DX Central’s From the Static Podcast

Episode

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  DX Central's From The Static Podcast | Episode 33 | July 2026 Sporadic Es Recap 06.08.2026 2j 6mnt

  NOTE:  This podcast was recorded on August 1, 2026.  Any activity after that date will not be reflected in our data/recap. We continue our series of Data Analysis episodes with a look back at the month of July 2026 for the North American Sporadic Es FM DX season as part of our Sporadic Es Data Analysis Project (SEDAP) at fmdxdata.com.   Somehow, even the word "historic" seems insignificant in the shadow of what we have seen from this season and that definitely rose to new dizzying heights in July.  We dive into the numbers - including some we have never looked at before - to see if we can try to put our arms around this absolute behemoth of a month of FM DX events.
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  DX Central's From The Static Podcast | Episode 32 | June 2026 Sporadic Es Recap 18.07.2026 1j 57mnt

  NOTE:  This podcast was recorded on July 8, 2026.  Any activity after that date will not be reflected in our data/recap. The 2026 Sporadic Es season is off to a roaring start, and June was the day that lit an absolute fire on the band(s).  High MUFs, massive openings, thousands of logs.  But what is in the data that can help us make sense of it all? For Episode 32 of the From the Static podcast, we dive into the data from June 2026 for North American FM Sporadic Es. How did it stack up with previous years and can we gleam anything from the data to look ahead at the rest of 2026?
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  DX Central's From The Static Podcast | Episode 31 | May 2026 Sporadic Es Recap 12.06.2026 1j 24mnt

  NOTE:  This podcast was recorded on June 5, 2026, before the ionosphere absolutely exploded with activity between June 8 and June 10.  For more information on that recent activity, be sure to pick up the July 2026 edition of The Spectrum Monitor magazine at The Spectrum Monitor. The 2026 Sporadic Es season is off to a roaring start, but things took a while to get going in May, despite some considerable activity over a three day period in the third week of the month. For Episode 31 of the From the Static podcast, we dive into the data from May 2026 for North American FM Sporadic Es. How did it stack up with previous years and can we gleam anything from the data to look ahead at the rest of 2026?
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  Episode 30 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 30 - Season Finale! - May 1, 2026 24.05.2026 2j 56mnt

  - Introduction to SEDAP (Sporadic Es Data Analysis Project) and walking through the new dashboard and data visualizations including our groundbreaking Sporadic Es Cloud Tracker - Introduction of the 2026 Summer of DX challenge with an all new visual and interface, new bands, new challenges, bounties and more!  - Season ending shoutouts
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  Episode 29 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 29 - April 24, 2026 24.05.2026 2j 26mnt

  Using other bands to spot openings on FM from Tropo and Sporadic Es. Some folks use 6 Meters for Es and 2 Meters for Tropo as early warning signs of FM openings. How reliable are they? We talk through it. Sporadic Es season is so close, here are your last minute preparations you need to wrap up to be ready, come what May (get it?) The tropo forecast for next week looks promising. A bit too early to get excited but we may have some folks seeing the first "real" opening of the year! Meteor Scatter - yes, Tropo and Es get all the headlines.....but Meteor Scatter can pay off too. Contrary to the belief of some, you can DX FM Meteor Scatter! Let's talk about RDS. What it is, how it can help your DX and why you see weird things sometimes with it TOH DX All three hours will be a mix of FM and MW.....whatever you guys want to hear!  
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  Episode 28 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 28 - April 17, 2026 24.05.2026 2j 55mnt

  Hour 1 - Logging stations using FMlist.org and why this is important - FM Antenna shootout - last week we looked at SDRs for FM season, this week we tackle Antennas Hour 2 - Logging stations using WTFDA's WLogger and why this is important - Early warning of openings - how to be ready just in case TOH DX: FM DX with hopes of some at least mild tropo
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  Episode 27 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 27 - April 10, 2026 24.05.2026 2j 49mnt

  HOUR 1 FM DX Webservers: Using them as a DXer, hosting one for yourself and other DXers Updating SDR Console with the latest RDS information HOUR 2 RDS Autologging through Rabbitears: How to use this information as a DXer, how to host your own autologger SDR Options for high bandwidth (~10 MHz) IQ recordings for FM TOH DX We navigate the local FM band, keeping an eye on MW If time permits, we will go through our 8/13/25 Sporadic Es recording  
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  Episode 26 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 26 - April 3, 2026 24.05.2026 2j 54mnt

