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.
