NOAA Weather Radio Tropo Logs June July 2018

[Davep]

For many years I have noticed ducting of VHF Noaa Weather Radio stations that generally occur along the Oceanfront anytime during the year but mainly during the spring and summer . This is a common occurrence here at my qth , I am not sure how prevalent these are inland .  I will attempt to document the ducting , which is usually caused by the difference in sea and air temps , esp cooler sea temps that are commonly overun by much warmer air some height above the cooler air.  This allows the vhf to travel  beyond the line of sight , sometimes for hundreds of miles outside normal listening area.  This can be all north, all South or both of conditions allow, rarely West. Generally these are best during times of no wind, although not as a strict rule.
Radio used is a Unimetrics Seahawk model 24 Marine radio, 12 feet above sea level using only a 12 inch jumper clip as antenna . That way eliminates any possibility of reception due to elevation. The orientation of the wire seems to be more important than the quality of the antenna.
These can disappear and reappear at any given minute.  Closer stations in the path may not be heard at all.
Home station is KHB37 Driver Va  on 162.550 mhz.
The temps will be for my location. The mileage is straight line or flight distance
I realize this is an obscure and possibly location based DX  target , but if you notice any out of area stations please note.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/coverage/station_listing.html

6/17/18  KHB38 162.400   Mt Holly Nj / Atlantic City.  Strong  /flight dist 193mi  Sea temp 71/ air 84.9 slight breeze 1604UT
Gone 1723 Ut
------------------------------------':------------
Sea temp 71/ air 77.9 calm 340 UT
6/18/18  KEC92 162.475  Salisbury MD / Delmar  strong / FD 109mi 340UT
6/18/18 Unid.     162.475   weak 340 UT
6/18/18  KEC83  162.400  Baltimore MD / Pikesville / moderate /FD 179mi  358 UT
6/18/18  WXJ94 162.550  Lewes Delaware/ Green Hill / strong over KHB37 / FD 140mi    434 UT.   
6/18/18  KEC92  162.475  Salisbury MD/Delmar/ moderate / FD 109mi  1310 UT  calm  Air 80.1 F
6/18/18  KHB38  162.400  Atlantic City NJ/ Mt Holly /weak / CD 193mi  1314 UT
6/18/18  KJY99   162.525  Accomack Va/ Onley / moderate, weak/ FD 60mi     1349UT   
6/18/18  WXM80 162.475 Upton NY/Riverhead/ strong / FD 289mi/ fcst Hartford,New Haven, New London 1653  UT
6/18/18  WXM57 162.400  Heathsville Va/ moderate / FD 78mi  2154 UT[/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sea Temp 79 air 77.3 calm
6/19/18  WWH26  162.425  Mamie NC/ Outer banks / weak / FD 59mi  0024  UT  faded 0046 UT 300watts
6/19/19  KEC92  162.475 Salisbury MD/Delmar/ moderate/ FD 109mi  0041UT
6/19/18   310 UTC  no stations

Sea 75 air 83.1 calm
6/19/18  WWG33 162.450 Margarettsville NC / Margarettsville/ weak/ 76mi   1213 UT 300wts southwest
6/19/18  KEC92    162.475 Salisbury MD / Delmar/ moderate/FD 109mi       1216 UT
6//19/18 WWH26  162.425 Mamie NC/ Mamie/ strong/ FD  59mi                  1220 300wts
no stations 1400 UT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sea 76 Air 78.4 winds briefly up to 40mph around 2300
 6/20/18  KIG77 162.475 Cape Hatteras NC/ Buxton / weak / FD 112mi   201 UT
Also Accomack and Heathsville very weak back up after storm listed Out of Service
no other Stations

6/20/18  KEC92 162.475 Salisbury MD/Delmar/ weak fading/ FD 109 mi/ 1229 UT
no other stations
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------color
Sea 76 Air 75.2 calm
6/21/18  KIG77 162.475  Cape Hatteras NC/ Buxton / strong/ FD 112mi  404 UT 
6/21/18 WWH26 162.425 Mamie NC/ Outer Banks/ moderate w fading/ FD 59mi Faded 410 UT
6/21/18  Unid     162.525   garbled
6/21/18  KJY99   162.525 Accomack Va/ Onley/very weak/ 60mi  430 UT
Very nice South with armchair copy KIG77
Sea 81 air 83.7
6/21/18 No Stations 2300 UT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Sea 78 air 80.4  Thunderstorms http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/sst/contour/natlanti.cf.gif
6/22/18  WWH26 162.425 Mamie NC / weak 59mi 115 UT faded 130 UT
6/22/18  KIG77   162.475 Hatteras NC weak/ 112mi 125 UT faded 130 UT
Very short duration , faded to noise at the same time
no other stations