  HOUR 1 Welcome to April! Time to change our focus to all things FM. Before we do, though, a quick hit on MW: We wrap up The Frequency Challenge this week and what a challenge it has been! Just under 3,000 logs in one challenge? Unbelieveable! Also, Loyd heard Uruguay this week! To get us started on FM DX Preparedness Month, we do a quick recap on Tropo: how it works, how to know when it is happening and what to expect Our new challenge launches: The FM Bandscan Challenge and this is unlike anything we have ever done before (details, below) HOUR 2 We dive into our new FM Bandscan Challenge, how it will work, how you submit logs, etc. For this hour, we are talking about FM Bandscans. How to do one, how to document your findings and why the data is important, how this will help you come Es season! TOH DX: Hour 1 - We finish The Frequency Challenge Hours 2 and 3 - We start our FM Bandscan! NEW CHALLENGE: THE FM BANDSCAN
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  Episode 25 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 25 - March 27, 2026 29.03.2026 2j 24mnt

  - Tropo getting going on the Gulf Coast - We look at the Tropo forecast to see how long the fun will last - AM DX heating up to the South - not just Latin America - but even further South along the grayline! - Portable FM DX with a custom built Arrow Antennas Yagi antenna - Sporadic Es already underway - at least in Europe - We check in on the progress with The Frequency Challenge - only one week left!
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  Episode 24 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 24 - March 20, 2026 29.03.2026 2j 25mnt

  HOUR 1 Bruce Conti's Right Triangle Terminated Loop TEF AM Webserver? Yup, we did that Nearly 2000 logs in one week? Ya'll are incredible HOUR 2 FM Tropo engine is ramping up on the coasts Notorious BoG to the rescue! Our new RDS Autologger is up and running and......wow TOH DX All Hours - Working down our 3 logs per frequency quota backlog
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  Episode 23 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 23 - March 13, 2026 29.03.2026 2j 38mnt

  Hour 1 With me on the road this week for the dayjob, there was no time for DX. Except for a little FM DX I was able to enjoy on the airplane. Flying 35,000 feet above central Louisiana, my little NXP Nano TEF radio pulled in some interesting stuff! I did notice a lot of chatter in the Slack Channel while I was out about antennas, specifically terminated loops such as KAZ, Flags and SuperLoops. So, let's revisit these popular antennas! NEW CHALLENGE: As we wind down the 650-690 kHz challenge, a new challenge awaits and this one......this is a doozy. The Frequency Challenge! Hour 2 Did you know that you can set up a forward so that if you receive an email from a specific sender, it can then send you a text message? I have set this up for my FMList Sporadic Es alerts and It. Is. Awesome. With a text message, I can set up a unique alert sound to play when a text message comes in from that source....which means it will be much easier to "hear" that Es Alert. I will share some tips that I learned from this process. Spring Cleaning? This is a good time of the year to do a once over of your antennas, feedlines, baluns/transformers, terminating resistors, ground connections, etc. TOH DX Hour 1 - Finish up 650-690 kHz Hours 2 and 3 - We hunt for stations for "The Frequency Challenge"  
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  Episode 22 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 22 - March 6, 2026 29.03.2026 2j 24mnt

  HOUR 1 We sadly say good bye to the US State Challenge. That has been a fun one, hasn't it? I didn't get OR or ID here, wasn't for a lack of trying, but still managed to get some new ones and revisit some old friends i hadn't heard in a while. A new TEF has arrived here at the house - the NXP Nano. It may be a tiny little thing, but it performs just as well as it's larger brothers. New challenge! | We return to a frequency based approach for this week, focused on the range of 650-690 kHz. An interesting one.....some domestic big guns, some little surprises at grayline......and some Latin American/International goodies hidden as well. This is a 1 week challenge. HOUR 2 How has the grayline been treating you with the extra hour of darkness? Don't forget, once daylight savings time hits, that will shift the timing on these LSS/LSR changes. That's not a bad thing, just means a new strategy for the rest of the month. Still some great grayline DX to be had. Some lessons on upgrading your Internet when you host online radios/webservers, etc. - Take my advice with a grain of salt and YMMV, but some things I am glad I did and some I wish I had as part of our transition to a symmetrical fiber optic Internet connection is now in the rear view. PATRONS: Did you see our invite for Sunday's Patron's Only Zoom Call? TOH DX Hour 1 - Finishing up the US State Challenge - that means I will be looking West Hour 2 and 3 - We start our focus on 650-690 kHz  
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  Episode 21 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 21 - February 27, 2026 29.03.2026 2j 31mnt

