The VHF DX Podcast

VHF DX Podcast

5.0 (3)
Science

Chronicling the latest in VHF DX, from summertime Sporadic-E to Tropospheric Ducting, with a focus on FM Broadcast DX. We'll interview top DXers and talk about new advancements with tools like SDRs, plus remember past openings. Send us your questions, feedback, or DX dilemmas! Email vhfdxpodcast@gmail.com

20h ago

Episode XXVII: The Very Happy 2026 E-Skip Recap

Did the 2026 E-Skip season meet your expectations? For most of us in North America and Europe, it was a strong year that, in some cases, was a record setter. Bryce and Nick return on a late September afternoon to fill you in on the proceedings. Inside this episode, the DXing duo discusses: Nick offers some news from the Radio World landscape that has downstream affects on VHF DXing. He updates us on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and the ongoing 2022 Quadrennial Review by the FCC, the latter of which may lead to the easing of the local ownership subcaps in radio.RadioLand 2.0 is live for Apple and iOS! And could it be coming to a web browser near you soon? AI for DXing: More than slop? Seasonal highlights we noted in North America and Europe. Who made out like a proverbial bandit? Our next episode will be chalk filled of audio highlights. Please send us your best from 2026. And let us know if it was your favorite season ever. vhfdxpodcast@gmail.com.
Jun 1

Episode XXVI — What Kind of DX Will the 2026 Season Bring?

Better late than never. Bryce and Nick each took hits to their antenna arsenals after the rough east coast winter. Where the heck is Bryce's autologger, for crying out loud? He explains his DX dilemma. Meanwhile, Nick is very grateful for Lorenzo at the Bean and Blend Coffee shop, the must-stop cafe on Route 206 in Tabernacle, N.J., for saving his APS-13! BIG shout-out to Lorenzo, Maryjo, Marisa, Dom and the crew. Nick and Bryce have also been pair programming updates for the RadioLand app. Want to be a beta tester? Email vhfdxpodcast@gmail.com. Nick gets to cover the radio industry at large, and he brings some Radio World updates. His brother got him an nRSP-ST for Christmas, and is the ATS-Mini the cutest portable receiver ever? May wasn't necessarily a bang-up skip month, but the pair recaps what Es there was, including much in the way of double-hop in Europe on May 22. Finally, Nick and Bryce offer their DX wish list for 2026.
10/12/2025

Episode XXV: Falling Into Autumn DX

When Bryce and Nick last spoke, the U.S. had celebrated the Fourth of July the truly American way — with E-Skip! Sadly, the rest of July did not play out so actively, and thus, the DX duo was not particularly generous with their seasonal skip grade. Do you agree? Inside this fun-filled episode: At 5:00, Bryce talks about some of the excellent tropo he's experienced in late summer and early fall on Cape Cod, including as far south as Yulee, Fla.Are FM boosters originating their own ads coming to a market near you? Nick discusses his latest Radio World story on geotargeting at 10:00.At 21:00, we review the E-Skip season and share some highlight openings from others.At 41:00, we talk about technology, including Nick's experience with the fantastic Headless TEF Lite from the fmdx.org crew.We salute listener Stuart in Ann Arbor, Michigan!Nick and Bryce conclude with an audio spotlight of their recent tropo catches. Send in your 2025 DX highlights to vhfdxpodcast@gmail.com and we'll feature them on the next episode!
07/17/2025

Episode XXIV: DX With Friends

The summer tradition continues — Bryce and Nick reunite in person from Cape Cod, this time for the July 4th holiday, which include DX fireworks amidst a controversial E-Skip season so far. We discuss the season from both sides of the pond, chat about our DX shacks at and away from home, discuss SDR innovations (or lack thereof) and the art of DX'ing with fellow hobbyists in person! Timestamps: 0 - :03 | 🇺🇸 4th of July weekend intro + live from Cape Cod :03 – :07 | Casual tower touring on the Cape, Radioland app, and July 4th festivities :07 – :14 | July 4–5 DX :14 – :27 | Season-to-date North America roundup: double hop, NOAA WX DX, West Coast short-skip :27 – :36 | Europe midseason report from fmdx.org community :36 - :51 | TEF talk; remote servers, headless TEF, fmdx.org projects :51 – 1:07 | Remote DXing, DX shacks, and the fun of DXing with a friend in 2025 1:07 – 1:19 | Taking stock of SDR hardware landscape: Hydra, stagnation, innovation, future hopes References Nick's RadioWorld article: "Double Hop Dreams" Randy Zerr: July 4th E-Skip (YouTube) Matt Sittel: July 4th E-Skip on NOAA Weather Radio band (YouTube) RadioLand app for tower touring Chrome Remote Desktop (Nick's remote PC preference) PST Rotator (remote rotator control) RTL-SDR Blog: Hydra SDR review
05/10/2025

Episode XXIII: 2025 DX Season Preview

Let the games begin. For the first time in 2025, Bryce and Nick convene and there's a lot to discuss. The duo address: - Nick's columns at Radio World and how some broadcast industry news might have DX implications. - The latest notable DX logs and the amazing catches heard in Bermuda in April, via the fmdx.org webserver. - Check out the latest Android app from one of fmdx.org's contributors and the plans they have in store this season. - DX prep videos from DXCentral's Loyd van Horn and our pending collab. - How to get the most out of SDRPlay's RSPDuo diversity mode. - Noise floor is everything. - Is the 2003 bounce back after the dreadful 2002 Es season a precursor for this year? Please rate, review and subscribe!
12/15/2024

