Speg's 2018 Broadcast FM DX Log

Capitalized items are what were heard on the air to identify the station. Distances are in miles.
Red call letters indicate new stations. Tan call letters indicate new stations this year.
Explanation about estimation of critical frequency and electron density is at bottom of page.
Unidentified or unconfirmed list

             2018 Es
Days:                   9 (8 with IDs)
Es Contacts:           55 (+2 87.7)
 Different Stations:   54
 New Stations:         24
States:                14 (AZ FL GA ID IN MI MD NY PA OH SC UT VA WI)
Canadian Provinces:     2 (MB ON)
Mexican States:         0
Countries:              2 (CA US)


May 24, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: 21.15 MHz.    Est. Electron Density: 5.55 x 10¹² /m³ (based on WJJO)
Very narrow azimuth of receptions (30 to 37 degrees)

 FREQ  CALL      Time  Dist    ST City                  Format         Other information

 88.3  wkpk     128 pm  936    mi michigamme            CONT CHRISTIAN SMILE FM (very likely. multiple smile FMs but only one in the narrow azimuths of this event)
 90.5  wpff     109 pm  852    wi sturgeon bay          CONT CHRISTIAN K-LOVE 
 91.9  WHDI     118 pm  878    wi SISTER BAY            NEWS/TALK      WPR (WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO)
 92.3  WJPD     106 pm  935    mi ishpeming             COUNTRY        WEBSTREAM MATCH
 93.9  WDOR-FM 1240 pm  852    wi STURGEON BAY          AC             
 93.9  wnby-fm 1243 pm 1005    mi NEWBERRY              CLASSIC HITS   OLDIES 93
 94.1  wjjo    1246 pm  701    WI watertown             ROCK           MADISON AREA ADS
 94.3  wznl    1245 pm  880    mi NORWAY                AC             STAR 94.3
 94.3  WYDR    1245 pm  784    wi neenah-menasha        ADULT HITS     943 JACK FM 
 96.7  WMJT    1257 pm  993    mi mcmillan              CLASSIC HITS   EAGLE 96.7
 97.1  WGLQ    1250 pm  930    mi ESCANABA              top 40         RDS: 97.1 GLQ
104.7  wykx     111 pm  909    mi escanaba              COUNTRY        KIX COUNTRY

June 6, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: 20.96 MHz.    Est. Electron Density: 5.45 x 10¹² /m³ (based on wnwv)


 FREQ  CALL      Time  Dist    ST City                  Format         Other information

 87.7  wlfm-lp  347 pm         oh cleveland             SPANISH        [likely. but not technically FM]
 93.9  wbks     337 pm  823    oh columbus grove        TOP 40         KISS 93.9. COLUMBUS AREA REFERENCES
 93.9  wtwf     338 pm 1042    PA fairview              COUNTRY        ERIE PA AREA REFERENCES
 93.9  WKXZ     338 pm 1280    ny norwich               hot ac         WKXZ-94
 94.3  wmrn-fm  340 pm  856    oh marion                COUNTRY        BUCKEYE COUNTRY
 94.5  wned     337 pm 1122    ny buffalo               CLASSICAL      STREAM MATCH
 95.1  waio     349 pm 1195    ny honeoye falls         CLASSIC ROCK   ROCHESTER AREA ADS
 95.3  wlkr-fm  341 pm  902    oh NORWALK               aaa
 96.7  wrgz     430 pm 1000    mi rogers city           COUNTRY        MANY ALPENA AREA REFERENCES
 97.7  wolv     436 pm  941    mi houghton              CLASSIC HITS   WEATHER EYE WEATHER CENTER. AREA WX
 97.9  wjlb     425 pm  914    mi detroit               URBAN          STREAM MATCH
100.3  WNIC     401 pm  912    mi dearborn              AC             RDS: WNIC MANIC MONDAY BANGLES [PTY: ADULT HITS]
100.3  wqon     412 pm  931    mi grayling              CLASSIC ROCK   Q100.3
101.3  WNCO-FM  353 pm  905    oh ashland               COUNTRY        
101.3  ckot     358 pm 1036 cn on tillsonburg           EAST LISTENING EASY 101
107.3  wnwv     345 pm  933    oh ELYRIA                SMOOTH JAZZ    107.3 THE WAVE

June 15, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: --.-- MHz.    Est. Electron Density: -.-- x 10¹² /m³ (based on ----)


 FREQ  CALL      Time  Dist    ST City                  Format         Other information

 89.7  unid     511 pm  ...    .. ........              CONT CHRISTIAN K-LOVE [likely KMHK Columbia SC based on geography. Not new]
 90.7  unid     529 pm  ...    nc                       RELIGIOUS      [program match to eitehr WOTJ/Morehead City/1161 mi or WYBJ/Newton Grove/1074 mi with program from Peace Baptist Church of Wilmington NC]
 95.3  unid     528 pm  ...    .. ........              R&B            [likely WYPJ/SC/Due West format and geography. Would be new]

June 19, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: 19.36 MHz.    Est. Electron Density: 4.65 x 10¹² /m³ (based on klgl)
Brief opportunity on my way to work, and one while grabbing dinner

 94.3  kbyi     647 pm  970    id rexburg               PUBLIC         BYU-IDAHO
 94.5  klgl     240 pm  835    ut salina                CLASSIC HITS   EAGLE 94.5

June 20, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: 20.49 MHz.    Est. Electron Density: 5.21 x 10¹² /m³ (based on wjim)

 FREQ  CALL      Time  Dist    ST City                  Format         Other information

