This tropo was very long awaited. Actually, 2013 was not too generous for us in Poland… maybe except my receptions from Finland. This time distant stations were strong, very strong! I haven’t seen such high signal levels before. It started on 11th December morning with stereo signals from Steinkimmen. Maybe nothing special but when I left my home I realised that it was… raining.
I was busy that day, however I was able to check the conditions remotely. At noon, Steinkimmen and Dannenberg were already peaking up to 40dBf! That’s over 3 bars on the XDR-F1HD stock scale. I arrived to my QTH after 19 UTC. Tropospheric lift reached almost half of the German territory and partially Denmark. The following list of received stations contains only 450+ km locations.
| Freq | Station | Location | Distance | ERP kW | RDS / signal | |
| 92.9h | DR P3 | DNK Holstebro | 831 | 60.00 | ||
| * | 90.0h | NDR Kultur | D Aurich | 825 | 25.00 | |
| * | 101.8h | Deutschlandfunk | D Aurich | 825 | 100.00 | |
| 91.1h | NDR 1 NDS | D Steinkimmen | 760 | 100.00 | D381 NDR1_NDS | |
| 94.4h | NDR Kultur | D Steinkimmen | 760 | 100.00 | ||
| 99.8h | NDR 2 | D Steinkimmen | 760 | 100.00 | D382 _NDR_2__ | |
| 102.3h | ffn (Oldenburg) | D Steinkimmen | 760 | 100.00 | D388 __ffn___ | |
| 105.7h | Antenne NDS | D Steinkimmen | 760 | 100.00 | D889 ANTENNE_ | |
| * | 91.6h | N-JOY | D Cuxhaven | 752 | 10.00 | |
| * | 105.4h | NDR 1 NDS | D Cuxhaven | 752 | 20.00 | |
| 90.6h | WDR 5 | D Teutoburger Wald | 749 | 100.00 | ||
| 93.2h | WDR 2 | D Teutoburger Wald | 749 | 100.00 | D392 WDR_2___ 34dBf | |
| 100.5h | WDR 4 | D Teutoburger Wald | 749 | 100.00 | D394 WDR_4___ | |
| 105.5h | WDR Eins Live | D Teutoburger Wald | 749 | 100.00 | D391 _1LIVE__ | |
| 95.1h | DR P1/P2 | DNK Rangstrup | 748 | 60.00 | 9201 DR_P2___ | |
| 97.2h | DR P3 | DNK Rangstrup | 748 | 60.00 | 9203 DR_P3___ | |
| 99.9h | DR P4 (Syd) | DNK Rangstrup | 748 | 60.00 | 9C02 DRP4_SYD | |
| * | 88.3h | Nordwestradio | D Bremen | 738 | 100.00 | 33dBf |
| * | 93.8h | bremen eins | D Bremen | 738 | 100.00 | D341 34dBf |
| * | 96.7h | Funkhaus Europa | D Bremen | 738 | 50.00 | |
| 107.7h | DKultur | D Cuxhaven | 737 | 20.00 | 27dBf | |
| 96.3h | NDR 2 | D Heide | 719 | 15.00 | ||
| 99.4h | NDR Kultur | D Heide | 719 | 15.00 | D383 | |
| * | 100.4h | delta radio | D Heide | 719 | 15.00 | |
| 89.6h | NDR 1 Welle Nord | D Flensburg | 718 | 25.00 | ||
| 93.2h | NDR 2 | D Flensburg | 718 | 25.00 | D382 _NDR_2__ | |
| 105.6h | delta radio | D Flensburg | 717 | 20.00 | D3E9 _delta__ 35dBf | |
