Es at the moment – Renmark into Sydney:
Edit: Adelaide now too.
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Nothing coming the other direction, so it’s purely a one-way opening.
I have to wonder if it’s due to the isolated storms around?
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Kangaroo Island on 90.7 into Bowral
Also had 90.3 Adelaide, 89.3 Victor Harbour and 91.5 Renmark.
801 Renmark was also in via AM Skywave (a nightly occurrence compared to E-Skip)
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I caught ABC Classic Port Lincoln on 93.1 just now also (1,403 km), only a 50W station, but it’s the only station that matches, as it was playing classical music that didn’t match with the NSW ABC Classic feed.
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I heard what sounded like a commercial station on 96.7 briefly, it (and I) didn’t hang around long enough to get an ID, but I suspect Mix102.3 Adelaide Foothills, which I’ve heard here before. Only weak when present anyway.
A bit of inland enhancement tonight too, heard Hit93.1 Wagga weakly at various times, as well as Roccy FM 93.9 Young and 2MCE 92.3 Bathurst. Nothing particularly strong though, ABCs and other commercials in those areas not really enhanced.
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Besides, it’s a bit unusual to get any E-Skip in March in this part of the world. Knowing things are heating up at the end of the week, some tropo might be in our future.
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The unusual skip continues. This isn’t the first instance of out of season Es lately. I wonder if it’s due to auroral activity again?
Historically Band I TV was received into early March but FM isn’t normal this late. We’re almost at the autumn equinox when Es is usually flat.
I don’t bother to check for Es outside of ‘prime time’ hence miss these openings. Too labour intensive for very little return. Nothing you can’t get in Dec/Jan but still interesting to see- thanks for the reports.
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I remember hearing that Es are also rare at night, but it’s happened a few times this season (including tonight) - I wasn’t expecting Es at this time of the day.
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That’s what I’m hoping too Dani, remember how we had some good tropo last year as late as May (from Tassie when I was down there). You were getting Launceston and I was getting Wollongong at the same time.
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I suppose it’s an option to subscribe to this thread for alerts. I will usually post on here if I get Es.
For me, my TEF servers are continually checking on my five yagis and two omnidirectional antennas for Es and send me an instant message on a private group chat as soon as anything out of the ordinary is received.
People from here have also asked to be added to my DX alert group chat, which I’ve done, if anyone else wants to be added.
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What would you classify as good tropo in terms of distance? For me, stations 300 km away like Hit Wagga have been coming in fairly frequently this summer. ABC Classic on 97.9 from Coffs some 400 km away has also been quite common. Feels like they’re almost normal reception by this point - at least in summer.
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For me I feel like it depends on many factors, not just the distance.
For example, any ABCs from Brown mountain (411km) are extremely rare catches in Melbourne, due to terrain blockage.
However, Launceston ABCs (431km) are very common catches in the summer, and I’d barely count them as DX.
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A very good question, all I go by is that I only really list stations that I don’t get every day. I don’t go by distance as such since other variables like TX power have a bearing on that.
And I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks since I’ve been away, so tonight was my first local DX for a couple of weeks. Hence I was a bit more optimistic than usual maybe!
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Rare yes but the path is there. Melbourne is regularly received into Mount Cooper which isn’t far from Brown. Have you sat on 89.7 beaming ENE for any length of time? I’d put Canbrrra in the ‘next to impossible’ category as the great circle path is directly down the spine of the Alps.
DX catches are a function of distance and TX power for most paths in Australia. The exception is the Canberra- Melbourne path just mentioned, and by extension Sydney- Melbourne since the great circle path is near identical.
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Since I haven’t been doing this hobby with the TEF for long, I’m still working out what’s common and what’s not.
However, it’s safe to say going on past experiences, any of the westward SA commercials up to Adelaide are a near guaranteed visitor in the mornings here. Time will tell if it lasts into winter, but I would not be surprised if they do.
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Es from FNQ coming into Sydney at the moment:
Really strong opening. Even got Vision from Charters Towers.
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Townsville, Ayr, Emerald and Collinsville into Bowral at the moment.
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Es still going, but managed to ID so far:
- 92.7 ABC RN Bowen
- 94.3 ABC News Radio Townsville
- 95.9 West FM Charters Towers
- 96.7 Vision Charters Towers
- 97.5 ABC RN Charters Towers
- 98.3 Kool FM Innisfail
- 100.7 Power100 Townsville
- 101.5 ABC Classic Townsville
- 102.3 Triple M Townsville
- 103.9 Triple T Townsville
- 105.1 ABC RN Cairns
- 105.5 Triple J Townsville
- 105.9 ABC Classic Ciarns
- 106.3 Star Townsville
- 106.7 ABC Far North Cairns
- 107.1 4KIG Townsville
- 107.5 Triple J Ciarns
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