuff here

Much of my best FM DX over the years has been on 99.7. That frequency is now occupied by a local religious LPFM. Recently in February 2023 I lost my last two decent tropo and Es DX frequencies, 94.5 and 94.9 when local WMAS 94.7 began transmitting in HD. RIP.

Aurora DX

The date is April 6, 2000. This is some of the strongest aurora I've heard in years. As with aurora DX, signal levels can be very strong, but audio quality can be rotten...distorted, muffled, bassy...a real challenge to hear, let alone being able to ID a station. I have three samples to listen to.These were the best of the evening.

WRSF-105.7 Columbia, NC, also known as "Dixie 105.7". 462 miles.
WRSF-105.7 Columbia, NC, clip #2, slightly different.
WYFI-99.7 Norfolk, VA, religious programming but no ID on this clip.400 miles.This clip is more representative of how poor aurora signals sound.

If you've never heard aurora DX before, these three clips will give you an idea what it sounds like. Awful.

1100 Mile Overland Record Tropo

The date was August 21, 1978. A stagnant high pressure area covered much of eastern USA. Here is audio of my two most distant FM tropo loggings, both heard around 8pm.Some of my clips may require you to listen to them with headphones. I'd advise it with these two clips.
KLAZ-98.5 Little Rock, AR, known at that time as Z-98. 1176 miles.
KKYK-103.7 Little Rock, AR, also known as "kick" 1176 miles.

The audio quality of these clips is less than great because these were copied from reel-to-reel to cassette tapes and then from ra to mp3 files. Also remember the unusual reception conditions and the distances involved.

Other Tropo and E Skip from 1976-1987

R. Rebelde-90.5 CUBA.1420 miles approx(Es)
R. Progresso-92.1 CUBA.1420 mi approx (Es)
CKLW-93.9 Windsor, ON. 534 miles
WNIC-100.3 Dearborn, MI. 542
WSGS-101.1 Hazard, KY, short reception then covered by WCBS-FM 652 miles.

Tropo from 1987-1990

WDBN-94.9 Akron OH 465 miles
WCRF-103.3 Cleveland, OH. religious 469 miles
CJMX -105.3 Sudbury, ON.521 miles.
WSFM-107.5 Southport, NC.630 miles
WMFD -97.3 Wilmington, NC, 609 miles.
CIMX-88.7 Windsor, ON. heard before WNHU signed on the air 534 miles.
WDJX-99.7 Louisville, KY. 740 miles
WMGG-99.7 Columbus, OH.Same evening as WDJX, but just after DJX faded. 560 miles
WNWS-98.5 Coldwater, MI heard around 7 one morning 637 miles

Double Hop Es - 1991

XHPL-99.7 Ciudad Acuna, Mexico.1815 miles, May 25,1991. IDed with help of Fernando Garcia

Tropo 1992

WSHW-99.7 Frankfort-Kokomo, IN 734 miles
WZNS -92.9 Dillon,SC 638 miles
WUGN-99.7 Midland, MI 601 miles
WOMC-104.3 Detroit, MI 536 miles
WHNN -96.1 Bay City, MI 583 miles Channel
WIOG -102.5 Bay City-Saginaw, MI 583 miles
WHTK-99.7 Port Royal, SC- Savannah, GA 798 miles
WRFX -99.7 Kannapolis,NC 622 miles

Tropo 1997

WKZQ-101.7 Myrtle Beach,SC. 666 miles
WWXM-97.7 Myrtle Beach, SC. "Mix 97.7" 666 miles.

E-Skip 1998

Radio Taino -98.1 Varadero, CUBA A resort near Havana, IDed with help of Fernando Garcia. 1420 miles.

2,000 Mile E Skip 2000

XHSP-99.7 Monterrey, NL Mexico, a 2 minute clip with phone/fax numbers, parts of the city mentioned 1945mi. IDed by Fernando Garcia who lived there.

2,400 Mile F2 Skip November 5, 2000

Check out this audio file of the California Highway Patrol 42mhz frequencies heard here in CT.This was taped at 2pm local time. Two IDs can be heard...Golden Gate (San Francisco) and Fresno.This was a fair opening. I've heard much stronger F2.

