best radio skip you have ever gotten when railfanning?

[CSX_CO]

I remember when I went up to Canada a few years ago and was listening to a Cleveland radio station for most of my trip.

Lake Erie helps that quite a bit. I was just out in Eastern, OH and NW PA in Mid July and we were picking up Canadian Radio stations at all times of the day.

Practice Safe CSX

[Jochs]

Have been listening to chatter on the Garrett Sub 60+ miles away...and just heard P370 at Vriesland..about 55-60 miles north of me

[lakeshoredave]

tonight just west of erie, pa i was picking up the cn rtc from the chatham sub, the csx ng ds, the cp hamilton sub rtc, and the cn port robinson yard.

[lakeshoredave]

this afternoon on the western outskirts of erie, pa i was hearing ns bison yard, ns southern tier dispatcher, csx frontier west end, and csx ng ds. also i heard Q156 call the frontier west end too. at night time i was hearing the csx ig and ih dispatchers from cleveland very well. i heard ig tell a late Q153 to go to station w at collinwood. i also heard ig tell Q380 down to station e. lots of good skips recently.

[Jochs]

Currently at home I am hearing trains on the Garrett Sub and in Chicagoland.

I went up to the Ice Cream Social/ PM 1223 Open House yesterday in Grand Haven, MI, and heard the RA dispatcher all the way up in Grand Haven, as well as a UP dispatcher over in Illinois on the Milwaukee Sub. I picked up NS Chicago East around Holland and listened to E949 from Waverly (I was around Agnew) and heard him go through DD44.2 before I lost him when I was around Ganges and he was around Grand Jct. When I got home he was around Hartford, going through DD66.2

Now I just heard Gravelton (DD168.8 ) on the Garrett Sub.

[conrailmike]

I've been hearing the RM dispatcher in the morning sometimes when I'm in the parking lot at the plant (Lansing). This morning he was talking to someone and asking if they got delayed between Garrett and Deshler.

[lakeshoredave]

on thursday i was hearing stuff from canada and buffalo, ny on the west side of erie, pa.

[lakeshoredave]

last night i was hearing from erie, pa the cn and cp rtc's over in canada, the csx ng ds, and ns bison yard.

[lakeshoredave]

tonight in erie, pa i was picking up the csx ig ds from cleveland.

[Jochs]

Saturday night DD19.1 came in clearly from Zeeland. That is about 60 miles or so north of me.
I usually can barely get the McDonald DD (66.2) which is about 20 miles away from me.

[lakeshoredave]

last night in erie, pa i was hearing cn rtc's in london, ontario, the csx ng ds in buffalo, csx frontier yard in buffalo, ns bison yard in buffalo, the ns youngstown line ds in buffalo and even some detectors around buffalo!

[GP9R]

I'm pretty sure I picked up Battle Creek West Tower saturday from Durand

[cbehr91]

The past few nights the band has been opening up again. Two nights ago my friend who was in Sidney, Ohio was picking up trains calling signals on the NS Chicago Line and I noticed a little extended range at home near Columbus that night too. Last night it was foggy but I wasn't around to listen to the scanner. Anybody hear anything lately that they'd like to share?

[lakeshoredave]

i love that this is still a topic. i haven't listened to the scanner as much lately so i haven't heard any true radio skips.

[lakeshoredave]

has anyone had any good radio skips lately?

[cbehr91]

I don't think anybody would. It's not the season. The summer heat is the main instigator for getting radio waves to skip.

[cbehr91]

OK, reviving this thread.

This morning between 4:30 and 5 in the Columbus, OH area I was hearing the Wheeling dispatcher on the New Washington base as well as what sounded like somebody switching probably in Carey. I also picked up the conversations between the CSX LA dispatcher and trains in the Dayton area as well as trains calling signals on the north side of Cincinnati on CSX.

Additionally, I was clearly (signal strength about 2/3 of the way up on my Yaesu 2800) picking up trains calling signals in the Marion, OH area on both NS and CSX - a good 50 miles from me.

[cbehr91]

From Columbus, Ohio, this morning hearing CSX IP, IO, ID, RL, and RM dispatchers. Apparently channel 25 is a yard channel in Walbridge because I heard a talking EOT and the yardmaster. Over on NS I'm hearing Toledo Yard and Toledo West (including the maintainer she was talking to, not sure exactly where). I'm even hearing stuff from Michigan that I've never gotten before -- I heard the Dearborn dispatcher talking to trains around Wyandotte and the Conrail dispatcher on channel 64 give a Form D for a train on the Sterling Secondary and whatever the CN dispatcher is for the Flat Rock Sub, all perfectly clear (full quieting in hamspeak).

[cnw8835]

I've been hearing quite a bit of skip around Grand Rapids today. From my car scanner this morning I heard BNSF in Illinois along with CN and CP in Wisconsin. Listening to the GR online scanner tonight I've heard the RL, RA, RB, IP and ID dispatchers on CSX. CN Desk 10 talking to trains from Battle Creek all the way down to Harvey in Chicago. Just heard Q157 calling the signal at 99.1 on the B&O. I've also heard what sounded like K300 and K600 series trains calling signals down there. The RN was just calling Q322 near Holly.
It's gotten to the point while typing this that I'm just writing what I am hearing.

[Jochs]

On the car scanner yesterday, heard RA, RB, RN, and IP dispatchers. I heard CN desk 8 talking to a train at Trowbridge, as well as the NS Chicago Line from around Kendalville to CP 509. I heard trains clearing signals on the Garrett Sub between Gravelton and Miller,IN. I heard the RM dispatcher talking to a train at Hoytville, OH.
All of this in Berrien County Michigan.