| 95.9h | NDR 2 | D Visselhövede | 685 | 5.00 | ||
| 98.7h | NDR Kultur | D Hannover | 680 | 15.00 | ||
| 89.0h | DR P1/P2 | DNK Sønder Højrup | 678 | 60.00 | ||
| 92.6h | DR P3 | DNK Sønder Højrup | 678 | 60.00 | 9203 | |
| 96.8h | DR P4 (Fyn) | DNK Sønder Højrup | 678 | 60.00 | ||
| 100.5h | Radio24syv | DNK Sønder Højrup | 678 | 60.00 | 9204 24syv___ | |
| 91.3h | NDR 1 Welle Nord | D Kiel | 670 | 15.00 | ||
| 94.5h | N-JOY | D Kiel | 670 | 15.00 | ||
| 98.3h | NDR 2 | D Kiel | 670 | 15.00 | ||
| 100.6h | ffn (Hamburg) | D Rosengarten | 668 | 20.00 | D388 __ffn___ 39dBf | |
| 103.2h | NDR 1 NDS | D Rosengarten | 668 | 20.00 | ||
| * | 105.1h | Antenne NDS | D Rosengarten | 668 | 20.00 | 42dBf |
| 102.9h | R.SH | D Kaltenkirchen | 661 | 20.00 | D3E8 32dBf | |
| 87.6h | NDR 2 | D Hamburg | 654 | 80.00 | D382 _NDR_2__ | |
| * | 88.7h | Deutschlandfunk | D Hamburg | 654 | 3.00 | |
| 89.5h | NDR 1 NDS | D Hamburg | 654 | 10.00 | ||
| 90.3h | NDR 90,3 | D Hamburg | 654 | 80.00 | D451 NDR_90,3 | |
| 99.2h | NDR Kultur | D Hamburg | 654 | 80.00 | D383 NDR_Kult 45dBf | |
| 103.6h | Radio Hamburg | D Hamburg | 654 | 80.00 | D358 45dBf | |
| 106.8h | alster radio | D Hamburg | 649 | 32.00 | ||
| 89.9h | NDR Kultur | D Torfhaus | 635 | 100.00 | D383 NDR_Kult | |
| 92.1h | NDR 2 | D Torfhaus | 635 | 100.00 | ||
| 98.0h | NDR 1 NDS | D Torfhaus | 635 | 100.00 | ||
| 102.4h | Radio ffn | D Torfhaus | 635 | 100.00 | D388 __ffn___ 43dBf | |
| 103.5h | Deutschlandfunk | D Torfhaus | 635 | 100.00 | ||
| 89.0h | 89.0 RTL | D Brocken | 629 | 60.00 | D0DB 89.0_RTL | |
| 91.5h | MDR JUMP | D Brocken | 629 | 100.00 | D3C2 MDR_JUMP | |
| 94.6h | MDR Sachsen-Anhalt | D Brocken | 629 | 60.00 | ||
| 97.4h | Deutschlandfunk | D Brocken | 629 | 100.00 | ||
| 101.4h | Radio SAW | D Brocken | 629 | 100.00 | ||
| 107.8h | MDR Figaro | D Brocken | 629 | 10.00 | ||
| 104.5h | NDR 1 Welle Nord | D Mölln | 625 | 20.00 | 37dBf | |
| 93.0h | BFBS Radio 1 | D Braunschweig | 610 | 80.00 | D390 35dBf | |
| 90.7h | NDR Info | D Dannenberg | 598 | 3.00 | ||
| 91.2h | NDR 1 NDS | D Dannenberg | 598 | 25.00 | D381 NDR1_NDS | |
| 94.0h | N-JOY | D Dannenberg | 598 | 1.00 | ||
| 96.4h | NDR 2 | D Dannenberg | 598 | 25.00 | D382 | |
| 102.7h | ffn (Heide) | D Dannenberg | 598 | 25.00 | D388 ffnHeide 41dBf | |
| 106.1h | Antenne NDS | D Dannenberg | 598 | 25.00 | D389 ANTENNE_ 41dBf | |
| 100.7h | MDR Sputnik | D Klötze | 578 | 5.00 | 19dBf | |
| 89.2h | NDR Kultur | D Schwerin | 565 | 30.00 | D383 NDR_Kult | |
