This past weekend I spent some time installing my mobile ham radio into my car. The radio install went well, though disconnecting the battery cables had some reprocussions. My factory-installed car stereo has a stupid security code enabled which you have to enter each time the radio loses power. Like anyone would want to steal a boxy, Honda factory stereo! I had to track down the code before I could listen to any music.
Once I finally got my stereo working again, I found it tuned to a frequency just below the FM band: 87.7MHz. That frequency is in the low-VHF TV band, so I only a little surprised to hear something on that frequency. I was thinking it was Raleigh’s WRAL-TV Channel 5, but further listening proved it to be WECT Channel 6, the NBC affiliate in Wilmington! That’s a good 127 miles, according to Google Maps!
Yesterday, I also heard a repeater in Greensboro, itself a nice hop away. There’s been some pretty impressive tropospheric ducting going on lately.
CTR2 Turner,
QSY IMI QSY
CTO1 Feath
QSB QSB CTO1 Feath
I was a radio geek long before I became a CT. And now that I’m a ham, I’ve still got a use for all that Morse training!
Since you brought up my time in uniform, there was one trip back from Hawaii where I picked up California radio stations from over 800 miles away. Incredible!
73,
Mark
N4JMT
AR ..