May 2018 South Texas Tropo Activity

blantonl · May 26, 2018

Michael-SATX said:
I also lucked out today, Dark_Side called me at 5am this morning raving about band openings & skip \

That morning I was able to log the Fort Polk Louisiana DOD 380 MHz sites, as well as New Orleans NAS 380 MHz system from San Antonio

Tropo was crazy good that morning.

Michael-SATX · May 26, 2018

blantonl said:
That morning I was able to log the Fort Polk Louisiana DOD 380 MHz sites, as well as New Orleans NAS 380 MHz system from San Antonio

Tropo was crazy good that morning.

Nice catches I guess you were up early ! What kind of antenna and receiver setup did you use for this?

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Originally Posted by ralexander5
I id'd this when I caught transmission from Radio 505 "INST Van" on TG 4701 doing radio tests and then switched to TG 500 to report " ... to A&B Base leaving Premier Tank and returning to shop ,,,"

Bob, another good job on your ID'ing TG 4701, were you receiving them on your George West Site #3 ?
On Site #1 TG-4701 is dominate. I later figured that Paul had worked your sub around time of my post.
I wonder if TG 4701 also broadcasts on the SATX S#1 perhaps due to an employee radio affiliating here?

Michael-SATX · May 27, 2018

Hey anybody else still up ? Check for band openings and skip going on now

I tuned to NOAA WX
just to set my volume level and I am getting all 7 WX CH's now 162.400/425/450/475/500/525/550 !
NWR Stations Listing for Texas

162.400 1lw WXK34 station in Victoria
162.425 1kw WWG40 station in Bay City
162.450 1kw WNG696 station in George West
162.475 1kw WNG641 station in Seguin
162.500 300w WNG523 station in Dilley
162.525 1kw KXI56 station in Gonzales
162.550 1kw WXK67 station in San Antonio

My faithful UHF skip tester is Site # 12 in Kenedy - Karnes Co cc freqs of 461.5125c(RX DSD+ Decode Now =Yes ) or 461.975a
I tried all freqs on lic WQRZ860 S&P S#68 Pleasanton - Atascosa Site # 9 & listed cc 452.85 (RX & all other lic freqs =No) no luck.

blantonl · May 27, 2018

Here are some screenshots of captures that morning.

nd5y · May 27, 2018

Are those Fort Polk sites correct in the database?

Michael-SATX · May 28, 2018

Fort Polk Army Site Tropo - Vernon Parish, Louisiana

nd5y said:
Are those Fort Polk sites correct in the database?

Tom, comparing Lindsay's screen shots to the RRDB, I would say these 2 sites are correct.
At first the bland system name did not jump out at me, it seems like the title should be edited ?
Maybe something like: United States Department of Defense (Joint National Capital Region)

This is the system he is referencing: Joint National Capital Region - Project 25 Phase I
Note: I placed either CC=Control Channel or VC=Voice Channel after all the active freqs.
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=4699

Left Side of Screen Shot Image: ( All 20 DSD+ analyzed screen freqs match RRDB site freqs as below )
Fort Polk - Site 2 Vernon, LA 380.125=CC, 380.375 380.425 380.475 380.5375 380.625 380.675
380.7375 380.825 380.8875 380.950 381.0125 381.1125 381.1875
381.275 381.3375 381.6875 381.750 381.825=VC, 381.925

Right Side of Screen Shot Image: ( All 20 DSD+ analyzed screen freqs match RRDB site freqs as below )
Fort Polk - Site 1 Vernon, LA 380.075=CC, 380.325 380.4125 380.4625 380.525 380.575 380.6625
380.725 380.775 380.875 380.9375 380.9875 381.0875 381.175
381.2375 381.325 381.675 381.7375=VC, 381.800 381.875=VC
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Lindsay, look at you sporting all NOAA WX freqs received also even later on that morning !
With your HOA rules do you still have your antenna's attic mounted or covert rooftop "vent pipes" ?
What model receiver did you use to log these DSD+ sessions from Fort Polk - Vernon Parish, LA ?
I figured maybe perhaps your Icom-R9500 or your Beta Uniden SDS-100 via it's SDR USB output ?

blantonl · May 28, 2018

I have a roof mounted DPD Productions scanner antenna. It is hidden well enough behind the roof line to not be seen from the street.

