25.000MHz TO 54 MHz

[Dispatrick]

i never pick up any low band skip I once picked up missouri HP but that was once and last year eversince i've never picked up any good skip anybody have any tips?

I use my pro-95

 

[mancow]

A big antenna and patience.

That's about all you can do. When the band comes up again you will definitely notice it, believe me. I have heard Ft. Hood TX Army range control on a handheld with just a stock rubber antenna from Kansas on 30.450. It's just a matter of waiting for the conditions to be right.

 

[jonny290]

layer inversions are the key to skip

watch for weird warm fronts coming through

wikipedia has stuff on tropo ducting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV-FM_DX

 

[satob1]

whats on 25mhz and up your way

dear sir, im dave vk2fdjl nsw australia .i notice you were talking about 25mhz and up to 54mhz many years ago in say 2001 and up i had a icom 7000 and 7100 hf receiver and scanner using a groudplane antenna i heard the usa services on fmn between with signals upto a 5 .thx dave nsw australia .

 

[eorange]

On those days when you listen to FM radio, and you hear another station creeping into your normally loud station...I find that's a good indicator for VHF skip. Coincidentally, the last skip I heard in late summer was also the Missouri HP. Lasted from about 7:00pm to 8:00pm; it was neat while it lasted.

 

[RevGary]

Just for kicks, program in ONE low band frequency into an unused memory location in your scanner as an indicator of low band skip. One of the most common low band frequencies still in use in many areas is 39.580 mhz. There are 57 full pages of ACTIVE licensees in the FCC research ULS database. Good 'hunting'...

 

[eorange]

Another tip I read on here somewhere...scan all the NOAA weather channels, all of which are usually preprogrammed into modern scanners. The more WX broadcasts you hear on all the channels, the more likely there are conditions for skip.

 

[k9rzz]

There aren't nearly as many low band VHF stations as there were 10 years ago, but if the band is open, you should hear 'something'. Two weeks ago, I was hearing some east coast guys on CB and 10 meters so I just started scanning 30mhz and up. I ran across three or four dispatchers in spanish ... I'm guessing from the NYC area. Locally, I found a school bus company that is quite active in the mornings and afternoons on 30mhz. In my neighborhood, there are still a number of cordless phones active up around 44 mhz and if you drive around town, you should hear ton's of baby monitors just above 49mhz.

I've got these in my scanner, I forget which one is the local frequency and which were from that opening, but just as an example:

30.74, 30.82, 31.0, 31.48, and 33.705 mhz.

E skip will be more prevalent in spring, you should hear more then.

Just keep trying!

John K9RZZ
Milwaukee

 

[Dispatrick]

I usually scan NOAA channels and when distant stations come in clear then I scan for skip

 

[RevGary]

There aren't nearly as many low band VHF stations as there were 10 years ago, but if the band is open, you should hear 'something'. Two weeks ago, I was hearing some east coast guys on CB and 10 meters so I just started scanning 30mhz and up. I ran across three or four dispatchers in spanish ... I'm guessing from the NYC area. Locally, I found a school bus company that is quite active in the mornings and afternoons on 30mhz. In my neighborhood, there are still a number of cordless phones active up around 44 mhz and if you drive around town, you should hear ton's of baby monitors just above 49mhz.

I've got these in my scanner, I forget which one is the local frequency and which were from that opening, but just as an example:

30.74, 30.82, 31.0, 31.48, and 33.705 mhz.

E skip will be more prevalent in spring, you should hear more then.

Just keep trying!

John K9RZZ
Milwaukee

Hey, John - our REACT team verified that the Spanish language 'skip' that you are hearing in Milwaukee (and up here a ways) is coming from a couple Taxi Cab companies in Mexico City, off shore fishing boats in the southern Gulf of Mexico and from one bus company in Guatemala. One of our members speaks the language - she listened for awhile on 27.095, 27.145 and CB channel 38 (27.385) and verified the locations from what was being said on the air. That's fairly common this time of year. Back in 1959, I heard a 27 Mhz signal from Elizabethtown, South Africa - requested a QSL card by mail and received one in 9 weeks. Post card mail was as slow then as it is today. LOL.