is it unusual for tropo skip to continue this late into the season, or does it normally continue until say, november?

Its typical to have a few "last hurrahs" of tropo in Southern Ontario, just like the last few warm, sunny days. There's no saying when, why, or how, but when it happens its usually a short surprise. Looking at Hepburn's DX site you don't see the big tropo activity like in the summer, so predicting the autumn micro-tropo events is not easy.

I will be happy when tropo disappears. During these events the TCT [WBNF-CA] repeater in Buffalo which broadcasts on channel 15.0 analog cancels out my reception of Suntv-15.1.... Why would they allow transmitters to operate so close together? Both are repeaters. Both are about 25 miles from my location.

That might explain why 15.1 (SunTV) cuts out once and a while at my res.

That might explain why 15.1 (SunTV) cuts out once and a while at my res.
weak and periodic co-channel interferences...

If you check the recently revised tvfool data, you will now see the [C] beside the CKXT 15.1 Hamilton listed.

this tropo just continues like it's still summertime. Late yesterday to even now has been interesting. Stations from 60-200 miles are common. Currently Buffalo is coming in with WKBW,WNYO (killed local WNWO), WGRZ, and WIVB which killed the local WADL on 39.

Even Erie is in right now with WJET,WICU. Last night at times featured most of the Cleveland stations.. WOIO,WKYC,WEWS,WVPX,WEAO,WJW,WVIZ,WUAB, plus for a short time the ever elusive WBNX. WBGU from well south of Toledo. Even got a brief glimpse of a station just shy of 100 miles called WRLM (TCT) on a short tower.

Also from south central MI last night (on and off/weak): WLNS, WFUM, WPXD, WLMB, WSYM, WILX(constant pixelation) and CKXT SunTV London plus many other analogs from southwestern Ontario.

BONUS: with local CFTV-34 LP analog 3km away off the air for the last few days i was able to tune Univision affiliate WQHS Cleveland, can't understand Spanish but there are sure are some pretty ladies on that network :) Haven't seen it at all since their analog 61 signal went bye bye on Jun 12.

BONUS: with local CFTV-34 LP analog 3km away off the air for the last few days i was able to tune Univision affiliate WQHS Cleveland, can't understand Spanish but there are sure are some pretty ladies on that network Haven't seen it at all since their analog 61 signal went bye bye on Jun 12.
cannot speak a lick of it, but I agree. Not hard on the eyes.
Tropo is continuing here in London area.
BTW, hard core there on your recent experiment for the Cleveland's. I can understand your drive, as I too share the same passion.

Hey everybody!

Today's a BIG opening from Erie, PA to Markham. I've seen WICU/WBEP/WSEE on RF12 coming in off and on for the whole day!!! It fades in and out and sometimes only shows up solidly for a few minutes, but it's been doing this all day and I've gotten to see large chunks of their news. (Plus all the Pennsylvania attack ads for the upcoming US municipal election!) I've also seen WQLN (RF50) pop in a few times and they even had their own debate with political candidates taking place. Also was neat to see all the Halloween related news items (WICU's Amanda Post toured a haunted mansion, while Mr. Food made scary sandwiches on WSEE!)

So far it seems that the tropo really picked up again towards the end of this month (thank goodness!) In the last couple of weeks I've picked up Rochester & Erie stations off and on! Loving this while it lasts :)

Just clicked on the OTA system and noticed better results, moving in from the west. My Watertown locals are on the weak side, tonight, but the Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo channels are in stronger tonight. The Syracuse and Buffalo channels are hit or miss, this time of year, as are the UHF's out of Rochester. I still get decent Rochester signals, on the two VHF channels, even in bad weather. Since the digital changeover, I have been able to make one important observation: The UHF channels are best for DX, but the VHF's are more stable for the local reception.

3.1 (rf22) WCAX HD (CBS). I was able to watch all of David Letterman tonight.
3.2 (rf22) WCAXtra (WEATHER, NEWS, RADAR)

Dist: ~397mi

Temp: 9c
Wind: E 22km/h
Pres: 102.08 kPa falling
Hum: 93%

A new DX record for me (I think?).

3.1 (rf22) WCAX HD (CBS). I was able to watch all of David Letterman tonight.
3.2 (rf22) WCAXtra (WEATHER, NEWS, RADAR)

Dist: ~397mi

Temp: 9c
Wind: E 22km/h
Pres: 102.08 kPa falling
Hum: 93%

A new DX record for me (I think?).
I had that station in, about 5 weeks ago. I am closer, being in Belleville and congratulate you on the great pickup. Very nice grab, from your location.

wowza! right over the appalachian mountain range, too! :o

great catch! :D

Very interesting in the early morning hours today (~430-6am). A few never seen stations made it in. I don't know the distance yet and will find that out and post the screenshots here later.

Here's the never seen before list.