I was using a Winradio WR-G39DDCi 'EXCELSIOR' SDR...

I don't have an SDS-100 yet...

blantonl · May 28, 2018

nd5y said:
Are those Fort Polk sites correct in the database?

They were updated to what you see right when I logged these. We've never had anyone log all the correct channels for the sites.

Fort Polk isn't exactly in a very populated area....

blantonl · May 28, 2018

I went ahead and created a new thread for the Tropo activity.

nd5y · May 28, 2018

blantonl said:
They were updated to what you see right when I logged these. We've never had anyone log all the correct channels for the sites.

Fort Polk isn't exactly in a very populated area....

OK I couldn't tell by the screen shots if they were new. I didn't see a site number for the second one.

Last year I was able to receive FP here in Wichita Falls on an indoor yagi for a few minutes. I think the sites in the db that only had one channel were the ones I submitted back then.

I think at that same time I found another system that isn't in the db but I never figured out where it was.
https://forums.radioreference.com/m...hz-p25-system-south-central-southeast-us.html

blantonl · May 28, 2018

I actually logged 3 different FP sites... someone had already submitted just the control channels for the sites so that gave me a start.

The two primary sites are very very active. The screenshots don't do it justice. There must be a lot going on a FP right now. That is a big active system.

Michael-SATX · May 28, 2018

Thanks for making a separate thread for this topic !

blantonl said:
I have a roof mounted DPD Productions scanner antenna. It is hidden well enough behind the roof line to not be seen from the street.

I was using a Winradio WR-G39DDCi 'EXCELSIOR' SDR...

I don't have an SDS-100 yet...

I was just checking out the DPD Productions Scanner Antennas to see what products they offer.
Are you using the OmniX Scanner Base Antenna or the MilTenna Omni UHF/VHF Base Antenna ?

I have a Mag Mount Vertical Antenna stuck to a 2 story chimney vent / pan that my HOA hasn't noticed

All my other 7 antennas are regretfully on the inside and thus out of sight out of mind of the HOA board.

I was checking out the PC internal mounted Winradio WR-G39DDCi 'EXCELSIOR' SDR that's very nice !
I take it that with your Winradio having 2 SMA antenna inputs you probably use 2 different type antennas ?

You do realize how many us just lost money on a bet that you of all people don't have a Beta SDS-100 !
I think if you talked to UPMAN (Paul) that he could make a business case for you to evaluate one soon

Project25_MASTR · May 28, 2018

Depending on how you look at it, tropo has been either bad or really good. Example, did y'all know that when an Astro 25 site detects interference on all four control channels it'll go into Failsoft? I didn't know that until about two weeks ago…as I watched it happen. I then checked several APRS tropo maps (assuming 144.39 MHz was behaving similarly enough to the 155 MHz area) and concluded it was from tropo across the state. Oh, and every time it has happened since I've been able to verify with the tropo maps.

Michael-SATX · Jun 1, 2018

More Skip noticed again just by tuning to NOAA WX !

The RR user Dark_Side called me 5-30-18 at 4:30am about more skip activity again - imagine that

I told him to go post it in this skip thread, but since he ... wait for it ...."skipped" it, I am posting about it.

To give me his skip demo on the phone he tuned to 162.475 1kw WNG641 NOAA WX station in Seguin, TX
which I heard strong RX, next as he slowly tilted diagonaly his scanner using just a rubber duck antenna,
the reception slowly faded from this English speaking WX station to a Spanish speaking weather station !
He then returned the antenna back to the vertical position and the RX flipped back to the English station.

