The NWR Ponca / Niobrara NE Report
Radio Shack Model 12-239 7-Band Weatheradio Cube

September 13, 2000 - September 15, 2000

9/13/2000
At Fremont, KIH-61 (Omaha) reception quality was moderate to good. I also got a faint signal from one other station, most likely WXM-20 (Lincoln). At Winslow, only KIH-61 came in. The signal strength was in the moderate category.
At Uehling, three stations came in.
WXL-77 (Carroll NE) moderate
KIH-61 (Omaha) poor
WXL-62 (Lawton IA) faint signal
3 miles north of Uehling, WXL-77 reception was still in the moderate category, with WXL-62 reception quality also moderate, but not quite as strong a WXL-77. I got a faint signal from KIH-61. At Oakland, WXL-77 reception was in the lower end of the moderate category, and WXL-62 reception quality was in the upper end of the poor category.
At Lyons, I rated the signal from WXL-77 as in the "above moderate" category, and the WXL-62 signal strength as "moderate". At the Rosalie turn on Hwy. 77, WXL-77 reception was in the above-poor to below-moderate category, and WXL-62 reception was in the lower end of the 'good' category.
2 miles north of Walthill, the reception quality of WXL-62 had decreased to moderate. There was a "beep" sound every five seconds (indicating low-power mode?). I also got a faint signal from WXL-77. At Winnebago, WXL-62 was the only station that came in, with less-than-moderate reception. There was still the beeping sound.
North of Homer, WXL-62 reception was just below good. The beeping continued all of the time that I listened to WXL-62 this trip, until the return on 9/15. I got a faint signal from one other station, which was not identified.
In South Sioux City, WXL-62 reception was in the good to very good category. There was also a faint signal from another station.
At Jackson, WXL-62 reception was in the good category.

Ponca Weather Radio Notes
9/13
4:50 PM
WXL-62 - very good reception
WXM-28 (Rowena / Sioux Falls, SD) - good reception
WXL-77 - above-moderate to below-good reception

8:30 PM
WXL-62 - very good
WXM-28 - good
WXL-77 - above moderate

8:40 PM
KXI-21 (Gavins Point Dam, NE / Yankton, SD) - poor to moderate reception (frequency dominated by WXL-62)
WXL-77 - good
WXL-62 - very good
WXM-28 - good

9-14
11 AM
WXL-77 - above-moderate to below-good
WXM-28 - good
WXL-62 - very good

At Newcastle, WXL-62 reception was in the 'good' category. The signal strength from WXL-77 and KXI-21 was in the 'below-good' category. Between Maskell and Obert, only WXL-77 came in, with below-good reception.
Between Wynot and Bow Valley, KXI-21 reception was in the 'good' category, and WXL-77 reception was in the 'above-moderate' category.
At Crofton, only KXI-21 came in, with very good reception.
Near Lindy, two stations came in:
KXI-21, good to very good (below-good in valleys)
KXI-25 (Pickstown SD), moderate to good (moderate in valleys)

Niobrara Weather Radio Notes
9-14
6:45 PM
WXL-77 - moderate
KXI-21 - very good
KXI-25 - very good, not quite as strong as KXI-21

Return trip home
South Dakota
At Springfield, KXI-21 was the only station that came in, with 'very good' reception.
At Yankton, the KXI-21 reception quality was in the 'very good' category. One other station came in, with reception in the 'poor' category. At Gayville, the unidentified station still came in, this time with reception below the 'poor' category. I got a strong signal (very good) from KXI-21.

Weather Radio from Vermillion, SD to Sloan, IA on I-29
Vermillion
KXI-21: good
WXL-77: good
WXL-62: above moderate

Junction City (I-29 Exit 26)
WXL-62: good
WXL-77: good
KXI-21: good
WXM-28: moderate

Elk Point
WXL-62: very good
WXL-77: good to very good
KXI-21: below good
WXM-28: moderate

Iowa
Sioux City
WXL-62: very good

North of I-29 Salix Exit
WXL-62: very good

Sloan
WXL-62: good

South of Onawa, three stations came in. I got a moderately strong signal (good) from WXL-62, and poor strength signals from KXI-21 and KIH-61. North of Little Sioux, I got a slightly-above-moderate signal from WXL-62, and below-moderate signals from KXI-21 and KIH-61.

At Mondamin, I put the signal from KIH-61 in the 'below-good' category, and the signal from KXI-21 in the 'poor' category. WXL-62 no longer came in.

Weather Radio Reception, Missouri Valley IA to Gretna NE
Missouri Valley
KIH-61: good

Omaha
KIH-61: very good

Gretna
KIH-61: very good
WXM-20: below-good to good