Hearing the Mt.Leinster 70cms repeater at 135kms on a handheld

While I was updating the code plug for my TYT MD-380 dual mode handheld, I decided to add the Mt.Leinster repeater EI7MLR on 430.950 MHz. Initially, I thought it might be interesting to see if I could hear it under lift conditions. Little did I realise that I can actually hear it all the time with the half-wave whip on the handheld just sitting next to an east facing window.

Mt.Leinster is 135kms or 84 miles from my location, quite a distance for a UHF signal. I have heard the repeater before on my main rig using a home made colinear in the attic but only under lift conditions.

The signal I am getting on the handheld is under flat conditions and it's steady... about a constant 4/1. Pretty amazing considering the distance.

The profile of the path is interesting...

Right in the middle of the path is the Comeragh Mountains at about 750m above sea level (asl). I can see these mountains from my house 40 miles away on a clear day and obviously the path from Mt.Leinster at about 780m asl to the Comeraghs is line of sight as well.

It does raise some interesting points.....

1) I tried using the handheld in the attic and I seem to hear Mt.Leinster just as well in the attic as I do at the upstairs window. I would have expected that the roof tiles would have attenuated the UHF signal more.

2) I am not hearing Mt.Leinster on my main rig with the home brew colinear in the attic. I think it might be worth trying to put up another 70cms antenna in the attic? Perhaps the colinear isn't working as well as I thought.

3) In the past, I would have considered any type of mountains as a bit of a show stopper. I found out a long time ago that if the mountains are far enough away, they are less of a problem on VHF and UHF.