The Official Publication of the Worldwide TV-FM DX Association SEPTEMBER 2006 The Magazine for TV and FM DXers AS YOU ENTER THE OLD WNNJ STUDIOS YOU STEP THROUGH A TIME WARP CONVENTION 2006 IS HISTORY! 72 PAGES! TV and FM DXing was never so much fun! THE WORLDWIDE TV-FM DX ASSOCIATION Serving the UHF-VHF Enthusiast THE VHF-UHF DIGEST IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLDWIDE TV-FM DX ASSOCIATION DEDICATED TO THE OBSERVATION AND STUDY OF THE PROPAGATION OF LONG DISTANCE TELEVISION AND FM BROADCASTING SIGNALS AT VHF AND UHF. WTFDA IS GOVERNED BY A BOARD OF DIRECTORS: DOUG SMITH, GREG CONIGLIO, BRUCE HALL, KEITH McGINNIS AND MIKE BUGAJ. Editor and publisher: Mike Bugaj Treasurer: Keith McGinnis Webmaster: Tim McVey wtfda.info Site Administrator: Chris Cervantez Editorial Staff: Dave Williams, George W. Jensen, Jeff Kruszka Keith McGinnis, Fred Nordquist, Nick Langan, Doug Smith, Chris Kadlec, Peter Baskind and John Zondlo, Our website: www.anarc.org/wtfda Our forums: www.wtfda.info SEPTEMBER 2006 _______________________________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS Page Two 2 Mailbox 3 TV News…Doug Smith 7 Finally! For those of you online with an email FM News…Chris Kadlec 16 address, we now offer a quick, convenient and Photo News…Jeff Kruszka 22 secure way to join or renew your membership Eastern TVDX…Nick Langan 25 in the WTFDA from our page at: Western TVDX…Dave Williams 33 Southern FM DX…John Zondlo 39 http://fmdx.usclargo.com/join.html Northern FM DX…Keith McGinnis 45 Satellite News…George Jensen 68 Dues are $25 if paid to our Paypal account. But 6 meters…Peter Baskind 69 of course you can always renew by check or Editors and Submissions 71 money order for the usual price of just $24. 72 BIG PAGES! Either way, it’s still a bargain! And now… eVUDS ON CD! VUDS ON A CD! All eVUDs from 09/01 through 12/05 are on this Every VUD from Jan disc (except 8/02 which 1980 to December 1989 was not published). is on this disk. You’ll Follow the changes from need Adobe Reader to day one to the present read them. Why have a form. You can have it box of old VUDs taking up space when you can for just $6.00 ($5.00 have this. It’s yours for just $8.00 per disk. plus a dollar shipping). Use the same address Send your check or money order for $8.00 to as for VUDs on CD shown on the opposite WTFDA, P.O. 501, Somersville, CT 06072. column. Have a great month! Make it payable to WTFDA. NEW!!! Emisoras de FM BY JIM THOMAS Everything you needed to know about FM radio South of the Border! To order your copy of the 2006 WTFDA Mexican/ Central American FM Directory, send a check or money order for $16.50 payable to WTFDA and send it to Keith McGinnis, 6 Ritter Rd., Hingham, MA 02043. (For Paypal orders, send $17.50 to [email protected]. Use the comment box for any instructions.) See much more at http://fmdx.usclargo.com/emisorasdefm/ 2 P.O. Box 501, Somersville, CT USA 06072 MIKE BUGAJ [email protected] TROPO TAKES OVER The gang broke up before just before eleven o’clock and with the aid of a flashlight, I Don’t you hate it how summer flies by so found my car and headed back to the hotel. quickly? No sooner do we get geared up for Saturday morning a large group of Dxers the Es season when it’s over. There oughta be left the Days Inn for an hour-long drive to meet a law against this. up with Scott Fybush for a tour of NYC station So as E skip departs we begin to look for antennas and facilities. Jeff, Michael and Doug tropo and meteor showers and there’s been a took plenty of photos which Doug posted on little of each. One unusual logging that comes the forums (http://www.wtfda.info). For to mind was a 104.9 from southwest AR heard example, here’s one Doug took at the WADO by Saul Chernos on his car radio on August tower that shows Bob Seaman checking out 17th. Robert Grant in MI also caught part of this the WADO transmitter site. The rest of the opening with Little Rock and IA TVs seen at group seems to be further back in the parking his location. So, if you have the open channels, lot. look for the DX! You may stumble on some great catches! IT’S OVER, DARN IT Convention 2006 is history. A total of 15 WTFDA members attended. They were Keith McGinnis (MA), Jeff Lehmann (MA), Doug Smith (TN), Mike Bugaj (CT), Rick Shaftan (BJ), George Greene (OH), Frank Merrill (IL), Bob Smolarek (NJ), Bob Seaman (PA), John Adams (OR), Michael Temme-Soifer (NJ), Joe Gragg (TX), Brian May (CT), Rick Lucas (NY) and Scott Fybush (NY), plus former WTFDA member Paul Mount (NJ). On Friday Scott Fybush arranged a tour of It was about 6pm when WTFDAers began the CC NW New Jersey’s station facilities to trickle back to Rick’s house for supper. (WNNJ-FM 103.7, WSUS 102.3, WHCY 106.3 Since the tables on the deck were already and WNNJ 1360). I was told that the highlights occupied, those of us who found trying to cut of this tour were the old WNNJ-FM studios into a steak while balancing the plate on your (which seemed to be completely untouched knee a little difficult, found tables in the back after the move with all equipment and office yard to make the job easier. furniture left in place), and WNNJ 1360, where A short time later we were all treated to a the transmitter was actually shut down for a talk by Tom Fuscaldo. Tom is the gent who short time while the gang was there and installed all of Rick’s antenna. He has been in nobody noticed. This month’s front cover was the antenna business for 50 years and he also taken by Doug Smith at WNNJ showing worked at channel 5 in New York City back in stickers plastered all over a sliding door. the days when it was DuMont. Tom had some Somebody should make a museum out of that great stories about unique antenna place. installations, antenna customers, and, Most everyone was at Rick’s by Friday interestingly enough, honeybees (sting me, evening. There was plenty of good food and sting me). The honeybee part is hard to the conversation was just as good. Daytime explain, but if you ever need to be stung, go temperatures were warm, but as the sun see Tom. This must explain why his yellow car dipped below the horizon, the thermometer looks like it does. dropped and a jacket or windbreaker was After Tom’s talk, Keith broke out his Eton almost a necessity. Yes, it got nippy outside. and Quantum loop and we fished for DX on LW Michael checked out the FM band with his and AM (there wasn’t any, which served us portable with RDS, but only the usual suspects right for trying this at a TV/FM Convention). were heard and real tropo was non-existant. 3 The gathering broke up around 11pm. Poor HAVE SOME STATS Joe Gragg got chilled from being outside in the relatively cold night air and we saw him sitting Take a few. They’re free. These are the inside wrapped in a blanket. It was cool up stats I had written down for the convention’s there on the mountaintop and Rick was wise to business meeting but never used. Some of this caution us to bring a jacket. is a bit interesting and it’s something WTFDA Sunday morning some of the guys drove up members should know anyway. to High Point in extreme NW New Jersey To begin with, we ended July with 247 where the elevation was 1800 feet asl and members. Back in May of 1998 (when I took super for DXing. My wife and I drove through it over the membership list) we had 251 the day before by accident, on our journey to members. Then gradually we did some things Port Jervis NY, and down into PA checking out that grew that total to the mid 270s, but that antique stores. The scenery along the was then. This is now and we’re beginning to Delaware Water Gap is spectacular. I only wish notice that number reverse. Right now I can there were some scenic turnoffs along Rt23 probably think of two or three reasons why this where I could pull off the road and take is happening, and you probably can also. pictures like we have up here in New England. Since January first we’ve gained 9 new Maybe next time I’ll find one. members but we were down 22 as of June If we had a business meeting at all, I think it 30th. Today (August 25th) we are back up to happened Saturday night when Brian asked 247 and whether this number goes up at the me how many people we had in the club, and I end of the month depends on new members or told him. That about sums up the business renewals from those who haven’t yet renewed. meeting. I’m going to track this number every month to Convention 2006 was definitely a success. see how we progress (or regress) and you’ll It was nice to see Frank M.