Sea 77  Air 80.2 rain wind 13kts
6/22/18no stations 1758 UT
6/22/18no stations 2320 UT
--------------------------------------------------------------

Sea 80.3  Air 87.3  Storms
6/23/18  6/23/18  No Stations 2100 UT
6/24/18 no stations 200 UTC
 
Sea 79.9 Air 83.3 calm
6/24/18  WNG37  162.450  Washington DC / moderate/ 153mi  / 1308 UT
6/24/18   KEC83  162.400  Baltimore MD / Pikesville /strong/FD 179mi  / 1310UT
6/24/18   KEC92    162.475 Salisbury MD / Delmar/  strong /FD 109mi    /1310UT,
6/24/18  KJY99   162.525  Accomack Va/ Onley / strong / FD 60mi     1318UT   
strong North
__________________________________________________________________
Sea 82.7  Air 89
6/25/18. KEC92. 162.475 Salisbury MD / moderate/ 109mi / 0053
6/25/18  WXM57  162.400 Heathsville Va/ weak / 78mi / 0053 Ut
6/25/18.  kJY99    162.525 Accomack Va/Onley/ weak/ 60mi/ 0054 UT

6/25/18 no stations 1856 UT
-----_---------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Sea 77 Air 79 windy
6/26/18 no stations 1544 UT
-------------------------------------------------
6/27/18no stations 402 UT
6/27/18 no stations 1416 UT
-------------------'---'------------------------------------
Sea 78  Air 75.6  w 5kts SE
6/28/18  KJY99 162.525  Accomack VA /Onley / strong/60mi     350UT
6/28/18  KEC92 162.475 Salisbury MD/ Delmar/ strong/ 109mi
6/28/18  Unid    162.475 under KEC92 unreadable
6/28/18  Unid    162.450  unreadable 
6/28/18  KEC83 162.400 Baltimore/ Pikesville/ weak/ 179mi / 409UT
6/28/18  no stations 1238 UT
Sea 77 Air 92.1
6/28/18 no stations 2012 UT
-----------------------------------------------------
Sea 79.5  Air 77.7 calm
6/29/18no stations 356 UT
6/29/18 no stations 1243 UT
Sea 79 Air 85.6 breezy
6/29/18 WWH96  162.425 Mamie NC / moderate/ 59mi /  2020 UT
6/29/18  wXM57  162.400 Heathsville Va / weak/ 78mi/ 2020 UT
---------------------------------------_---------------------------------
6/30/18 no stations 2246 UT
------------------------------------------------------------_-------------
Sea 82.4 Air 79.9
7/1/18  KEC92  162.475 Salisbury MD/ strong/ 109miles 305 UT
7/1/18  WNG591  162.500 Coudersport PA/ Coudersport/ moderate / 357mi Id 328z 600watts
7/1/18  KJY99 162.525 Accomack Va/ strong/ 60mi  347UT i
---_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sea 82 Air 81.5
7/2/18  KEC92   162.475 Salisbury MD / strong/ 109mi  142 UT
/2/18  WWH26  162.425 Mamie NC / weak/ 59mi/142 UT
7/2/18  WXK97  162.500 Sudlersville MD/ moderate/ 162mi /201 UT
7/2/18  KEC92  162.475 Salisbury MD/ strong 109mi /  1142 UT
7/2/18  WWG33 162.450 Margarettsville NC /weak/76mi / 1146 UT
7/2/18  WXM57 162.400  Heathsville Va/ strong/ 78 mi/ 1148 UT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7/3/18 no stations 1421 UT
==============,,=,=======,===============================
Sea 83.7   Air 79.9
7/4/18  KHB38 162.400 Atlantic City NJ/ My Holly/ moderate-weak/ 193 mi/,417 UT
7/4/18 KJY99 162.525 Accomack / strong/ 60mi/ 418 IT
no other stations
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
7/5/18
no stations 256 UT
7/5/18 No stations 2226 UT
7/6/18  no stations
7/7/18 no stations
7/8/18 no stations
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sea  78.2  Air 76.8  winds currently 12Kts was 25 -30
7/9/18 KHB38 162.400 Atlantic City NJ/ Mt Holly/ strong/ 193 mi  /1655 UT
7/9/18  KIG77 162.475 Cape Hatteras NC/ Buxton/ strong/ 112mi/ 1656 UT
7/9/18 KJY99/ 162.525 Accomack / strong/60mi/ 1659 UT