| 92.8h | NDR 1 Radio MV | D Schwerin | 565 | 30.00 | D371 NDR_1_MV | |
| 95.3h | DKultur | D Schwerin | 565 | 100.00 | D220 DKULTUR_ | |
| 98.5h | NDR 2 | D Schwerin | 565 | 100.00 | D382 _NDR_2__ | |
| 99.5h | N-JOY | D Schwerin | 565 | 2.00 | D385 _N-JOY__ 30dBf | |
| 101.3h | Antenne MV | D Schwerin | 565 | 100.00 | D378 _ANT_MV_ | |
| 105.3h | NDR Info | D Schwerin | 565 | 100.00 | D384 NDR_Info | |
| 107.3h | Ostseewelle | D Schwerin | 565 | 100.00 | D379 _OSTSEE_ | |
| 102.2h | Deutschlandfunk | D Höhbeck | 561 | 94.00 | D210 __DLF___ | |
| 102.0h | Deutschlandfunk | D Magdeburg | 554 | 20.00 | ||
| * | 105.2h | MDR Sputnik | D Magdeburg | 554 | 1.50 | |
| 105.7h | Radio Brocken | D Magdeburg | 554 | 15.00 | ||
| 89.4h | MDR Figaro | D Dequede | 545 | 10.00 | D3C3 _FIGARO_ | |
| 94.9h | MDR Sachsen-Anhalt | D Dequede | 545 | 10.00 | ||
| 96.9h | DKultur | D Dequede | 545 | 7.00 | D220 DKULTUR_ | |
| 101.0h | Radio Brocken | D Dequede | 545 | 60.00 | D3D8 | |
| 91.7h | RBB Kulturradio | D Pritzwalk | 512 | 10.00 | ||
| 99.9h | RBB Radio Eins | D Pritzwalk | 512 | 10.00 | ||
| 103.1h | RBB Fritz | D Pritzwalk | 512 | 60.00 | D333 | |
| 106.6h | Antenne Brandenburg | D Pritzwalk | 512 | 100.00 | D831 | |
| 88.2h | NDR Kultur | D Marlow | 509 | 100.00 | D383 NDR_Kult | |
| 91.0h | NDR 1 Radio MV | D Marlow | 509 | 100.00 | D371 NDR_1_MV | |
| 93.5h | NDR 2 | D Marlow | 509 | 30.00 | D382 _NDR_2__ | |
| 96.7h | DKultur | D Marlow | 509 | 30.00 | D220 DKULTUR_ | |
| 100.8h | Antenne MV | D Marlow | 509 | 100.00 | D378 _ANT_MV_ | |
| 102.8h | NDR Info | D Marlow | 509 | 100.00 | D384 NDR_Info | |
| 104.8h | Ostseewelle | D Marlow | 509 | 100.00 | D379 _OSTSEE_ | |
| 88.5h | NDR 1 Radio MV | D Röbel | 497 | 10.00 | D371 | |
| 107.0h | NDR 2 | D Röbel | 497 | 60.00 | D382 _NDR_2__ | |
| 88.1h | MDR Sachsen-Anhalt | D Wittenberg | 495 | 30.00 | ||
| 89.3h | Deutschlandfunk | D Wittenberg | 495 | 1.00 | ||
| 98.4h | Radio SAW | D Wittenberg | 495 | 5.20 | ||
| 101.6h | MDR JUMP | D Wittenberg | 495 | 55.00 | D3C2 MDR_JUMP | |
| 104.0h | MDR Figaro | D Wittenberg | 495 | 100.00 | D3C3 _FIGARO_ | |
| 99.3h | RBB Radio Eins | D Belzig | 490 | 30.00 | ||
| 106.2h | Antenne Brandenburg | D Belzig | 490 | 100.00 | ||
| 101.8h | MDR 1 Sachsen | D Oschatz | 484 | 5.00 | ||
| 103.7h | MDR JUMP | D Oschatz | 484 | 5.00 | ||
| 105.9h | MDR Info | D Oschatz | 484 | 30.00 |
By the way, I haven’t tracked the maximal signal levels of each station, so the dBf levels mentioned here may not be exactly the highest peaks of this tropo opening.
