Tr opening 5/21/13. 1 new log.

While driving about 12 miles NW of my home, I received a new station, 92.9 WDHC from West Virginia.  I’ve been trying to log this signal for years, as it (until today) was the closest 92.9 signal at 83 miles from my home still not logged, however it is a long haul over the mountains which typically block WV signals at home.  Even though I didn’t log WDHC at home, I am happy to add it to my log with the ‘car radio’ notation, as it was received within 35 miles of my home.

New log:

92.9 WDHC Berkeley Springs, WV, 71 miles (approximate distance from car when received), “Country 92-9 WDHC”

I also was able to get an audio clip from the following relog

Tr opening 5/17/13. 2 new logs.

While DXing a typical tropo opening into the Norfolk, VA and coastal North Carolina area on May 17, I received two new logs, both over local stations, 90.1 WHRX and 98.3 WHRF.  Both signals relay Norfolk’s 89.5 WHRV.

New logs:

90.1 WHRX Nassawadox, VA, 108 miles, classical over local WCSP, //WHRV 89.5 also in

98.3 WHRF Belle Haven, VA, 108 miles, classical, legal ID over local WSMD

Tr opening 5/13/13. 1 new log.

While in my car today at about 2 miles away from my home, I picked up a new station, 102.7 WLMP-LP, Fredericksburg, VA with a religious format.  WLMP was mixing in with relog WQSR Baltimore, MD (57 miles, 50 kw) but held its own, impressive with its 14 watts of power at 25 miles from where my car was parked.  On 4/24/09, I received WLMP on 99.9 FM but it is apparent the station moved to 102.7 FM since then.

New log:

102.7 WLMP-LP Fredericksburg, VA, 25 miles (from car’s location), religious

Improved tropo reception noted after antenna reinstallation

The first half of 2013 has proven to be a great year so far regarding tropospheric reception, even in the absence of a tropo duct.

Since I have DXed in the same location for 14 years, I’m at the point where I typically don’t log any new signals by tropo unless a local signal is weak or off-air, or if a rare (typically bi-annual) duct brings in signals further than 250 miles away.  But even with the absence of any tropo ducts this year, as of May 5, I’ve logged 4 new tropo signals within a month–something I haven’t seen for years.

Tr opening 5/5/13. 1 new log.

A fairly routine tropo opening into Norfolk, VA and the Outer Banks of NC early this morning netted 1 new log: 90.5 WBUX Buxton, NC, over local 90.5 WJYJ Fredericksburg, VA.  WJYJ’s signal has been staticy recently, and I noticed a faint classical signal coming in under WJYJ while aiming my antenna to the NE, away from WJYJ to the south.  After pinning down WBUX, a potential station which relays classical 89.7 WCPE Raleigh, NC, I listened to the WCPE webstream.  The audio matched WBUX for at least 10 minutes, confirming the reception of the station.

New log:

90.5 WBUX Buxton, NC, 253 miles tropo 5/5/13, over local WJYJ

I also recorded audio from the following relogs last night:

91.7 WBKU Ahoskie NC 178

Tr opening 5/3/13. 1 new log.

Over the past few nights the typical tropo openings into Norfolk, Richmond, the Maryland Eastern Shore and surrounding areas have netted new logs, something that I haven’t regularly seen since 2006 when IBOC turned on in the Washington area and ruined many otherwise clear frequencies.  Upon tuning to 89.9 FM, I received a new station, WXTR Tappahannock, VA, 62 miles away.  Listen to audio from WXTR below.

89.9 WXTR Tappahannock VA 62 miles tropo 5/3/13 (legal ID)

Tr opening 4/30/13. 1 new log.

An interesting tropo opening brought in one new log, 91.1 WDDE Dover, DE at 97 miles on April 30.  Instead of the typical, tired relogs booming in from Norfolk and the Maryland Eastern Shore , I received some relogs that typically only come in when I’m driving 15 miles west of my home: 92.1 WNUZ Mercersburg, PA @ 84 miles, 94.5 WDAC Lancaster, PA @ 101 miles, 95.7 WLTF Martinsburg, WV @ 70 miles.  Several other relogs from regional Philadelphia-area signals (96.9 WFPG, 98.1 WOGL, 105.3 WDAS) came in.  The opening died out around 12:30 a.m. May 1 as regional Eastern Shore and Norfolk signals started to creep in.

Audio added to the Audio Files pages from new logs:

91.1 WDDE Dover DE 97 miles tropo 4/30/13 (legal ID)

New audio has also been added to the Audio Files page from the following relogs:

92.1 WNUZ Mercersburg PA, 84 miles tropo

1 new FM log via tropo 4/27/13

While tuning the dial early this morning, I came across 99.9 WYFJ Ashland, VA, at 77 miles, new log #1730.  In 2010, WYFJ, a religious-formatted station, moved from its previous pest frequency of 100.1 to 99.9, a frequency typically occupied locally during tropo openings by WFRE Frederick, MD and WWFG Ocean City, MD.  I remember receiving the new 99.9 WYFJ once in 2010 after the move but (for some reason) never thought to consider it as a new log, when it was technically a new signal.  This morning was the second time I received WYFJ, so I finally added it to my DX log.

4 New RDS screenshots from relogs added

While in my car yesterday, I decoded RDS from four relogs.  I’ve received RDS from 88.1 WPRZ at home but only on the Denon TU-1500RD.  For 91.5 WBJC, after years of receiving a blank RDS readout from them, I finally see some text.  RDS decodes from 97.5 WLTF and 104.7 WAYZ are new for me.  The screenshots below have been added to the RDS/HD Screenshots page.

88.1 WPRZ Brandy Station, VA, 43mi, 4/18/13, Tropo

91.5 WBJC

3 New RDS screenshots added from semi-locals

I noticed three semi-local stations run RDS in my car that I cannot decode at home on my radios today.  The following screenshots have been added to the Woodbridge, VA HD/RDS Screenshots page:

89.9 WPER Culpeper, VA, 29 mi, ccm

104.5 WGRX