WTFDA Club News!
Here’s your WTFDA Club News for July 2026.
Tom Bryant. We found out in mid July of the passing of former former WTFDA Board of Director member Tom Bryant in Nashville, Tenneseee. Tom served in that position during the 1990s. He gave up that position once a replacement member and new publisher of the VHF-UHF Digest was found. More details can be found here.
Tom grew up in North Dakota but is known for his work in Tennessee at WSM radio (650khz). He was a TV DXer, but lost interest in that part of the hobby with the advent of digital television, but he never lost interest in DXing.
Tom, you’ll be missed. You were a friend and a great mentor. Thank you for being you.
Randy Zerr (NV) is arguably the king of double-hop. Another one of his amazing videos can be found here.
E Skip to Alaska (and NWT!)
In July it happened not once, but twice. Patrick Martin, Kyle (DXsphere) and Taylor Crain all found it on July 7. All stations were from Juneau, which is in single hop range but on a very rare path. These were logged: KLSF 89.7, KAUK 91.7, K244CU 96.7, K248DQ 97.5, KXLL 100.7, KRNW 102.7 and KTOO 104.3. CHON-FM 98.1 Whitehorse, YT was also heard and recorded on a very rare path. Also on July 7, Marko Weck in Finland using the Kittikas (WA) remote SDR also heard KLSF Juneau with RDS and a local ID. Pat also had Juneau again later in the month. Could it be that Alaska isn’t that rare anymore?
USA to Europe via Es!
FinnDX tells us that a US FM station has finally been logged in continental Europe! Mauricio Molano from Spain caught 92.3 WQSL “The River” out of Jacksonville, NC on Sunday, July 20. That’s a 3,841-mile catch at 22.5 kW.
In other double hop news, Steve Solomon reports the reception of KKMG 98.9 in Pueblo, Colorado on 7/24 at a distance of 1822 miles from his home on Cape Cod. And what about this unbelievable double hop reception of WSYE 93.3 on a cruise ship on its way to Alaska by Andrew Knafel. The station was heard on the deck of the ship using a TEF radio with its own telescopic whip. The distance there is an amazing 2,305 miles. He’s got video and it’s elsewhere on this site.
What can you say about Randy? Well, you could say that Randy gets more double hop than a human being is supposed to get. Kyle in Washington State has heard more than six stations from Tennessee and Arkansas at his location. Tim in Kingsport, TN picked up CJOC in Lethbridge, Alberta on July 18 at 1763 miles. And John Zondlo’s 2 hop Es. Believe me when I tell you that there were many more double hop receptions than I mentioned here. This is just the tip of the iceberg. And once upon a time we thought 2 hop Es was rare. I guess we found out otherwise.
From what I can see, the only two days in July without skip were the 2nd and the 28th. What a crazy month! Was it as good as June or better? You decide.
