Tropo a go go

Plenty of skip on the FM band tonight. Most obviously at the bottom end of the band; on 87.7 a station was strong enough to trigger the RDS:

87.7 Kiss FM - language unknown, sounds French - pop music from 80s onwards

At Meadowhall in Sheffield, approx 5pm, I heard numerous others - occasionally strong enough to come over distant UK stations. The highest in frequency foreign station I noted was on 106.8, strong enough to blank out Ridings FM.

When I got to Chesterfield at 7pm, the foreign tropo had largely gone. But on 105.6 I heard a station on 105.7 (not the first time I've only managed to receive a distant station on an adjacent frequency to its main carrier). The name sounded like Burger 105.7, mentioned Teddington at one point.

107.9 was a battle between Trax FM (Worksop) and a soul station.

That night, approx 10pm, a vicious thunderstorm came to Chesterfield. When I got to my car, I again scanned the band. No skip, but the soul music station was still there. Format sounded very like that of a black pirate. Still unidentified, possibly Nottingham's Freeze FM ?

Unidentified 87.9 heard near Leeds

Unidentified station heard this morning on the way to work. First heard on the M1 after junction 42, playing non-stop dance music. Intermittent weak signal, occasional announcements sounded like those of a black pirate, perhaps?

Soon after midday, signal was stronger in Kippax itself, especially on the high part near the shops. Non-stop dance music, mixed. A refreshing change from the waffle waffle drone drone of the mainstream FM stations.

Also heard after 4pm on the way home.

As it faded out, European stations were heard - not only on 87.9, but across the bottom part of the FM band. Tropospheric ducting had come my way.

As expected, bad weather was to follow in the wake of the skip. That night, Clowne experienced a thunderstorm. Plenty of lightning, but still skip was evident on the FM band between the crackles.

More on Sheffield Live!

Sheffield Live! seem to be either using low power or are from a low area of Sheffield, as the range is not that far.

Heard on the M1 just north of junction 34 (the Tinsley Viaduct, near Meadowhall), best signal was while crossing the Viaduct. Signal was then strong enough to read the RDS display:

SHEFLIVE

Soon started to fade after junction 34, but a very weak signal was still audible until just before junction 32.

A diverse range of programmes aired; an African music programme was on-air this evening at approx 5pm.

(Sheffield Live! also heard this morning with dead carrier, ID'd by RDS)


Also of interest: Peoples FM 104.5 of Leeds now have RDS again:

PEOPLES_

Peace to Sheffield Live

At Sheffield's Peace In The Park festival today, a banner was seen advertising the fact that Sheffield Live! Community Radio will be on-air from 16th June, on 87.7. Their website mentions that this will be an RSL (as expected, bearing in mind the frequency).

Peace In The Park is an annual pro-peace and anti-war festival, with music, entertainment for adults and kids, many alternative sales and info stalls, and a lively atmosphere. If you missed it this year, it's well worth going next year!

NB If you plan to park your car in Sheffield, don't make the mistake I did. I parked my car on a multi-storey car park in the city centre, returning at 9pm only to find that the car park had shut at 7pm and my car was locked in (and I was locked out, and had to catch a bus home to Clowne). What's more, it doesn't open again until 7am Monday morning. (Trust me to find one of about 5 businesses in the UK that doesn't open on a Sunday ...). Peace (show 2-findered peace salute) to Peace In The Park, but "peace off" (turn fingers other way round) to bosses of a certain car park!

More skip this evening

Weather today was piss-poor as I travelled home from work at 4pm, heavy rain. This, the "anvil shape" of the cumulonimbus cloud above me, and the constant crackles on MW (I was listening to Radio London at the time), gave the distinct impression that a thunderstorm was nearby.

On retuning to FM, as I drove south and Bollywood FM became weaker, I again noticed foreign signals appearing on FM. This time, there were various stations (sounded French) between 87.5 and 88.0, but none gave a steady enough signal for an ID, whether RDS or otherwise.

I am fascinated by the fact that thunderstorms - normally associated with piss poor radio reception - can be a blessing in disguise to a DXer, giving long range VHF reception. This phenomenon can also extend to UHF; in 1981, I remember getting a surprisingly good signal from Tyne Tees TV (from Bilsdale, normally weak on my TV at the time) as a thunderstorm approached.

Maybe it's due to the highly charged air near the thundercloud, or maybe it's due to the fact that warm air and cold air clash, creating a "ducting" effect. Who knows?

Polish skip this evening

Around 16:30, while driving down the M1 (near Wakefield at the time), I noticed another signal coming over the top of Bollywood FM 87.7 (which was by now weak). On retuning my radio slightly to 87.6, the signal of the "interfering station" improved somewhat.

Although subject to fading, the station was heard all the way to my home in Clowne. Occasionally the signal was strong enough for RDS to be displayed. A dynamic RDS was transmitted, which read (roughly, I didn't notice the position of spaces):

POLSKIE
RADIO
BIS
followed by phone number (2 lines of RDS)
then
SMS-2100

Also noticed on arriving in Clowne (at approx 17:00), the normally very weak signal from High Peak Radio 106.4 was quite listenable for a change.

That night, not surprisingly, the weather deteriorated and clouded over. At approx 21:00, while parked at the western edge of Clowne, another station was heard on 87.9 - coming over Vixen 87 on the frequency. This sounded like a black community station, and is suspected to have been from Sheffield. Bounce FM, perhaps?