Tropo 2001

Midwestern tropo returns to New England!

WYMY-96.9 Goldsboro,NC 540 miles Aug 26, 2001
WWWZ-99.3 Summerville/Charleston, SC 745 miles Aug 26, 2001
WRVM -102.7 Suring, WI 818 miles
WIXX-101.1 Green Bay, WI 796 miles
WLVQ-96.3 Columbus, OH 560 miles
WVCX-98.9 Tomah, WI 916 miles
WAPL -105.7 Appleton, WI 813 miles
WEEC-100.7 Springfield, OH 602 miles

Meteor Bursts - Leonids meteor shower Nov 18, 2001

Here is a short clip recorded on 102.5 at around 1:00pm local time, a few hours after the shower peak. One is "...Birmingham's Nascar station..." (WOWC Jasper, AL) and"...Tampa Bay's real Classic Rock..." (WHPT Sarmsota, FL) plus other misc unidentified bursts.

Tropo 2002

More Great Lakes Tropo!

WOOD -105.7 Grand rmpids, MI 670 mi Sept 5 2002.
WBYT-100.7 Elkhart, IN 688 miles
WZFS-106.7 Des Plains, IL (Chicago) 786 mi

Big Aurora 2003

Here's audio from WOMC 104.3 Detroit heard by aurora on May 29th. I've heard them by aurora before, but never this clear. Compare it to the tropo reception heard below.

Tropo 2003

Midwest tropo lives! Here are some of the best catches from August 20/21 and early September.

WKOA-105.3 Lafayette,IN 750mi
WMJI-105.7 Cleveland, OH
WMMQ 94.9 E. Lansing,MI 609 mi
WOMC104.3 Detroit,MI 535 mi
WLAV96.9 Grand Rapids MI 670 mi
WJZK104.3 Richwood-Columbus, OH 566mi
WHOT-101.1 Youngstown, OH 421 mi
WVIC-94.1 Jackson, MI 605 mi

Other tropo clips from the 70s and 80s

If a clip is listed above and below, the content of the clip below is different from the one above. Quality of the following clips may be better.

CFRQ-104.3 Halifax, NS 489 miles
CHFI-98.1 Toronto,ON 363 miles
CHUM-104.5 Toronto, ON
CHYM-98.7 Kitchener, ON 413 miles
CIOO-100.1 Halifax,NS
CJYC -98.9 St. John, NB 399 miles
CKFM-99.9 Toronto, ON Now IBOC
CKO -103.5; Halifax, NS (this station is now off the air)
WANJ -107.5 Wheeling,WV 442 miles
WANV - 99.7 Staunton,VA 432 miles
WBEN -102.5 Buffalo,NY 327 miles
WCLW -105.3 Mansfield,OH 521 miles
WDCX -99.5 Buffalo,NY
WDVE -102.5 Pittsburgh,PA; 399 miles
WFRB -105.3 Frostburg,MD 368 miles
WGER -102.5 Bay City,MI 583 miles
WHAJ -104.5 Bluefield, WV 562 miles
WJLB -97.9 Detroit,MI 536 miles
WLLZ -98.7 Detroit, MI
WMNI -99.7 Columbus,OH 560 miles
WMUZ-103.5 Detroit,MI
WNCI -97.9 Columbus,OH
WRAL -101.5 Raleigh,NC; 537 miles Hurricane Josephine induced.
WRFX -99.7 Kannapolis,NC 622 miles
WRIF -101.1 Detroit,MI
WRVQ -94.5 Richmond,VA 403 miles
WSFM -107.5 Southport,NC 630miles
WWST -104.5 Wooster,OH 491 miles
WYYD -96.1 Raleigh,NC Hurricane Josephine induced.
WZZP -106.5 Cleveland, OH 469 miles

These clips represent just a fraction of the places that I have managed to hear in Northern Connecticut over the last 25 years or so. It is by no means a complete list. FM radio has changed quite a bit over the last 25 years, and you can hear the changes in some of these clips. Most of these frequencies are now covered by IBOC, LPFMs or local translators.The clips above serve as a reminder of days gone by when the channels were clear and real long haul tropo was possible in this part of Connecticut.

©2000-2022 M. Bugaj