WLFG-DT Religious 68-1 (RF49) Grundy, Virginia! (Johnson City, Tennessee DMA)
WVAH-DT FOX 11-1 (RF19) Huntington, West Virginia
WDBJ-DT CBS 7-1 (RF18) Roanoke, Virginia!
WOUB-DT PBS 20-1 (RF27) Athens OH (Parkersburg, WV DMA)
WOSU-DT PBS 34-1 (RF38) Columbus, OH

August 2009 repeats that came in as well.
WWHO-DT CW 53-1 (RF46) Columbus
WTTE-DT FOX 28-1 (RF36) Columbus
WSFJ-DT TBN 51-1 (RF24) Columbus

hey guys nice pulls.
Jase, I was watching the World Series on Erie's Fox 66-1 (rf22) but fell asleep during what turns out to be a great tropo night.
snooze you loose I guess.

despite the good weather, i seem to be unable to recieve CHCH-TV-2 most of the time for the past few days.... is their transmitter operating at a far lower power than it used to be? could it be that i'm experiencing co-channel interference with WLAJ-DT from Lansing?

Results from my previous post#1214 (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=1005105&postcount=1214)
Distances are from my home to the exact tower location

WDBJ CBS 7-1 - Roanoke, VA (Poor Mountain) 363.84mi 585.54km (custom dist map) (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WDBJ-DT-Dist.png)
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WDBJ-DT_CBS_RF18_Roanoke_VA_36384mi.jpg

WLFG-DT 68-1 Living Faith Ministries - Grundy, VA 365.50mi 588.21km (custom dist map) (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WLFG-Dist.png)
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WLFG-DT_LFM_RF49_Grundy_VA_36550mi-.jpg

WVAH-DT 11-1 FOX 11 - Charleston, WV 257.99mi 415.20km (custom dist map) (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WVAH-Dist.png)
http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WVAH-DT_FOX_RF19_CHARLESTON_WV_2579.jpg

More:
WOUB-HD 20-1 PBS - Athens, OH 194.10mi 312.38km Link (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WOUB-HD_PBS_RF27_Athens_OH_19410mi-.jpg)
WOUB-DT2 Classic (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WOUB-DT2-CLASSIC_PBS_RF27_Athens_OH.jpg)
WOUB-DT3 Learns (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WOUB-DT3-LEARNS_PBS_RF27_Athens_OH_.jpg)
(custom dist map) (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WOUB-Dist.png)

WOSU-HD 34-1 PBS - Columbus, OH 135.01mi 217.27km
Link (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WOSU-HD_PBS_RF38_Columbus_OH_13501m.jpg)
WOSU-DT2 OhioChannel (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WOSU-DT2-OHIOCH_PBS_RF38_Columbus_O.jpg)
WOSU-DT3 Create (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WOSU-DT3-CR_PBS_RF38_Columbus_OH_13.jpg)
(custom dist map) (http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/WOSU-Dist.png)

The rest were omitted as they are already in my DX gallery. (http://s730.photobucket.com/albums/ww305/dxandmore/TV_DXing/) No records this time as KWQC is my current record at 404 miles, but still some fine very late season tropo!

despite the good weather, i seem to be unable to recieve CHCH-TV-2 most of the time for the past few days.... is their transmitter operating at a far lower power than it used to be? could it be that i'm experiencing co-channel interference with WLAJ-DT from Lansing?
Very possible.... I've had glimpses lately of WLAJ. About a week ago or so when we had some great tropo nights i did a scan of Cleveland (137 degrees for me) and it picked up a bunch of channels which somehow included WLAJ out of Lansing which is at 275 degrees. I was baffled, but spun the rotor around and had 53-1 ABC WLAJ at about 70% for a few hours. So yeah the signal definatley makes its way out here...

First, congrats on all the amazing late season tropo guys! :) Some truly awesome catches! (Heh....and I was just excited to see Erie for a full day!)

I posted a gallery of Halloween related tropo pics to my blog here:

http://tvgarth.blogspot.com/2009/10/happy-halloween-including-some-spooky.html

It's mostly from Erie (which is appropriately eerie for Halloween!) And a few from Rochester! Pics include Erie weather reports with pumpkins, WICU visiting a haunted house, and kids dressed up as Kate Gosselin (which is definitely scary!) :)

WDBJ CBS 7-1 - Roanoke, VA (Poor Mountain) 363.84mi 585.54km

Wow. That is amazing for late October, nice catch.

During non-tropo months in your area, how many channels do you pick up from Ohio and Michigan? And do those channels disappear (or weaken) during tropo.

dsspredator,

Pretty much everything from Detroit (40-44 miles) is there with no tropo. A few weaken badly or disappear when there is some due to co channel (like WADL) but for the most part now that the leaves are off the trees in that direction it's pretty reliable.

From Toledo (~50 miles) I can get most if not all of the 5 stations, but there are two that are weak and are lost and suffer from dropouts and signal fluctuation at times. (WUPW, WNWO mostly). There are 2 VHF stations there that are also affected by RFI and electrical interference and esp. lightning when there is some and will pixellate all over because of it. When there is tropo some will weaken or even get overwritten by some of these rare tropo channels i have caught.

Cleveland has been quite difficult. At almost 70 miles the channels are weak and not really reliable. Weather totally determines if they will be in or totally gone. I only get 3-5 of the stations from there on a more regular basis. The rest take heavy tropo.

In my area since around June 2009 or so something has been causing strong interference to where all my weak UHF stations' signal will jump all over and become unwatchable. It's gotten worse since late summer. Last winter and spring I could watch them reliably down to 1 bar, but now it ranges from 5 to 8/10 when i get dropouts.