The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / WKSE in Barrie today DX

**Posted by dmcjeff** November 13, 2024 5:59 pm

98.5 coming in crystal clear in Barrie this afternoon.
K-Love superstation 102.5 also very clear

(On my car radio)

Weirdly also picked up the ‘Rob and Holly’ show while attempting 92.5fm. That’s a country station in Detroit and at 99.5

Last edited by dmcjeff (November 13, 2024 6:22 pm)

**Posted by Saul** November 13, 2024 6:18 pm

I guess the low-power TIS in Barrie on 98.5 is gone?

**Posted by dmcjeff** November 13, 2024 6:23 pm

Long gone I believe

**Posted by markow202** November 14, 2024 11:04 am

Living in Barrie now but near the waterfront so its a valley however, im receiving CKLP Parry Sound 103.3 religiously and I love that station. However my Sony radio has to be on the top floor on the north end of the house lol.

**Posted by mhaw2001** November 14, 2024 12:02 pm

Come up to Orillia! Where Buffalo stations are almost like locals. The signals seem to be funneled and enhanced by double lake skip across Lake Ontario and then Lake Simcoe. Drive along Hwy 11 from Barrie heading east-northeast along the waterfront and you can easily get the Buffalo superpowers on any decent car radio.

In my driveway I can get WDCX in HD more than the nearby local in Bracebridge. Almost all of the Buffalo stations have been easily received in my house with the exceptions of 93.7 and 104.1 as locals are on these frequencies. I have a large Televes antenna on my roof and can also receive most of the OTA TV stations from Buffalo as well. Its definitely a strange anomaly enhanced due to my location as I live at the highest point in Orillia with clear line of site of Lake Simcoe.

**Posted by dmcjeff** November 14, 2024 12:21 pm

That’s amazing!
Yes I’m aware that perhaps for the lake bounce there super signals do seem to re-strengthen towards Orillia often

**Posted by markow202** November 14, 2024 4:40 pm

mhaw2001 wrote:
Come up to Orillia! Where Buffalo stations are almost like locals. The signals seem to be funneled and enhanced by double lake skip across Lake Ontario and then Lake Simcoe. Drive along Hwy 11 from Barrie heading east-northeast along the waterfront and you can easily get the Buffalo superpowers on any decent car radio.

In my driveway I can get WDCX in HD more than the nearby local in Bracebridge. Almost all of the Buffalo stations have been easily received in my house with the exceptions of 93.7 and 104.1 as locals are on these frequencies. I have a large Televes antenna on my roof and can also receive most of the OTA TV stations from Buffalo as well. Its definitely a strange anomaly enhanced due to my location as I live at the highest point in Orillia with clear line of site of Lake Simcoe.

I noticed this driving on highway 11 even the Toronto stations stay stable but once you get past orillia they die off. On the 400 Toronto stations will get to about Mt St Louis ski area and once you turn the hill they die off because of the hill (near coldwater) if it wasnt for the hill it would travel into Muskoka for sure.

**Posted by mace** November 15, 2024 9:41 am

mhaw2001 wrote:
Come up to Orillia! Where Buffalo stations are almost like locals. The signals seem to be funneled and enhanced by double lake skip across Lake Ontario and then Lake Simcoe. Drive along Hwy 11 from Barrie heading east-northeast along the waterfront and you can easily get the Buffalo superpowers on any decent car radio.

In my driveway I can get WDCX in HD more than the nearby local in Bracebridge. Almost all of the Buffalo stations have been easily received in my house with the exceptions of 93.7 and 104.1 as locals are on these frequencies. I have a large Televes antenna on my roof and can also receive most of the OTA TV stations from Buffalo as well. Its definitely a strange anomaly enhanced due to my location as I live at the highest point in Orillia with clear line of site of Lake Simcoe.

You say you get most of the Buffalo television stations. Which ones are the least reliable? My guess would be 2 and 49. Have you ever received WBBZ where you are? It is only available in the GTA under tropo conditions.

**Posted by mhaw2001** November 15, 2024 11:48 am

I can get Grand Island stations 29 and 17 100% of the time everyday, under all conditions. Next set would be 4, 51 and 7. These are clear and active around 80% of the time when I check. Ch 2 is indeed the hardest to receive but it will be active around 50% of the time. I have never received 49 (which is now ATSC-3 only) and 67. My antenna is only good for RF7 and up. 21 Rochester has popped up under ideal conditions as well.

Radio wise 94.5, 98.5, 99.5 and 102.5 are the strongest, I can get 106.5 reliably over CFPT. 88.3, 103.3, 96.1 and 96.9 are receivable in favourable conditions and 107.7 with a good DSP radio with bandwidth control to tame local on 107.5.

**Posted by dmcjeff** November 15, 2024 2:54 pm

Incredible!

**Posted by mace** November 15, 2024 3:04 pm

mhaw2001 wrote:
I can get Grand Island stations 29 and 17 100% of the time everyday, under all conditions. Next set would be 4, 51 and 7. These are clear and active around 80% of the time when I check. Ch 2 is indeed the hardest to receive but it will be active around 50% of the time. I have never received 49 (which is now ATSC-3 only) and 67. My antenna is only good for RF7 and up. 21 Rochester has popped up under ideal conditions as well.

Radio wise 94.5, 98.5, 99.5 and 102.5 are the strongest, I can get 106.5 reliably over CFPT. 88.3, 103.3, 96.1 and 96.9 are receivable in favourable conditions and 107.7 with a good DSP radio with bandwidth control to tame local on 107.5.

Does favourable conditions mean tropo? I must say you do well considering the distance.

**Posted by RadioActive** November 15, 2024 3:22 pm

I envy your reception so far away from the source, but it continues to amaze me that so many antenna users report so much trouble with WGRZ-TV. Channel 2 is the one and only station I can always rely on, no matter how bad the weather, here in northern North York.

It always comes in, rain, shine, snow or fog. The worst for me are Channels 4 and 23 (both sharing the same transmitter and both having the same owner.) It is fragile and is often either not there or cutting in and out in a pixelated way. It's very annoying, because there seems no rhyme or reason for its signal strength here - or lack of it. (And yes, I'm aware they moved the transmitter site back to Colden, N.Y., which is farther away from Toronto.)

The one truly odd thing I've noticed is there seems to be a spanner in the works that's aimed just at me. I'll record a show off a perfect signal from Channel 4 and as we reach the last 10 minutes or so, just when they're going to reveal the who murderer is, the signal will suddenly start pixelating, the sound go out and I'll miss the ending of the show, having to catch it the next day online.

It's pretty annoying and you'd be surprised at just how often it happens.

**Posted by mace** November 15, 2024 3:40 pm

I am a member of a Facebook group where people discuss their reception issues. Many members are former station engineers or antenna installers so there is a wealth of information on the site. The general consensus is that once you hit the 75 mile distance from the transmitting tower, no matter the antenna, you have basically hit your non tropo reception limit. With the Buffalo Big Three being roughly 85 miles from the GTA I guess we should be thankful the Lake Ontario water path helps with reliable reception.

**Posted by mhaw2001** November 15, 2024 5:44 pm

Just a few screenshots I found. WKBW ABC 7 shows up as 34.1 on my TV as CIII-TV-7 in Midland uses the 7.1 virtual number, and funny enough the subchannels of WKBW show up as 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 etc. not 34.2, 34.3

**Posted by mace** November 15, 2024 6:15 pm

Very impressive reception indeed. I assume you have no issues with CBLT, CFTO, CITY, CHCH, TVO etc.

**Posted by markow202** November 18, 2024 11:02 am

Post a pic of your antenna setup. Impressive!