KW4RZ
02-04-2006, 08:22 PM
Another rare off-season E skip event Friday Feb 3 was better than most summertime openings. A stronger repeat of 2 days ago. It hit FM sometime before 2:50 in the afternoon and lasted until 9:15pm or so. Over 6 hours worth. I first noted DX with a car radio check from work about 3:50 with strong Mexico signals. The microcasette caught one ID in Jalisco and then ran for 30 minutes on 102.5 which resulted in over 15 minutes of XHMAX Los Mochis, Sinaloa 25kw - 1395 miles.
At home in the shack Total Recorder was running on 95.3 looking for tropo across the Gulf with the Hepburn forecast map showing excellent conditions. Unfortunately it was set to stop recording at 3:09pm so most of the Es was missed and no tropo signals cut through the nearer Gulf coast stations. Starting about 2:50 Spanish talk and music started to break through and an ID was caught in the mess with full call letters. XHPY Tepic, Nayarit 13kw 1287 miles. Another station was possibly in there too but no ID before recording stopped.
Attended DXing began at 4:45 and the best of the Es seemed to have past. A few ID's were made on Es and not surprising 93.9 XHTXA Tuxtla, Veracruz at 936 miles which was no where near the Es area but right in the brightest area for the tropo forecast and was solid with very little fade, yet weak so most likely tropo the whole way. Logged often on tropo.
3 new Mexican states were heard on this opening, Nayarit, Sinaloa and Sonora on the west and northwest side of the country. All fairly long distance 1287-1420 miles. Double hop Es was going on six meters with strong southern California stations reaching 5x9 in the 1800 mile range.
The best of the Es was going between California and Arizona to Texas and Louisiana and north/south with Colorado - Texas and north Mexico reported by Jim Thomas in Colorado and Pat in San Antonio. With tropo going west along the Gulf and another E cloud there was a possibility of extended Es or double hop but the tropo on this end made it difficult to get anything solid. Only Spanish stations were recorded.
The unid's here are very tenative but if anyone hears what I hear on the 103.3 at 17:17 near the begining it sounds like "La mejor radio" making it over WCDV Baton Rouge. This could be one of the two in Baja California either 1649 or 1769 miles "La Mejor".
Has Jim or Dave or anyone ever heard these stations that can confirm that "La Mejor" ID's like this? Maybe I'm hearing something else?
the 104.5 at 17:48 has two Mexican stations mixing with "Rock 104" which is in Mississippi. One of the stations has what sounds like romantica music and some talk I cannot make out. If romantica the only listing is XHLTN "Radio Latina" Tijuana, Baja California at 1788 miles. XHCHA "Stereo Hits" Chihuahua at 1173 miles was identified on this freq about 30 minutes earlier.
Many 5x9 double hop reports on 50MHz from Florida to California and Arizona were going on now.
The last signal was on 91.9 and was assumed to be XHVJL Puerto Vallarta "Sistema Jalisciense" but after reviewing these audios I'm not sure. Es was strong to San Antonio, TX on TV2 and 4 plus the Mexican TV. Jim do you hear anything good in these?
Thanks for any help!
At home in the shack Total Recorder was running on 95.3 looking for tropo across the Gulf with the Hepburn forecast map showing excellent conditions. Unfortunately it was set to stop recording at 3:09pm so most of the Es was missed and no tropo signals cut through the nearer Gulf coast stations. Starting about 2:50 Spanish talk and music started to break through and an ID was caught in the mess with full call letters. XHPY Tepic, Nayarit 13kw 1287 miles. Another station was possibly in there too but no ID before recording stopped.
Attended DXing began at 4:45 and the best of the Es seemed to have past. A few ID's were made on Es and not surprising 93.9 XHTXA Tuxtla, Veracruz at 936 miles which was no where near the Es area but right in the brightest area for the tropo forecast and was solid with very little fade, yet weak so most likely tropo the whole way. Logged often on tropo.
3 new Mexican states were heard on this opening, Nayarit, Sinaloa and Sonora on the west and northwest side of the country. All fairly long distance 1287-1420 miles. Double hop Es was going on six meters with strong southern California stations reaching 5x9 in the 1800 mile range.
The best of the Es was going between California and Arizona to Texas and Louisiana and north/south with Colorado - Texas and north Mexico reported by Jim Thomas in Colorado and Pat in San Antonio. With tropo going west along the Gulf and another E cloud there was a possibility of extended Es or double hop but the tropo on this end made it difficult to get anything solid. Only Spanish stations were recorded.
The unid's here are very tenative but if anyone hears what I hear on the 103.3 at 17:17 near the begining it sounds like "La mejor radio" making it over WCDV Baton Rouge. This could be one of the two in Baja California either 1649 or 1769 miles "La Mejor".
Has Jim or Dave or anyone ever heard these stations that can confirm that "La Mejor" ID's like this? Maybe I'm hearing something else?
the 104.5 at 17:48 has two Mexican stations mixing with "Rock 104" which is in Mississippi. One of the stations has what sounds like romantica music and some talk I cannot make out. If romantica the only listing is XHLTN "Radio Latina" Tijuana, Baja California at 1788 miles. XHCHA "Stereo Hits" Chihuahua at 1173 miles was identified on this freq about 30 minutes earlier.
Many 5x9 double hop reports on 50MHz from Florida to California and Arizona were going on now.
The last signal was on 91.9 and was assumed to be XHVJL Puerto Vallarta "Sistema Jalisciense" but after reviewing these audios I'm not sure. Es was strong to San Antonio, TX on TV2 and 4 plus the Mexican TV. Jim do you hear anything good in these?
Thanks for any help!