W296AO

Last post, I mentioned hearing two stations on 107.1 MHz that I could not identify. Checking the channel today, I found only one station and it identified as WJMJ. I already have WJMJ in the log, but on a different channel (88.9 MHz), so what was I hearing on 107.1?

After a little research, I discovered that WJMJ has a translator station on 107.1 with the call sign W296AO. Playing 1960s oldies, it transmits 3 watts from the top of the Knights of Columbus Building in New Haven, 15 miles to my south-southwest, putting an S1 signal into the stock radio of my 2007 Subaru Outback Sport.

Enhanced Ether

Enhanced VHF propagation was in the ether most of the day and I logged two new ones on channels that were blank in my FM log until yesterday.

WBLI at 1616 UTC transmitting 49 kW on 106.1 MHz 47 miles to my south-southwest in Patchogue, Long Island, New York. WBLI’s signal was an S-4 into the stock radio if my 2007 Subaru Outback Sport.

And from the top of the Empire State Building, 80 miles to my southwest came WLTW at 1623 UTC with an S-6 signal transmitting 6 kW on 106.7 MHz.

I also heard two stations on 107.1 MHz, but was unable to identify them.

A very cool radio

In the mid-1950’s, Philips introduced a refrigerator with a built-in radio. It was sold in Europe and as it ads proclaimed “even America does not know about it yet!”

Here is a French advertisement for the Radiofrigo.

Here are photos of the unit from an exhibit at Musee EDF Electropolis, Mulhouse in France:

Band Still Open

After working three new ones during my lunch hour on Friday, I checked the band after dinner and the FM band was still open. And I worked two additional FM stations:

WTCC at 2251 UTC with an S-6 signal on 90.7 MHz transmitting 4 kW from Springfield, Massachusetts, 37 miles north-northeast.

WORC at 2300 UTC with an S-1 signal on 98.9 MHz transmitting 1,870 watts from Webster, Massachusetts, 56 miles east-northeast.

Equipment used was a C.Crane CC Radio 2E enhanced with its stock whip antenna.

Band Open

According to the VHF Propagation Map, propagation was good in my neck of the woods before I ventured out to my car to find some FM band DX.

I quickly logged two new stations that were on channels that were not in my log:

• WQQQ on 103.3 MHz with an S-2 signal running 1.5 kW out of Sharon, Connecticut, 50 miles northwest
• WKTU on 103.5 MHz with an S-3 signal running 17 kW out of Lake Success, Long Island, NY. The WKTU transmitter is actually located at the top of the Empire State Building in Manhattan, 81 miles southwest.

Then I tuned to other channels that were not in my log and found an S-1 signal on 101.9 MHz. The signal level was up and down. It disappeared completely a few times and it also became very strong - an S-7 signal - at one time. Turned out to be another new one: WCIB transmitting 50 kW from Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, 110 miles east.

Equipment used was the stock radio and antenna of my 2007 Subaru Outback Sport (radio pictured above). And by the way, this DX session occurred during a heavy rainstorm with thunder rumbling in the distance.