 87.7  wowz-lp 1105 am         md salisbury             CLSC COUNTRY   WOW 99.3/101.1. STREAM MATCH
 88.3  wcxk    1200 n   799    mi kalamazoo             CONT CHRISTIAN //91.3/WCSG
 89.7  WTMD     635 pm 1177    MD towson                AAA            BALTIMORE AREA REFERENCES
 93.1  chay    1208 pm 1128 cn on barrie                AC/CLSC HITS   GEOGRAPHY AND PLAYLIST MATCH
 93.7  wnob    1035 am 1190    va chesapeake            ADULT HITS     BOB FM
 94.1  wwdk    1202 pm  845    mi jackson               CLSC COUNTRY   STREAM MATCH
 94.3  CKSY    1140 am  961 cn on chatham               AC             RDS: CKSY
 94.3  wzoc    1159 am  744    in plymouth              CLASSIC HITS   Z-94.3
 94.5  wrvq    1039 am 1127    va RICHMOND              TOP 40         Q-94
 95.1  ckue    1142 am  961 cn on CHATHAM               soft ac        COOL FM
 95.3  cing    1149 am 1090 cn on hamilton              HOT AC         FRESH
 96.7  chym    1151 am 1057 cn on KITCHENER             ac             AREA ADS
 97.1  wreo     642 pm 1006    oh ashtabula             AC             STREAM MATCH
 97.5  wjim-fm 1157 am  862    mi LANSING               TOP 40
 97.9  WJLB    1148 am  914    mi detroit               URBAN          RDS: WJLB
100.9  wjsr    1041 am 1125    va lakeside              CLASSIC HITS   STAR 100.9. STREAM MATCH

June 26, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: 17.93 MHz.    Est. Electron Density: 3.99 x 10¹² /m³ (based on chiq)
Quick opening coming home from work

 FREQ  CALL      Time  Dist    ST City                  Format         Other information

 94.3  chiq     503 pm 1006 cn mb winnipeg              80s             STREAM AND PLAYLIST MATCH

July 2, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: 20.63 MHz.    Est. Electron Density: 5.28 x 10¹² /m³ (based on WSBB)
Brief opening with a couple of contacts while running errands

 FREQ  CALL      Time  Dist    ST City                  Format         Other information

 94.3  wscc-fm  607 pm 1020    sc goose creek           TALK           AREA REFERENCES. STREAM MATCH
 95.5  WSBB-FM  618 pm  752    ga doraville             NEWS/TALK      RDS. STREAM MATCH 

 
July 7, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: 18.14 MHz.    Est. Electron Density: 4.08 x 10¹² /m³ 
Very brief. Might have been Ms, although lined up with slightly earlier Es reported from Arkansas to Arizona

 FREQ  CALL      Time  Dist    ST City                  Format         Other information

 95.1  ktti     603 pm  996    az yuma                  COUNTRY        in briefly over KQCV. STREAM MATCH. [And geographic consistency with recent Es reception]

July 12, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: 19.92 MHz.    Est. Electron Density: 4.48 x 10¹² /m³ (based on wmtx)


 FREQ  CALL      Time  Dist    ST City                  Format         Other information

 93.7  wxnx    1133 am 1101    fl sanibel               ROCK           STREAM MATCH. FMY REFERENCE
 94.1  wlld    1134 am 1041    fl lakeland              RHY TOP 40     STREAM MATCH
 94.3  wzzr    1101 am 1180    fl riveria beach         talk           ROVER'S MORNING GLORY SHOW
 94.5  waro    1135 am 1115    fl naples                CLASSIC ROCK   STREAM MATCH
 95.3  WOLZ    1103 am 1101    fl FORT MYERS            CLASSIC HITS   STILL IN AT 1140 am W/ FMY REFERENCE
 97.5  wpcv    1144 am 1053    fl winter haven          COUNTRY        STREAM MATCH
100.7  wmtx    1139 am 1028    fl tampa                 HOT AC         MIX 100.7. STREAM MATCH

August 13, 2018 (Es) from Norman OK 
Est. Critical Freq: --.-- MHz.    Est. Electron Density: -.-- x 10¹² /m³ (based on ----)


 88.7  wiaa    1056 am  880    mi interlochen           CLASSICAL      STREAM MATCH
 90.3  wblv    1053 am  835    mi twin lake             CLASSICAL      RDS: PS: BlueLake RT: Blue Lake Public Radio
 90.5  wphn    1100 am  976    mi gaylord               CONT CHRI      PROMISE FM
 91.1  wolw    1100 am  880    mi cadillac              CONT CHRI      //90.5 PROMISE FM
 91.9  WGCP    1058 am  880    mi cadillac              RELIGIOUS      LONG LIST OF IDs. STRONG TOWER RADIO
 93.9  cidr    1132 am  912 cn on windsor               AAA            STREAM MATCH
 94.1  wjjo    1119 am  701    wi watertown             ROCK           MADISON REFERENCES. ALE ASYLUM SPOT.
 95.7  wlht-fm 1110 am  826    mi grand rapids          HOT AC         STREAM MATCH

The critical frequency and electron density of the sporadic-E layer are estimated by calculating the minimum values to allow the reflection of the radio waves from the station requiring the highest critical frequency of the broadcast frequencies and distances observed. The following assumptions are used: (1) The height of the Es layer is 105 km, and (2) constant (no tilt), and that (3) the signal is affected only by the Es layer and not the temperature profile or weather in the elevations below the Es layer. Given otherwise similar parameters, the signal needing the highest critical frequency and electron density of the Es layer are those of shorter reflection distances or higher broadcast frequencies. The values listed were derived mathematically, but the 105 km height was used to compare values to the PROPLAB-PRO radio propagation computer program (which agreed reasonably well).