[Scan-DC] Weather Radio Question

Gary Chatters [email protected]
Tue, 14 May 2002 22:34:08 -0400 (EDT)


>
>Climbed a hill today in Gaithersburg with my handheld.  Got bored listening
>to police so I tuned to the weather bands.  I tuned into 162.500 MHz.  That
>station call letters were WXK97.  After research, i found out that this
>station broadcasts from a tower in Sudlersville MD.  This is on the Delmarva
>Penisula.  The station runs 1000 watts.
>
>My question is.  Was I able to hear this station because I was on a really
>high hill, and will I be able to always hear it on this hill?, or was it
>because of some atmosphereic thing?Maybe the thunderstorms opened up the
>atmosphere for long distance DXing? (But then again, doesnt this only happen
>for frequencies below 30 MHz).
>
>Can anyone help me out?
>

Your report is not surprizing.  I just tuned it in on my scanner at
home near Greenbelt and it is quite clear.

Sudlersville is about 60 miles from Greenbelt.  It might be as much
as 80 miles from Gaithersburg.  With 1000 watts up on a high tower
that would not be exceptional range.  You might have to be up on
a high point, but you would have to do some experimenting to see
what their coverage is.  What you heard was probably normal range,
not any exceptional atmospheric conditions.

As a comparison, I can key up the Salisbury 2M repeater with about
5 watts, and that is farther than Sudlersville.  They are on
a high tower and I have a good view to the east from home.

gc