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7/10/18 Sea 80 Air 85.1  breeze
7/10/18 no stations 1847 UT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sea 78   Air 73.0 calm
7/11/18  KIG77 162.475 / Cape Hatteras NC/ strong/112 mi  252 UT
7/11/18  WWH56 162.425/ Mamie NC/ Strong / 59mi
7/11/18  KJY99    162.525/ Accomack / strong 60mi  253 UT7/13/18



7/13/18 no stations

________________________________________________
7/19/18 WXL59  162.475  Rocky Mt NC/Tarboro/ moderate /109mi /1313 Ut

8/6/18 WXM80 162.475 Upton NY/Riverhead/ strong / FD 289mi/ fcst Hartford,New Haven, New London 2150 UT
-----------------------end of logs-------------------------------------


The reception from Baltimore , Washington DC , inland Maryland and Pennsylvania , these are due North of the receiver if you draw a line and I believe they tropo straight down the Chesapeake Bay.

Hatteras is probably as far South i will hear, because the coastline turns West abruptly at Buxton NC .  Although I have heard New Bern NC  before, it is rare.

[Josh]

When I lived in Omaha, usually every morning there was a tropoduct along the mighty Missouri river up to Sewer City Ia I mean Sioux City Ia. This was nice as you could use their repeaters and have some fun on the drive to work. The trip home did not have such great tropo as the am drive but did sometimes. It also helped that the hiway I used was pretty much the highest ground between Sioux City and Kansas City or something like that.

The tropoduct seemingly followed the river, so I imagine you will hear many stations along the coastline when the duct starts ducting. When your duct starts getting leaky, just apply more duct tape

[Davep]

Thanks Josh

[ChrisSmolinski]

I have local and semi local stations on all of the channels here I think, but I can give a listen from time to time, especially when the forecast looks promising.

[R4002]

Date: 3 August 2018
Time: 1045-1100 UTC / 0645-0700 local
Receiver: TYT TH-9000D VHF-FM mobile transceiver (136-174 MHz)
Antenna: 1/4 wave VHF mobile antenna with Chevrolet sedan ground plane
Location: Richmond, VA

I'm listening while driving through downtown, at points one station would completely blanket the other, then vise-versa.  Lots of multipath going on in an urban area - anyone who's been to Richmond knows the downtown / central business district area is full of hills and valleys - add that to the steel-and-concrete around you at street level and yeah, VHF does some interesting things.  There's a reason most two-way systems in this area are on 450-470 MHz and the public safety system is on 800 MHz (well, they're on 800 MHz because Motorola wants more money, but I digress...)

162.400 MHz - WXL42 Winston-Salem, NC 1000 watts - heard "Surry County, North Carolina" - weaker UNID station underneath
162.425 MHz - several stations mixing together, heard "North Carolina" in the mud, possible WZ2543 Richlands, VA 300 watts
162.450 MHz - several stations, WWG33 Margretsville, VA 300 watts fighting with KZZ28 Covesville, VA 1000 watts and a third station mixing in at points...I can hear KZZ28 when the band is closed
162.475 MHz - WXK65 (Richmond, VA 1000 watts) SIO 555 local WX station, they're SIO 555 with the antenna disconnected
162.500 MHz - WNG586 (Henderson, NC 300 watts) SIO 333 or so, another UNID station underneath it
162.525 MHz - KJY86 (Halifax, VA 1000 watts) SIO 444 on peaks, then another station (likely KJY99) came in for a few seconds
162.550 MHz - hearing WXL92 (Lynchburg, VA 1000 watts) mixing in with KHB37 (Norfolk, VA 1000 watts) with Norfolk being the winner

I can hear NOAA Weather VHF DX basically every morning during my (short) morning commute that starts at roughly 0645 local time.  Antenna is a standard NMO mount 1/4 wave VHF antenna mounted on the trunk lip with good condition (read: removed paint) to the chassis of the car.  When the band is open I often check the STARS statewide VHF trunking system frequencies for activity, the go-to one being the Fork Mountain, VA control channel (152.7125 MHz) and that was coming in full scale this morning as well. 

WXL42 - 183 miles/295 km
WZ2543 - 240 miles/387 km
WWG33 - 68 miles/109 km
KZZ28 - 73 miles/117 km - this transmitter has some serious elevation - I can hear it with my Motorola MTS2000 and Boafeng UV-5R HTs if I'm outside
WXK65 (local) - 7 miles/11 km
WNG586 - 100 miles / 160 km
KJY86 - 98 miles / 158 km
KJY99 - 98 miles / 158 km
WXL92 - 94 miles / 151 km
KHB37 - 80 miles / 129 km

[Rob.]

