Super EA8 tropo opening

During the past week on 2m I’ve been hearing the ED1ZAG beacon (IN53re/973km) almost continuously at decent strengths. The Madeira Island beacon, CS3BTM (IL12or/2246km) has also appeared, weakly, at times. Apart from a few JT65A QSOs with Domingo EA8TJ (IL18rj/2707km) at around the -25 level no other QSOs resulted until the band opened properly this afternoon and evening.

Firstly, CS3BTM appeared at a very good strength in the afternoon, around 15:30z:

The beacon message is: “V V V DE CS3BTM CS3BTM CS3BTM LOC IM12OR IM12OR PWR 1W ANT 3L HRZ QTF 30 ARRM MADEIRA K”

At this stage, Tim G4LOH was already getting very strong signals from EA8 into IO70jc, but there was really nothing much here. The propagation duct was surprisingly selective, i.e. there was no guarantee of being in the opening just because there is a sea path from here! However, during the evening signals started to improve from EA8 (whilst fading slightly to CS3) and eventually became quite strong. I don’t have a recording of everyone worked, but here’s a selection:

A nice selection of QSOs resulted:

01/07/2013 16:19 F9OE               IN78QG 481km
01/07/2013 16:45 EA8TX             IL18QI    2713km
01/07/2013 19:12 F5EJZ              IN98GO 606km
01/07/2013 19:14 F4ELJ              IN78RJ   472km
01/07/2013 19:17 F1SAH             IN88LT   505km
01/07/2013 19:27 EA8CQS          IL18AT   2694km
01/07/2013 19:29 EB8BRZ           IL28HA   2725km
01/07/2013 19:31 EA8CTK           IL18NI    2718km
01/07/2013 19:33 EA1YV             IN52OC  1094km
01/07/2013 19:39 EA8TJ              IL18RJ   2707km
01/07/2013 19:48 EA8AVI             IL28FC  2719km
01/07/2013 20:09 EA8/DL3GCS   IL17AT   2802km
01/07/2013 20:14 EA2AWD          IN93CI    1067km
01/07/2013 20:30 EA8YT              IL18SL   2696km

Map of 144MHz tropo QSOs on 01/07/13

144MHz tropo QSOs on 01/07/13

And finally, a joker heard by myself and several others at around 19:49z – This is definitely not Xara’s voice! The real D44TD is in HK86no and 4135km away from here, but you never know, one day the real station will appear…

 

2 thoughts on “Super EA8 tropo opening

  1. f5len

    Hello Mark,
    I’ve juste released my refractive index forecast maps. A new map is now computed with a coverage on S/O Atlantic ocean to CU, CT3, EA8 and D4.
    73’s Pascal – F5LEN

    Reply
    1. Mark Turner Post author

      Many thanks for the information Pascal. I have always found your maps very useful, in conjunction with Hepburn of course.

      One thing they indicate is how difficult it is to get a good complete path from here down to D4, or even EA8 – many people mistakenly believe it must be easy, but in fact it is still quite rare. However I have to admit it must be easier from the south coast of EI, or the south-west coast of G, than from the middle of the continent!

      Best regards, Mark

      Reply

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