  Hour 1 - Wait, what? Late February Es? Yup, more than once this week, the FM band once again surprises us! We take a look at who got in on the action and discuss what - if anything - it means for our upcoming season. - The US State Challenge, first week, has been a rousing success. Our DXers have already logged the entire "lower 48", submitted nearly 600 logs and we still have a whole other week to go! Hour 2 -Spring Equinox, Spring Solstice, Daylight Savings Time, the first week of March. What do these have in common? They make for some fantastic grayline MW DX. We take a look at why. TOH DX All Hours - Hunting states: SC, SD, NE, OR, ID, WV, AZ
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  Episode 20 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 20 - February 20, 2026 23.02.2026 2j 37mnt

  We are back, baby!Hour 1- We have a new, THIRD, FM DX Webserver. And tonight, we walk through what you need to do to have your own TEF-powered Webserver!- New Challenge Launches! - The challenge site is active again with a new challenge - the US State Challenge. Try to log as many states as you can, with up to 2 logs in each getting you points....just like the Country Challenge we did earlier this year!Hour 2Hate F-Connectors? Me too. I found something much, much better!TOH DXHOUR 1: We take a look at conditions - both FM and AMHOUR 2: We hunt US States on the MW band!
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  Episode 19 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 16 - January 23, 2026 22.02.2026 2j 38mnt

  HOUR 1 Solar Storm (Take 1 - The Demo Version) - Well, that wasn't much to sneeze at, was it? The Bz stayed more positive than a motivational speaker on their 2nd pot of coffee. As such, we didn't get a visual or radio event from this one. There was a definite radio blackout - even down here we noticed. Some folks saw little pockets of enhancement this week, but not what we were hoping for. Some folks way up North did manage some FM AuEs! Solar Storm (Take 2?) - There are some space weather folks forecasting more to come. We shall take a look. NEW CHALLENGE: We say "see ya" to 1500-1540 and start our newest challenge and this will be a three week marathon: The 1000+ Mile Challenge. We are resurrecting this popular challenge from last year in which only stations located 1000 miles or more from each DXer's home location will count. 999 miles? Sorry, not gonna cut it. 1001 miles? Congrats, you just made it. This will be running all the way through February 13, so stretch out, make a plan and knock off as many as you can. Hopefully the sun will play along nicely to help us out. HOUR 2 Portable DXing - Just in time for the looming threat of power outages. Once you have secured your homestead, every one is safe, warm and hunkered down.....why not flip on a portable radio and tune around? If nothing else, you get to hear weather updates. And as we have seen time and time again, natural disasters are when radio shines the brightest, so should make for some interesting and gripping programming to tune in. Not to mention a noise floor you haven't had the luxury of enjoying since the Cold War. TOH DX Hour 1 - 1500-1540 Hour 2 and 3 - We look out - way out there - for real DX!
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  Episode 18 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 15 - January 16, 2026 20.01.2026 2j 25mnt

  NEW CHALLENGE We continue with a new frequency range, another littered with large stations with smaller gems hiding in their shadows: 1500-1540 kHz. This will be a 1 week challenge. HOUR 1 See ya next season, FM: We seem to have officially entered that 'dead band' period for FM where it is too cold and stable for most tropo, meteor scatter slows to a crawl and Es - while they can happen at any time - we are likely now in the waiting game until April/May. So, what can we do during this time to start early preparation for the upcoming season? Plenty, it turns out! Quasi-Auroral Condx on MW?: There was a nice CME earlier in the week, a bit smaller than our recent activity, but that didn't stop some folks from seeing some Au condx on the MW band. HOUR 2 Computer setup options for DXers in the modern shack - why 1 PC may not be your best bet anymore Social Media Log Farming - dos and don'ts. TOH DX Hour 1 - 1180-1220 Hours 2 & 3 - 1500-1540  
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  Episode 17 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 14 - January 9, 2026 11.01.2026 2j 42mnt

