To Those Near Lake Ontario

[Conrail4evr]

The propagation has been excellent the past few nights, and consequently, transmissions from the CN and CP across the lake have been coming in unusually clear. I can hear several CN and CP detectors across the lake, numerous dispatcher bases, and virtually every train they're talking to, all from my car sitting in my driveway 5 miles South of the lake.

Frequencies:
AAR Frequency Description
87 161.415 CN 1
72 161.190 CN 2 (Kingston Sub to Newtonville, Dundas Sub)
55 160.935 CN 3 (Newmarket, Stamford & Grimsby Subs)
37 160.665 CN 4 (Halton Sub)
61 161.025 CN 8 (Oakville Sub, Kingston Sub East of Newtonville)
95 161.535 CP Belleville Sub RTC
67 161.115 CP MacTier Sub RTC
91 161.475 CP Galt Sub
81 161.325 CP Galt Sub
47 160.815 CP Hamilton Sub

If you hear anything, feel free to post it!

[scharnhorst]

It could be a lot of sunspots or maybe a repeater tower carrying the signals and that with nothing to block the radio signals on the lake they will travel vast distances.

[clearblock]

It is the effect called "temperature inversion". A layer of warm air forms above the cooler air over the lake when there is a high pressure system and light winds. The boundry between the warm and cool air forms a "duct" that carries radio signal beyond normal range.

The combination of the lake tending to enhance inversion conditions and the unobstructed path over the lake makes this a common effect in the great lakes and coastal areas, especially in the fall.

The same effect occurs over land under certain conditions and the inversion layer can be seen when it traps hazy polluted air beneath it.

[Conrail4evr]

Well, tonight was even better...driving around the West side (Hamlin, Brockport, etc.), I was hearing the NG dispatcher in Buffalo, and trains calling signals around Buffalo and even West of Buffalo...I'm not much of a weather guy, but it's extremely foggy out here right now, if that has anything to do with it (or rather a side-effect of said conditions).

[scharnhorst]

I rember about 8 years ago right around winter time I was peging Bangor & Aroostook Railroad train detectors from where I am here in the Central NY area. I used to have an antenna on the side of the house and it used to get a lot of odd ball stuff from time to time.

[lakeshoredave]

thats darn impressive....where on the west side of buffalo were you picking stuff up from? one time on the west side of buffalo near bayview i picked up the batavia detector on a very foggy morning.

[scharnhorst]

I don't live near Buffalo. I'm in the Syracuse area.

[kitn1mcc]

that same duct made it possible for a fellow ham in cape may nj to get into out 900mhz rpt that night

[dummy]

im not far from hamlin/brockport area and often hear the candian railroads, and detectors. the lake makes a great ground plane.