I used to listen to NOAA weather radio most mornings (prior to the Internet) while getting ready for work. When I heard other stations creeping in I'd get on 146.52 during the commute and usually get some interesting contacts. There were also a couple of repeaters that would be regularly heard during tropo as well.

NOAA is a good indicator for 2m tropo just like TV Ch 2 used to be an indicator that the 6m band was open.

[Davep]

Thanks for the log R4002 . Interesting !   

[R4002]

KHB37 out of Virginia Beach, VA and KHB36 out of Manassas, VA often fight each other during the band openings...but I find the "in between" channels - from back when NOAA Weather Radio was only 3 channels 162.400, 162.475 and 162.550 - the in between channels that were added later, 162.425, 162.450, 162.500 and 162.525 are good listening targets since those are the "fill-in" stations.  KZZ28 must be on a mountaintop though...because I can hear it with a handheld radio and a stock antenna even when the band is completely closed. 

[Davep]

Hearing WXM80  on Long Island at nearly 300 miles and  KHB38 Atlantic City 200mi this afternoon, with a good signal on the marine radio.

I rarely hear anything from the West even though they may be a lot closer.

[R4002]

Dave,

You have the advantage of the ocean - temperature inversion ducting - whereas I only get mine from weather systems.  Do you hear the Richmond transmitter ever (WXK65 on 162.475 MHz)?  It's located on one of the many towers just south of the James River in Richmond.  1000 watts too. 

When I drive to work this morning I'll see if I can hear any early morning ducting

[Davep]

No , never heard it here . Every once in awhile Rocky Mt and maybe a few others but they will be NW , SW .

Btw , I lived most of my life in Richmond ! 
Thanks for helping , tropos common here almost daily . I'm wondering how often these occurr inland . Thanks for any logs.

[R4002]

Heard stations on all 7 NOAA Weather Radio frequencies this morning (0645-0655 local time).  Heard KHB36 out of Manassas, VA very strong on 162.550.  162.400 had KEC83 (Baltimore, MD) booming through with another station underneath it that I couldn't ID.  Also heard WNG588 out of Mount Jefferson, NC on 162.500 but with very severe fading as I drove through downtown.  162.450 had two stations on it, one of them being KZZ28, unable to ID the second.  I heard a strong signal on 162.425 and they were discussing the forecast for Northern Virginian Mountain Forecast including Skyline Drive (possible WZ2527 out of Fredericksburg, VA?) no ID heard.

[ChrisSmolinski]

I have signals on all 7 frequencies right now (1524z) which is pretty normal for here.  It is interesting that they do not all use the same deviation.

[R4002]

I have signals on all 7 frequencies right now (1524z) which is pretty normal for here.  It is interesting that they do not all use the same deviation.

You're also receiving using a discone antenna high up in the air, not a 1/4 wave VHF whip at street level

I think its a question of the age of the transmitter - as they are all specified for regular "wideband" (by land mobile definition) 20 kHz bandwidth (or 25 kHz bandwidth, depending on who you ask) 20K0F3E emission type.  I have noticed that NOAA weather radio sounds better on wideband settings on receivers with that capability.  The TYT TH-9000D, which is my primary mobile VHF radio, has three FM deviation/bandwidth settings, 25K, 20K and 12K.  NOAA Weather Radio sounds best in 25K (wideband), but there is very little difference between that and 20K (middle band).  With DX listening, the 20 kHz setting seems to work best.  It's perfectly listenable in 12K mode (which is 11K0F3E emission, apparently for Part 90 VHF land mobile compliance). 

I put the radio in 25K or 20K mode for 2 meter amateur use and listening to NOAA Weather Radio, but use narrowband for everything else.

I imagine the older NOAA transmitters are pushing more deviation than the newer ones but its harder to say for sure.

[Davep]

On a RS scanner upstairs it's not uncommon to hear all or many of the surrounding stations .  The logs above were observed at maybe +13ft sea level to try and kick out anything that would be normal for the antenna at around 25 ft asl.
I used a 6 inch jumper for the antenna that could be moved directionally

What distance at 1000 watts would you guys think would indicate a definite tropo?  100 miles?

You would think FM BC DX  would be all over the radio, I haven't ever seriously checked that out although I've heard New Jersey FM just casually noted.