  New Challenge! Week 14 of the MW Frequency Challenge is here where we focus on 1180-1220. Lots of big guns in this range but can you pick out the ones in their shadows? Some good international DX in here too! Hour 1 Sporadic Es Bonanza - almost every day this week saw someone somewhere in the US getting that elusive Winter Es opening. We look at the maps and check the current conditions. And maybe do a little recording review of our own opening to Mexico earlier in the week. DX Radio is live - As of 2000 Central/0200 UTC, the long awaited DX Radio is officially live! 24/7/365 radio with DX themed music, announcements and reminders from the DX Central ecosystem and a dysfunctional staff that each bring their own brand of fun to the station. Head to thisisprobablydxradio.com and give it a listen. Also on YouTube at youtube.com/@ProbablyDXRadio. Hour 2 We take a quick look at Linrad - that mysterious bit of SDR software that typically has most DXers scratching their heads. Well, while not an expert, I have begun to gradually crack the code. TOH DX Hour 1: 1350-1360 wrapping up that challenge Hours 2 and 3: 1180-1220 starting our new challenge Leaving lots of room for shoutouts since we missed last week
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  Episode 16 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 12 - December 26, 2025 29.12.2025 2j 32mnt

  HOUR 1 it's the end of the year, and that means it is time to look back at 2025 and reflect on a year of DX. AM, FM, NDB, NOAA WX DX.....it's been quite a year! We finally got our Airspy HF+D paired with a splitter from our big Southern-facing KAZ. Let's just say, the CCC and that antenna are a match made in DX heaven. And it is already producing for us! I spent the week working on my brand new online logbooks! These will be embedded at a future Web site I am working on for Northshore Studios. But, both MW and FM have shiny new dashboards thanks to Looker Studio. And they are already coming in handy during my DX sessions! Common mode chokes? Nah, we are getting ready to strangle some common mode noise around here thanks to 10 brand new TDK N30 toroids. Yup. TEN! HOUR 2 Tropo has been flaring and looks to be continuing the next few days and not just here on the Gulf Coast. Let's spend a little time talking FM - besides, this is prime time for a little mid-Winter Es opening action! Improving the Low-noise vertical? Let's throw down some radials! I finally did it, I downloaded Linrad. Now, anyone know of a university engineering course that I can take to learn to use it? :) NEW CHALLENGE We launch into Week 12 of Season 5 of our MW Frequency Challenge with a return to a dedicated frequency range: 1350-1360 kHz. 1350 is our least "covered" frequency in the past five years with only 58.5% of licensed U.S. stations reported by our DXers. Let's remedy that, shall we? DX TESTS 1280 WNAM-WI is going off the air permanently - but not before a nod to the DX community with a special DX Test. We have the details to share. TOH DX Hour 1 - We will actually be checking FM, because the tropo conditions seem to be getting going Hour 2 & 3 - We will be checking our new challenge frequencies of 1350 and 1360.
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  Episode 15 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 11 - December 19, 2025 25.12.2025 2j 29mnt

  HOUR 1 We test out and demonstrate our new phasing set up using our 35' low noise vertical and a W6LVP loop through an RSPduo. Demoing diversity mode, showing how it works and how well it can help get rid of the unwanted (noise, pest stations, etc.) and pull up DX! We launch a new challenge for the week: The 3rd Annual Daytime Challenge! A slight tweak this year: the period runs 2 hours after LSR to 2 hours before LSS. This is a tighter window this year to reduce the prevalence of grayline influence in our logs. Antenna projects galore! New verticals, transformers, laying Cat 6 feedines.....gonna be a busy week or two at Northshore Studios HOUR 2 DXpeditions - while our friend Sean Kutzko is on the road for a DX getaway, we talk about our experiences at taking your DX out and away from home. There are definitely some things you will want to keep in mind. TOH DX: We check our usual Latin America/Caribbean beacon freqs as the band has been running Southerly again the last few days!
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  Episode 14 | DX Central (Re)Live! - Season 6, Episode 10 - December 12, 2025 15.12.2025 2j 48mnt

  HOUR 1 We have launched a new station target list - "Loyd's Go-To Pan-American 'Beacon' Frequencies" and will review that and some use-cases for it in the show. More solar fun - The sun was playing with our ionosphere again this week like a kitten with a ball of string. And it wasn't just signals to the South that were the result! New video has dropped on YouTube - the 35' Vertical Antenna! The Country Challenge rolls on and we take a look at the numbers so far, cause WOW! HOUR 2 New podcast episode coming up as a companion to my column in the January edition of The Spectrum Monitor Going to reshoot the Jaguar video - again - as I just learned of a new feature I want to try out! At 20:30 CST, Louisiana will fire the monthly EAS test. We will be taking requests and tuning around looking for stations. Maybe a few we don't already have in the logbook! We also take a look at the ATS25 Max Decoder portable and its MW performance.  How does it stack up against the TEF6686? TOH DX We are looking South with DX catches from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Bonaire and more! In the 2100 hour, we actually snagged audio from 920 kHz in Paraguay! You will not want to miss this one!