{"id":44373,"date":"2020-07-16T07:09:28","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T11:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=44373"},"modified":"2020-07-16T07:10:12","modified_gmt":"2020-07-16T11:10:12","slug":"guest-post-what-is-fm-lightning-scatter-dx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/guest-post-what-is-fm-lightning-scatter-dx\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: What is FM Lightning Scatter DX?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Olivier Lance on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Bruce Atchison, who shares the following guest post:<\/p>\n

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What is Lightning Scatter DX?<\/h1>\n

by Bruce Atchison (VE6XTC)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Believe it or not, it’s possible to receive distant FM stations during a thunder storm. While lightning makes it difficult to hear AM and shortwave broadcasts, its crackles aren’t as evident on the 88 MHz to 108 MHz band.<\/p>\n

When lightning strikes, it temporarily ionizes the air around it. Radio signals are reflected by the charged gasses and come back down to earth.<\/p>\n

From my experience with this kind of DX, the signal became noticeably stronger during lightning strikes. This effect lasted for a second, then the signal level dropped to its former strength.<\/p>\n

While a thunder storm raged overhead on July 7th, I used my CC Skywave SSB radio to check out the FM band. Instead of hearing E-skip as I had hoped, I found that tropo-like conditions reflected stations down to my home. I heard signals from a hundred miles away or further.<\/p>\n

As just one example, I found a low-power station with the call letters CKSS on 88.1MHZ. They call themselves 88.1 The One. Find out more about this station at the http:\/\/www.881theone.ca\/<\/a> link. It’s located in the town of Stony Plain, Alberta. This station plays country music and airs local news events.<\/p>\n

At a guess, I’d say the transmitter is about 120 miles from my QTH in Radway. It normally doesn’t come in at all. The signal strength varied too, showing that it wasn’t a local.<\/p>\n

In my instance of catching CKSS’s signal, a form of tropo ducting was also present. Rain can produce reflections of signals but it’s much more pronounced in the UHF and microwave bands.<\/p>\n

When a thunder storm is ruining AM and shortwave reception, try DXing the FM band. You’ll be surprised at what occasionally comes in.<\/p>\n

For further information on weather-related DX, check William R. Hepburn’s article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To see a demonstration of lightning scatter on amateur TV, watch the
\nfollowing video:<\/p>\n