Thanks for the heads up!
I’ll certainly try tomorrow tonight then and see what I find.
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I will too, from my interpretation of the forecast it looks like it will be coming from the south. Possibly Eden 2EC / Power Fm for you, and 2ST Nowra and 2BA Batemans Bay for me.
If it spins around to the North Strong middle Brother could also be a possibility at my location.
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There is actually a bit of inland tropo proceeding the forecasted coastal event tomorrow.
Very weak ABC Classic Canberra alternating between Triple J CWS. Eagle fm barely above the noise floor, nothing to get too excited about but a warm up for tomorrows potential main event.
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Perhaps also possible New Cal reception in Queensland.
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For my prediction for tomorrow’s opening
From the North I guess Newcastle Commercials (except for 102.9) may come in, maybe Middle Brother and a low chance of 107.3 Taree and 101.5 Forster/Tuncurry and Port Stephens. From the South, Brown Mountain likely not sure about Bega Commercials as they would be blocked by Sydney but I did it before. Lets all wait and see.
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In my particular location, chances are I’ll get the Newcastle commercial stations and Mid North Coast ABCs - fairly common during such openings.
Won’t be holding my breath for either to happen, but it’d good to again get the Port Macquarie commercial stations or even just 2HD 97.5/100.9 Port Stephens FM over 2BACR - FM DX achievements I think I’ve only managed once before.
Depending on your location in Sydney, getting 90.5 2HD Lake Macquarie over Alive 90.5 could be a new catch, wonder if it could be received on the Southern Highlands too, @Dani-Chan ?
Appears one will need to be sited right on the coast to gain the best out of the predicted tropo duct. This morning there’s slight enhancement of Wollongong area stations at my location.
I have heard once 100.9 PCR over 2BACR but that was both being located on the coast & during a coastal tropo enhancement. Would be a tougher ask the further inland you go within the Greater Sydney area. SDR# has a phase cancellation feature that could possibly help, but might be a challenge with 2BACR’s wide deviation…
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I was working at the North Head transmission site yesterday & tried for 2HD 90.5 & was lucky just to get in a spot under the tower to get it, was scratchy but I got it in the car, I moved a meter & lost it to Alive 90.5.
I have a feeling 2HD 90.5 might be poor but permanent in this location, the Newcastle FM’s usually are, unless the Illawarra FM’s is strong due to weather, could also have something to do with the guyed mast acting as a big receive antenna?
I’d be interested to know just how far South 2HD 90.5 goes in both normal conditions & tropo?
I did head North after North Head to Collaroy plateau but couldn’t get it there. I might try at Beacon Hill (near maccas) one day when I get a chance, but it’s probably not protected enough from Alive 90.5 there?
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Things are very slow to get going this afternoon, definitely not the extreme event that Hepburn was forecasting. Has the high to medium level cloud that rolled over Sydney mid afternoon and lack of Seabreeze put a cap on this tropo event?
Some slight enhancement of Newcastle to bring 102.9 up to stereo at times, and weak Hit over Vox. Weak New fm. Some of the Central Coast community stations are slightly enhanced.
I also had a brief very weak signal of 97.5 2HD Port Stephens, but it is gone now.
No enhancements from the south so far, or Middle Brother from the north.
See what later tonight brings.
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Same here, at around 5.30, Sydney and Wollongong were better than usual, but like you said, nothing exceptional.
On TV, I’ve lost 10/WIN Newcastle, but other local stations are still there. They all usually go missing during strong tropo.
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Similar here Newcastle tv has knocked a bit of the signal quality of the Wollonong tv stations, but not enough for signal loss.
This event so far looks to be just your typical Wollongong / Newcastle low to moderate enhancer. If it was an extreme event there would be echo’s off the coast on the Bom Radar.
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Went down to the coast this afternoon (Meringo/Tuross). Managed to get a brief decode of 2UE DAB from Tuross Golf Club. Spearmint milkshake from Bodalla in hand, I then went out to Meringo Beach (nice headland with a fantastically situated picnic table for AM DX!) 2HD 97.5 was strong when I left at 1715 LT but Sugarloaf wasn’t in, so the duct was very coastal. Weak Middle Bro also.
Also found the Batemans Bay rotary lookout is ideal for NZ tropo DX, but results to the north are lacklustre despite the elevation. It’s around 5 km west of town, requiring a short detour up a decent dirt road off the Kings Highway.
Tropo might have lifted a bit more later on. Temps today were 23 at Moruya and 25 at Bungendore, so not that much difference. High/middle level cloud prevented Bungendore temps from getting too high. Sea mist was reported around Wollongong this morning and there was a classic sea haze offshore from the Batemans coast, but the inversion probably wasn’t deep enough closer to the coast.
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Looks like some ducts are starting to appear off the Coast on the Sydney BOM Radar. Hepburn forecasted these to be off the Coast which is consistent with what @dxnerd has experienced today maybe early morning might be better and they come closer to the coast.
No real changes from earlier this evening with Newcastle now starting to weaken. Everything else has been at non tropo strength.
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Yes,southerly signals did improve over the evening, but the best I ever got was a weak 91.7 2ST and listenable 2BAB 92.7 in mono, along with Pulse 94.1 in a null of Today’s Country 94.1, RDS on Wave and i98, but no sign of Power 94.9 under Rhema.
Northerly signals started off well but faded, even then the best I got was good Middle Brother with News Radio 94.7 clear and RDS on MAX FM.
Sydney was the best for me, commercials were in at about 50db on the Tecsun, and most suburban community stations received including a weak 2RSR 88.9 and 2WOW 100.7. RDS on HAWK FM TCBL, 2NBC, 2NSB and SWR … 2BAC appeared to be under 2PSR, but couldn’t null the latter out enough to confirm.
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You did much better then me, obviously close to the coasts and the ducts. For me located over 40km from the coast has not helped with this setup.
I think Hepburn have significantly overcooked this one, usually I have found them to be quite close.
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Lots of enhancement from the north into Brisbane tonight. Wide Bay, Bundaberg strong with Breeze and Rebel notable. Also extending to Rockhampton ABC stations + the twin Gladstone commercial FM’s on 93.5 and 95.1 + Yeppoon community with good signal on 91.3. Furthest north is from Mackay PNN on 104.3 and MMM on 98.7.
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Did a quick check before going to work this morning, Tropo has swung around to the south.
Power fm Nowra receivable with RDS, and is enhanced enough to not suffer cochannel from RhemaCC, all the other CC community stations are also enhanced.
91.7 2ST Nowra weak but listenable, VOX fm receivable just below RDS strength.
This event did not live up to expectations Hepburn well overcooked this one.
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Rockhampton ABC’s still present this morning in Brisbane.
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Do you find reception to be similar across all 4 ABC Rocky FMs?
For instance, I find Triple J Wollongong to be better than Classic with News the weakest, even though they are at the same site and power. It’s difficult to gauge 97.3 Local as it’s usually blocked for me.