This reception report is from the 23rd of February 2023 when Pipe, CE3SX / CE3SAD in Santiago, Chile managed to receive the FM radio station WMIA in Miami, Florida on 93.9 MHz.
The reception took place at 21:41 local time in Chile (22nd Feb) which is 00:41 UTC (23rd Feb). This is at the right time for an evening time Trans-Equatorial Propagation (TEP) opening.
What makes this highly unusual is the distance. It might be normal during an evening TEP opening for FM radio stations in the north of Columbia to be heard in Chile but this time, the FM radio station was in Florida which is about 2000kms further north.
In a previous post, I reported on how CE3SX had managed to hear FM radio stations in Jamaica in February of 2022. Florida is an extra 1000kms.
Florida is usually considered to be too far north for TEP propagation so how was the range extended to just under 6,700kms?
The first option that springs to mind was that it was an evening type TEP opening coupling into a tropo duct to the north to extend the opening to Florida. The tropo map above from F5LEN shows some tropo in the area but with the island of Cuba in the way, it's not exactly conclusive.
Is the most southern tip of Florida just close enough for TEP?
Have there been reception reports like this in the past?
And if it's possible on 93.9 MHz, what about 144 MHz from Florida to Chile? Is anyone trying?
Lots of questions...
Link... For more long distance reception reports on the FM band, see my 88-108 MHz page.
3 comments:
That's fantastic! We always wondered if TEP was possible above 88 MHz to the southern USA. 73 Randy KW4RZ/7
I am actually beaconing via 144.800 APRS from Barbados hoping for some luck as 8P5AB
TEP on 6 meters has been heard and worked before in North Florida (back in 2001 i worked LU5VV from the Argentine, Chilean border and heard ce3sad as well as a Chilean Muzak on 47.3 mhz). I have never worked anyone on 2 meters or heard any FM via TEP . It seems that TEP here requires higher solar activity and owing to the geomagnetic dip seems much harder and rare here. hearing any Fm radio from South America seems quite unlikely here in Florida due to an already overcrowded FM band but it might be possible on the new expanded Brazilian FM band on 67 76 mhz I am currently trying to monitor this band for any possible TEP Good luck and Good DX 73 George KF4ZKU
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