TV DXing

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

TV DXing is the hobby of receiving and identifying out-of-market over-the-air television signals.


Examples of analog DXing in the 1980s and 1990s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WPhPYTNl5k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YtDSS-b4pA

Modern digital DXing examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSblZiZHsyY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEDCxRHopg0

[giantsfan2016]

Living in Connecticut the most common TV DX I would get would be Providence, Rhode Island - Mainly WJAR Channel 10 and WPRI Channel 12. One in a great while I would be able to pick up WLNE Channel 6 New Bedford (Providence Market).

One time I got most of Boston Channels in addition to the Providence ones.

WBZ Channel 4
WCVB Channel 5
WHDH Channel 7
WFXT Channel 25 (Weak with a local on 24)
WSBK Channel 38
WGBX Channel 44
WLVI Channel 56.

Once I got WVTA Channel 41 the PBS Station from Windsor, Vermont. Amazing with semi-local WGGB Springfield, MA on Channel 40.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

I live in Green Bay, Wisconsin where some of my TV DXing would come from Northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

One time I got these stations:

WJMN-TV (CBS) 3, Marquette, Michigan (a semi-satellite of WFRV-TV (CBS) 5, Green Bay, Wisconsin)
WJFW-TV (NBC) 12, Wausau/Rhinelander, Wisconsin

I got those channel when there was good tropospheric progression in my area.

[shore72]

I did a lot of DX'ing as a teenager. I live in the center of Maryland's Eastern Shore; some of the more common "gets" were WAVY-10 from Hampton Roads or WHAG-25 from Hagerstown. I recall early one morning pulling in a station from CT, as I recall, maybe ch.6? Wish I'd recorded more info back then. We had a decent antenna/amp but no rotor. I spent a lot more time DX'ing the AM broadcast band.

[TheFugitive]

I have never been able to DX any television since over-the-air signals went all-digital.

But back in the analog days I had several cool experiences.

- WRC-TV Channel 4 from Washington, D.C. popping-up nearly as strong as local in Pittsburgh
after WTAE-TV had signed off for the night.  (this was in the late 80's when TV stations
were still signing off)

- A station from Bryan/College Station, Texas coming in over a roof aerial to the display TV sets in my Ames store in Imlay City, MICHIGAN!

- A night with a very strong inversion in 1996 where I sat in my bedroom in Pittsburgh and watched over-the-air stations from Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, southern Ontario and Erie, PA.

[giantsfan2016]

I almost forgot. DXing with cable TV. For a few days one summer we were staying at my Great Aunt's cottage in Niantic, Connecticut. Whatever cable company they had must've picked up Channel 2 WGBH the PBS station in Boston OTA because when they signed off for the night for maintenance Channel 2 WCBS from NYC came in on Channel 2 on the Cable System.

[retailisking]

When I lived in Kennebunk, Maine WJAR in Providence would come booming in during the wee hours of the morning after WCBB in Lewiston, ME signed off on our cable system. When I lived in central Maine CBAT in St. John, New Brunswick would come in from time to time over the air.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

People who live in Florida can DX TV stations from as far away as Cuba, The Caribbean and parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America, according to these videos:

The Caribbean:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUgF1HgdvQA

Mexico to Panama:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA6M1yJNI8Y

Belize/Honduras:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBEcPTj8hW8

Cuba:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRXzLAgHZ-4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9hDQzR1fM4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWZqvKrlHoA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZAAg8wYXmg (E-skip from Ohio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJR9ugujzss (E-skip from Ohio)

Guatemala:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zcQb6pWj_4 (E-skip from Ohio)

Mexico:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwN5_7Qi3KU (E-skip from Ohio)