So I learned something new in that NOAA WX has some stations that broadcast WX reports in Spanish.
Checking the NOAA WX website did confirm the distant station in the City of Pharr in Hidalgo County, TX
was the station that drowned out the current station on that frequency he was receiving from Seguin, TX.
NWR Stations Listing for Texas

Site Name - Transmitter Name - Call Sign - Frequency - Power - WFO (Weather Forcast Office)
Seguin - Kingsbury - WNG641 - 162.475 -1000 watt - New Braunfels, TX (Vertical Antenna RX station)
Pharr Spanish - Pharr - WZ2541 - 162.475 - 300 watt - Brownsville, TX (Diagonal Antenna RX station)

ps ~ On a side note this is the only other Texas area WX station listing for a Spanish speaking station
El Paso Spanish - El Paso Spanish - WNG652 - 162.550 - 1000 - Santa Teresa, NM (WFO)

btw ~ No local area Tropo conditions have been observed from midnight through the current time 6:15am.

Tropospheric propagation occurs when radio signals are reflected, scattered or refracted in the troposphere.
"Ducting" effects occur primarily because of temperature inversions at a height of between 500m and 1500m, and occasionally up to 3000m.
Radio Propagation 101 Video by Dan - HAM Callsign N9LVS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yShlAl2kMZw
NOAA Space weather prediction center website: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov

Question: Hey anybody know why our forums posting times are 23 minutes behind our actual clock posting time ?

KevinC · Jun 1, 2018

MCore25 said:
Depending on how you look at it, tropo has been either bad or really good. Example, did y'all know that when an Astro 25 site detects interference on all four control channels it'll go into Failsoft? I didn't know that until about two weeks ago…as I watched it happen. I then checked several APRS tropo maps (assuming 144.39 MHz was behaving similarly enough to the 155 MHz area) and concluded it was from tropo across the state. Oh, and every time it has happened since I've been able to verify with the tropo maps.

Well...with no CC available it has to do something. :wink:

On that note, I was west of San Antonio this week and the mixed-mode VHF stuff I was working on had Spanish on the analog side every day until around 1 PM or so.

Michael-SATX · Jul 21, 2018

More Skip noticed again just by trying all 7 WX CH's !

Hello, is anybody else noticing any VHF/UHF Tropospheric propagation at this am time in their RX area?

All 7 NOAA WX channels are coming in clear for me from these stations...
162.400 1lw WXK34 station in Victoria
162.425 1kw WWG40 station in Bay City
162.450 1kw WNG696 station in George West
162.475 1kw WNG641 station in Seguin
162.500 300w WNG523 station in Dilley
162.525 1kw KXI56 station in Gonzales
162.550 1kw WXK67 station in San Antonio

My faithful UHF skip tester is S&P NXDN Site # 12 in Kenedy - Karnes Co freq 461.5125c RX'd strong !
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What keyed me in was a distant LTR TRS using 452.7375 showing up as LCN#15 carring TG# 0-10-001.
On my Pro-197's I keep the feature "AutoMove HR's = On" so my RX kept flipping LCN's around from our
locally used LCN#6 452.7375 HR (Home Repeater) for the Airwave Radio - Leon Springs area LTR TRS
that carries 2 security groups being TG 0-06-75 (BCPS Security) and TG 0-06-119 (Lawman Security).

Next, I tuned up 452.7375 on a discriminator tapped scanner ported to LTR Analyzer to study results.
The freq 452.7375 shows idle of LCN#15 and went active with TG# 0-07-080 and free map of LCN 3 & 11.
So TG 0-07-080 HR LCN#7 must have been busy so the traffic was carried up on LCN#15 makes sense.
This skip is so crazy that on 452.7375 In addition to our #6 (SA,TX) I get idle LCN's of 1,2 & 15 (CC,TX).

So I clicked on the RR Database Premium member drop menu "Search FCC Licenses By State:Texas"
Search results indicate that with this Tropo condition I'm picking up this 75w LTR over 140 miles away.