Next day morning, 12th December, tropo extended to the northern directions. Göteborg from Sweden arrived with RDS. Borlänge (900+km) was also here, but I think that the most interesting reception was from Denmark. I found few low-powers in vertical polarisation.
| Freq | Station | Location | Distance | ERP kW | ||
| * | 90.2v | Radio Ballerup | DNK Ballerup | 596 | 1.00 | |
| 97.2v | Radio 100 | DNK Glostrup | 590 | 1.00 | ||
| * | 105.4v | The Voice | DNK Gentofte | 589 | 1.00 | |
| 90.8h | DR P1/P2 | DNK København | 588 | 60.00 | 9201 DR_P1___ | |
| 93.9h | DR P3 | DNK København | 588 | 60.00 | ||
| 96.5h | DR P4 (København) | DNK København | 588 | 60.00 | 9602 DRP4_KBH | |
| 100.0v | Pop FM | DNK København | 588 | 77.60 | 9206 _POP_FM_ | |
| 102.3h | Radio24syv | DNK København | 588 | 60.00 | ||
| * | 104.9v | The Voice | DNK Brøndby | 588 | 2.00 | |
| * | 100.0h | Ostseewelle | D Wolgast | 431 | 0.50 |
There was also a second tropo path, quite directional. I think it was related to the reception from Oschatz in the night. Paths shortened to Löbau with very high signals, again up to 50dBf. Radio Lausitz was clearly audible over semi-local Radio Hit 107.6 (40km). I also received RDS on 103.0 Deutschlandradio Kultur for the first time. After a while, the lift moved more to the south and brought low powers from Czech Republic. One more thing should be noted. Kiss Morava 101.1 from Czech Republic was also audible in the opposite polarisation at opposite direction (Körner 19.3 pointing at north)… how!? After checking 2x 9-el in V it came out that this location, Frýdek-Místek, has beaten all records and reached 53dBf (1kW ERP 345km).
The tropospheric propagation was travelling from west to east. According to the Hepburn’s forecast maps we were expecting Finland to appear in the evening. Eventually only Turku was in, but other attractions were much more interesting. Estonia with RDS and Russia on OIRT, but again on wrong antenna – Körner 19.3. In the night tropo moved over Belarus and started to disappear…
| Freq | Station | Location | Distance | ERP kW | ||
| 89.8h | Yle Radio 1 | FIN Turku | 881 | 60.00 | ||
| * | 92.6h | YleX | FIN Turku | 881 | 60.00 | |
| 98.2h | Yle X3M | FIN Turku | 881 | 60.00 | ||
| 101.4h | Yle Radio Vega |
FIN Turku | 881 | 60.00 | ||
| 103.9h | Radio Nova | FIN Turku | 881 | 60.00 | ||
| 70.37h | Yu-FM | RUS Novosokolniki | 782 | 17.00 | ||
| 83.75h | 1TV | RUS Novosokolniki | 782 | 0.00 | ||
| * | 70.01h | Radio Rossii | RUS Glubokoye | 746 | 17.00 | |
| 69.92h | BR Kanal Kultura | BLR Vitsebsk | 741 | 4.00 | ||
| 70.67h | BR 1 | BLR Vitsebsk | 741 | 4.00 | ||
| 71.48h | Radio Vitsebsk | BLR Vitsebsk | 741 | 4.00 | ||
| 72.26h | Radio Stolitsa | BLR Vitsebsk | 741 | 4.00 | ||
| 71.18h | Radio Stolitsa | BLR Mahilyow | 719 | 4.00 | ||
| * | 71.96h | BR Kanal Kultura | BLR Mahilyow | 719 | 4.00 | |