Episode XXII: Interview with Marek Farkaš, aka Noobish, on all things FMDX.org

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to DXers everywhere! By far the most innovation in our hobby right now is coming from the FMDX.org open source project, which includes the fantastic firmware improvements for the TEF6686 portable and the FM DX Webserver. There's now 157 active servers worldwide, including hotspots in Europe, Australia, and emerging regions like India and Chile. The effort is pulling in a noticeably youthful community of VHF DX'ers. In the latest episode of the VHF DX Podcast, Bryce and Nick spoke to one of the driving forces behind it all, Marek Farkaš, aka Noobish! From his home in the Czech Republic, Noobish gave us some amazing insights into himself, the FMDX project, and what's to come. We've included links to relevant portions of the project and also at the end of the description that we encourage all DX'ers to check out. Among some of the highlights of our conversation with Noobish: Growing up in Slovakia The origin of his nickname! How his girlfriend, Ester Vlčková, enlightened Noobish on what this zany hobby actually is. Ester is also is an avid DX'er and part of the FMDX.org community. Noobish's own amazing FM DX setup, including the antennas on the cover photo of this episode. What led to joining in with Sjef Verhoeven, PE5PVB, with TEF6686 firmware updates and the community Forming the OpenRadio Discord How the FM DX Webserver project became more popular than he ever expected How to buy the right TEF receiver and the Headless TEF project How the TEF6687 chip is more sensitive for RDS decodes Future projects, including the DAB+ Webserver, using the TEF6689 chip for possible IQ output Noobish also details some of the outstanding FM tropo he and other European DX'ers received in November. If any of these innovations intrigue you, we'd suggest supporting the FMDX.org community, as Noobish explained any donations go directly toward development efforts! We'd also recommend checking out our conversation with Sjef in March about the TEF firmware and the project.
08/17/2024

Episode XXI: 2024 E-Skip Postmortem and Bermuda Cruise DX with Allan Nosoff

The less we speak of the 2024 Sporadic-E season, the better. But, Nick and Bryce first address the proverbial elephant in the room. Where did this dormant campaign stack up historically? It was, as UK DX'er Tim Bucknall so eloquently put it to us, an exercise in ionospheric constipation. Onto brighter things! Tropo season is upon us, and already the North American midwest has seen some action. A new DXer in Nebraska has been having great results on TV and FM this season and we give him his due. Plus, we highlight the cool things the OpenRadio DX community continues to be up to! What's better than a cruise to Bermuda? How about an all-you-can-eat buffet of long-haul tropo? Allan Nosoff, an Emmy-nominated on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Networks in New York City, is also a devoted FM DXer. He gives us some wonderful storytelling about his Bermuda cruise in June where he heard tropo from all across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic throughout his journey. Connecticut, New York City and Long Island from the shores of Bermuda? You bet, and we feature some of Allan's audio clips from the cruise to prove it! He also shares some tips for anyone set to sail in the future on a cruise to maximize your FM DX potential!
05/20/2024

Episode XX: 2024 DX Season Kickoff and May Aurora Opening chat with Bill Hepburn

In the 2024 DX season kickoff episode of the VHF DX Podcast, Nick and Bryce host the show from Bryce's home on Cape Cod, enjoying a rare outdoor recording session on a pleasant afternoon. The highlight of the episode is a discussion about the rare Aurora opening on May 10th, which provided an exceptional opportunity for DXing. This event was particularly notable because it allowed for receptions as far south as Key Largo, FL, and other southern locations, which is highly unusual for aurora propagation. Nick and Bryce reflect on their experiences during the opening, the stations they logged, and the overall rarity of such an event. The episode also features an interview with Bill Hepburn, a valued member of the VHF DX community who already starred in a previous episode regarding his Tropospheric Forecast Predictions. Bill explains the different types of solar storms and their impacts on DXing, with a focus on geomagnetic storms that produce auroras. He provides insights into the KP and BZ indices, which are used to monitor geomagnetic activity and predict aurora conditions. The discussion covers the technical aspects of aurora-induced DXing and tips for enthusiasts on how to maximize their chances of successful reception during such events. We also speculate with Bill on the potential for similar events in the near future, considering the current solar activity. Bryce and Nick also return with a tech corner discussion, including new SDR offerings from Airspy and SDRPlay, the new Sky Blue 9 element FM antenna, new RabbitEars.Info FM autologger and OpenRadio FM DX Webserver setups. 73s and Good DX to everyone!

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

Chronicling the latest in VHF DX, from summertime Sporadic-E to Tropospheric Ducting, with a focus on FM Broadcast DX. We'll interview top DXers and talk about new advancements with tools like SDRs, plus remember past openings. Send us your questions, feedback, or DX dilemmas! Email vhfdxpodcast@gmail.com

Creator

VHF DX Podcast
Years Active

2021 - 2026
Episodes

27
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© VHF DX Podcast
Show Website

The VHF DX Podcast