FM DX Links


The following are helpful links pertaining to FM DXing which I use or am aware of.  If a valuable site is not listed here, please let me know and I will add it.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTIONS
  • Wikipedia FM DX entry - This site provides in-depth descriptions and explanations of the various types of reception that can be had on television and FM radio, as well as other pertinent links.

DX CLUBS/GROUPS
  • WTFDA home page - Home base for the Worldwide TV-FM DX Association, a group dedicated to the pursuit of television and FM radio reception.

  • ABDX home page - Home base for the American Broadcast DX club, a group DXing anything they can get their ears (and eyes) around.

TOOLS and RESOURCES
  • William Hepburn's Tropospheric Ducting Forecasts - These maps show potential propogation paths via tropospheric ducts.  These ducts create enhanced signal paths, and allow reception of stations much further away than normal, though not as far as can be obtained via Es.  These maps are updated daily.

  • 100000Watts.com - The radio/TV directory of choice by many DXers.  It is a pay site, but is very highly regarded.

  • The Federal Communication Commission's query page, where you can look up stations on a one-by-one basis, or by using complex queries.

  • FCCInfo.com, another site which allows you to query for specific station information.  The presentation is clean, and a wealth of information is provided.  An advantage of this site is that links are contained (at the station level) which allow you to view station format and contact information.

  • RecNet.com, yet another site which allows you to query for specific stations.  As with the previous link, this is a highly-informative site, and I particularly like the ability to see location maps and translator lists.

  • BIAfn Station Market information, a station format/market site linked to via FCCInfo.com.  I have had occasional problems with accessibility to this site once it became linked.

  • Arbitron's station format/market site - The station information profiles link on this page is the one that provides the information of value, but I have not specifically named it because its name is date-sensitive and is likely to change with the next rating period.

  • TV/FM DX logger, where DXers can report their FM/TV catches and have them immediately displayed for all to see and use.

  • A Dutch skip propogation site, presenting a dynamic map of the world showing real-time DX occurring on the 6 meter band (just below TV channel 2).  This is an indicator for potential skip if it can rise through channel 6 and into FM.  DX plots are shown for one hour, with the color of the plot changing every 20 minutes.  This map is tiny, but fully usable.

  • VHFDX.net 6-meter DX reports, a dynamic region/band-selectable map showing real-time DX occurring on the 6 meter band (just below TV channel 2).  This is an indicator for potential skip if it can rise through channel 6 and into FM.  DX plots are shown for one hour, and you won't know what's new and what's ready to drop off the map unless you know when the plot appeared.

  • maps.dxers.info, another band-selectable map which you can use to show real-time DX plots.  As with the Dutch site, the colors change every twenty minutes.  This has been my map of choice, but the site has been unavailable more often that not lately.  I sincerely hope its available again soon, because its good.

  • W9WI.com, a web site devoted to FM and TV DXing.  I have used the FM Database on a regular basis.  While I do find a few errors, the station lists are worth their weight in gold for quick station and format information.  I must point out that if I find an error and don't report it, I am obviously not doing my part.

  • Yes.com - This web site is a real-time query of station playlists.  I don't know how many times I have heard a specific song on a specific frequency at a specific time, and had no clue who I was listening to.  I will consult the above-mentioned maps to see where Es is coming from (generally), then do a quick search through W9WI.com to find out who has a format consistent with what I am hearing.  Then I look them up with this site, and if I'm lucky, I can ID the station.  There's no guarantee that the station you look up is a subscriber to this service, so you may not find them.  There have been several times that this site has had server problems or lost data feeds, but their value far exceeds their occasional reliability problems.  In the recent past, they have had a daily maintenance period when they are known to be down, but they don't put up any status messages or placeholders while they are down...just a warning.