| * | 72.74h | BR 1 | BLR Mahilyow | 719 | 4.00 | |
| * | 96.4v | BR Radio Mahilyow | BLR Mahilyow | 719 | 1.00 | |
| * | 100.9h | Radius FM | BLR Mahilyow | 719 | 2.00 | |
| * | 106.8h | LR 1 | LVA Alūksne | 708 | 3.50 | |
| 71.81h | Radio Stolitsa | BLR Zhlobin | 693 | 2.00 | ||
| 101.5h | LR 2 | LVA Valmiera | 660 | 20.00 | 9222 __LR-2__ | |
| 104.0h | LR 1 | LVA Valmiera | 660 | 20.00 | 9211 __LR-1__ | |
| 66.74h | BR Kanal Kultura | BLR Ushachy | 653 | 4.00 | ||
| 68.30h | Radio Vitsebsk | BLR Ushachy | 653 | 4.00 | ||
| 70.94h | Radio Stolitsa | BLR Ushachy | 653 | 4.00 | ||
| 72.65h | BR 1 | BLR Ushachy | 653 | 4.00 | ||
| 106.7h | BR 1 | BLR Ushachy | 653 | 4.00 | ||
| 73.01h | Radio Stolitsa | BLR Babrujsk | 648 | 4.00 | ||
| 100.7v | LR 2 | LVA Daugavpils | 574 | 8.00 | ||
| 93.1v | LR 5 Radio NABA | LVA Rīga – Ulbroka | 564 | 5.00 | ||
| 90.0h | Spin FM | LVA Rīga – Zaķusala | 557 | 0.50 | ||
| 90.7h | LR 1 | LVA Rīga – Zaķusala | 557 | 35.00 | 9211 __LR-1__ | |
| 91.5h | LR 2 | LVA Rīga – Zaķusala | 557 | 35.00 | 9222 __LR-2__ | |
| 93.9h | Radio Baltkom | LVA Rīga – Āgenskalns | 557 | 2.75 | 9390 BALTKOM_ | |
| 99.5h | Europa Plus | LVA Rīga – Āgenskalns | 557 | 2.75 | 9950 EUROPA+_ | |
| 101.8h | LKR | LVA Rīga – Zaķusala | 557 | 5.10 | 9786 __LKR___ | |
| 103.7h | LR 3 Klasika | LVA Rīga – Zaķusala | 557 | 9.50 | ||
| 105.2h | Radio SWH | LVA Rīga – Zaķusala | 557 | 13.00 | 9258 __SWH___ | |
| 105.7h | Radio SWH Plus | LVA Rīga – Zaķusala | 557 | 3.70 | ||
| 107.2h | Radio Skonto |
LVA Rīga – Zaķusala | 557 | 4.70 | 906B | |
| 107.7h | LR 4 Doma Laukums | LVA Rīga – Zaķusala | 557 | 6.60 | 9244 __LR-4__ | |
| * | 70.97h | BR Kanal Kultura | BLR Kapyl | 497 | 0.10 | |
| * | 73.22h | Radio Stolitsa | BLR Kapyl | 497 | 0.10 | |
| 67.97h | BR 1 | BLR Smarhoń | 487 | 4.00 | ||
| 70.13h | BR Kanal Kultura | BLR Smarhoń | 487 | 4.00 | ||
| * | 100.7v | BR Kanal Kultura | BLR Stowbtsy | 478 | 1.00 |
… who did say ‘disappear’?! Well, when I woke up, 70.22 BR1 Salihorsk was still here, but very weak. I gave tropo another chance and I started checking the CCIR band. Something was wrong. When I was going to sleep, Körner was pointing Belarus. So how was it possible to receive Berliner Rundfunk on 91.4 with RDS and clear stereo signal in this opposite direction?
After rotating the antenna to west I understood everything – Berlin was extremely STRONG. 60dBf on 100kWatts!! I quickly took my another radio tuner, but this time for DAB reception. Scanning revealed 47 digital stations, including 3 MUXes from Germany. Of course the antenna was still Körner 19.3 (btw, CCIR, OIRT, DAB… what’s gonna be next?). Wittenberg was also strong and 100.5 WDR4 from Teutoburger Wald almost noise free. Reception on FM & DAB lasted for few hours and then tropo faded away, along with upcoming cold front with rain.