WEDU strong and steady, as if on schedule

[Robert Grant]

After a long and worrysome null in the Es the last several days, skip back this evening, with WEDU strong and steady (along w/WPBT, WFOR, WESH and WSAV).
This comes on the 28th anniversary of my first Es logging...WEDU.
We know we are into Es season, and that WEDU's location in FL and their channel 3 assignment make WEDU commonplace, even a "pest", but Es is extremely common on 22 May here in Michigan in particular, and WEDU is by far more likely to come in on 22 May than on any other day of the year, and more likely to come in (as opposed to others) as usual.

Rob Grant
EN65uw

[dlp85x]

...WEDU's location in FL and their channel 3 assignment make WEDU commonplace, even a "pest"...

WEDU is also a pest here. A station that has become a pest this season so far is KTBS 3 Shreveport. I've had 3 FM Es openings this year, and a few more TV-only ones, and KTBS popped up in all but 2 of them. I had one opening this morning around 11am, with FM Es to TX, and KTBS was in almost cable quality with their syndicated programming. Later today, another opening went into the midwest, and KTBS also popped in (while no FM was from their area this time.) They were so clear today that I could've sworn my TV was in their viewing area. Check out the attached image ... I watched about 25 mins their local news today with the video as clear as seen, with minor dropouts/CCI.

[Robert Grant]

Yes, in some past years, KTBS has been a pest here as well (BTW, I goofed at the bottom of my post, putting in the grid location for the cabin up north, rather than the main QTH I'm at now, EN81fs), KATC even more so.

Since it went on the air in 2000, the BIG pest has been KBEJ/KCWX, which can almost be "IDed" from its frequency alone, a little less than 2 Hz off that of WJBK, year after year (I don't know if its -2 Hz or +2 Hz).

As far as I'm concerned, nothing be Es in the next-to-last year of US analog tv can be discounted as a "pest" :-)

Interesting thing about Es, is that it seems to have a different "repeat target area", year after year. Some years Texas keeps coming in, other years Florida, one year (1983, I think) CFSS in Warmley, SK was the "pest", but it has been rare almost every year since. In 2001, CJCB (4, Sydney NS) was a pest, usually coming in after midnight, when Es is usually rare.

Rob

[dlp85x]

Interesting thing about Es, is that it seems to have a different "repeat target area", year after year.

I've noticed that too, but in my case its more of the same 'repeat areas' all the time with Es openings. Being on the east coast, my skip area is all of the midwest states, most of the deep south (minus GA, SC, TN of course due to distance), and it seems every Es opening is either from MN/ND/SD, TX/LA/MS, MO/KS, or FL. I would think I'd get regular openings from NE/IA, OK, or WI, but they are rare.

[mglass1646]

I have not observed any Es openings yet here in Indiana. Is it too early or am I missing something?

[Mike-CT]

Keep this bookmarked and check it often:
http://maps.dxers.info/1hr.php?b=6m. It's for 6m but for ch2 it gives you a good clue what's up and when. I don't remember if you're on the tvfmdx list, but that will give you an even better heads-up. I wouldn't say the past several days have been all that good for Es like in early May.

[Russ-PA]

Or try this one, which also provides the ability to send you pre-programmed alerts.

http://www.vhfdx.net/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=50&Map=NA

[mglass1646]

Thanks for the sggestions. I have been checking the repeater VHF Propagation Map. So far, my best catch has been WHBF-DT ch 58 in Rock Island, IL, for about 265 miles. I will keep watching.

Mike