So my best crack research at 3am leads me to the systems listed below

(Mr Gus and Case can verify

I also tuned 452.1250 HR LCN#7 and during CWID it reveals a system freq map of 3,7,11,15 (no #2 etc).
Centronix (LTR Net) , Location: Corpus Christi, TX Nueces County
LTR Site #1 Del Mar College 02 453.3875 03 451.7875c 07 452.125 11 452.3875 15 452.7375 *
LTR TG # 0-07-080 A Del Mar College - Del Mar College Campus Security - Security
Centronix (LTR Net) Trunking System, Corpus Christi, Texas - Scanner Frequencies

Galleria Dallas LTR TRS, Dallas Co,TX (Hey 5~6 hours away - even farther RX than Corpus Christi, TX !)
LTR Site #1 (1) Confirmed LCN 01 452.7375
LTR TG #0-01-003 A Galleria Security - Galleria Mall Security - Security
Galleria Dallas Trunking System, Dallas, Texas - Scanner Frequencies

Hopefully others had some wild tropo results to share in this forum ? If not WAKE UP and SCAN NOW

Project25_MASTR · Jul 21, 2018

Michael-SATX said:
Hello, is anybody else noticing any VHF/UHF Tropospheric propagation at this am time in their RX area?

All 7 NOAA WX channels are coming in clear for me from these stations...
162.400 1lw WXK34 station in Victoria
162.425 1kw WWG40 station in Bay City
162.450 1kw WNG696 station in George West
162.475 1kw WNG641 station in Seguin
162.500 300w WNG523 station in Dilley
162.525 1kw KXI56 station in Gonzales
162.550 1kw WXK67 station in San Antonio

My faithful UHF skip tester is S&P NXDN Site # 12 in Kenedy - Karnes Co freq 461.5125c RX'd strong !
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What keyed me in was a distant LTR TRS using 452.7375 showing up as LCN#15 carring TG# 0-10-001.
On my Pro-197's I keep the feature "AutoMove HR's = On" so my RX kept flipping LCN's around from our
locally used LCN#6 452.7375 HR (Home Repeater) for the Airwave Radio - Leon Springs area LTR TRS
that carries 2 security groups being TG 0-06-75 (BCPS Security) and TG 0-06-119 (Lawman Security).

Next, I tuned up 452.7375 on a discriminator tapped scanner ported to LTR Analyzer to study results.
The freq 452.7375 shows idle of LCN#15 and went active with TG# 0-07-080 and free map of LCN 3 & 11.
So TG 0-07-080 HR LCN#7 must have been busy so the traffic was carried up on LCN#15 makes sense.
This skip is so crazy that on 452.7375 In addition to our #6 (SA,TX) I get idle LCN's of 1,2 & 15 (CC,TX).

So I clicked on the RR Database Premium member drop menu "Search FCC Licenses By State:Texas"
Search results indicate that with this Tropo condition I'm picking up this 75w LTR over 140 miles away.

So my best crack research at 3am leads me to the systems listed below (Mr Gus and Case can verify
I also tuned 452.1250 HR LCN#7 and during CWID it reveals a system freq map of 3,7,11,15 (no #2 etc).
Centronix (LTR Net) , Location: Corpus Christi, TX Nueces County
LTR Site #1 Del Mar College 02 453.3875 03 451.7875c 07 452.125 11 452.3875 15 452.7375 *
LTR TG # 0-07-080 A Del Mar College - Del Mar College Campus Security - Security
Centronix (LTR Net) Trunking System, Corpus Christi, Texas - Scanner Frequencies

Galleria Dallas LTR TRS, Dallas Co,TX (Hey 5~6 hours away - even farther RX than Corpus Christi, TX !)
LTR Site #1 (1) Confirmed LCN 01 452.7375
LTR TG #0-01-003 A Galleria Security - Galleria Mall Security - Security
Galleria Dallas Trunking System, Dallas, Texas - Scanner Frequencies

Hopefully others had some wild tropo results to share in this forum ? If not WAKE UP and SCAN NOW

I was hanging out in Waco last week and we were seeing some interference issues from Williamson County's simulcast system on GATRRS to the south and one of the FWRRS to the north depending on what antenna was up. Granted this is 800 MHz but we were still seeing it for a little bit in the mornings.

May 2018 South Texas Tropo Activity

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