Trans-Atlantic Opening on 144 MHz from Cape Verde Islands to the Caribbean - Apr 2020

The trans-Atlantic path from Cape Verde Islands to the Caribbean on the 144 MHz band opened on Sunday the 5th of April 2020 and closed on Sunday the 12th of April 2020.

Ongoing reports below...

Details about the trans-Atlantic 432 MHz contacts are in a separate post.

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Sunday 5th April 2020:

Breaking news! The FT8 signal from the D41VHF station in the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa has just been reported in Martinique in the Caribbean on 144 MHz!

Screen showing FM4SA receiving the FT8 signal of D4VHF

The distance is approximately 3,864 kms.

Scroll down for updates...



Update Mon 6th Apr 2020 - 07:00 UTC : FM5CS in Martinique has now worked D4VHF in the Cape Verde Islands on FT8 on 144 MHz.

Update Mon 6th Apr 2020 - 08:00 UTC: 9Y4D in Trinidad hears D4VHF on 2m FT8. Distance 4006 kms.

Update Mon 6th Apr 2020 - 19:00 UTC: 9Y4D worked D4VHF on 2m VHF at 17:25 UTC.

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As can be seen from the tropo forecast from Pascal, F5LEN below, conditions look really good for a trans-Atlantic path.

Update Tues 7th Apr 2020 - 23:00 UTC: This map below shows some of the stations that were hearing and were heard by D4VHF on FT8 on 144 MHz...

Close up on the map above showing the location of the stations in the Caribbean...

Update Wed 8th Apr 2020 - 12:00 UTC: FT8 contact between D4VHF in Cape Verde and J69DS in St Lucia on 144 MHz...

Update Wed 8th Apr 2020 - 23:00 UTC: Video of the SSB contact between D4VHF in Cape Verde and J69DS in St Lucia on 144 MHz...

An amazing 3866.47 KM on SSB between D4VHF and J69DS via #tropo on #2m #vhf band. Maybe a new mode world record? TNX @FransJr for the effort! #hamradio #youcallweanswer pic.twitter.com/DiUS2IQFcP

— D4C Contest Team (@D4C_team) April 9, 2020

Update Thurs 9th April 2020: D4VHF and PJ2BJ in Curacao managed to complete a successful FT8 contact on 144 MHz. The distance was almost 4,700 kms which is just 10kms or so shy of the IARU Region-1 tropo record.

 More info about the D4VHF - PJ2BR is this separate post.

Update Sat 11th Apr 2020: Video showing D4VHF on SSB being heard across the Atlantic by FM1HM in Martinique...

 <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FD4VHF%2Fvideos%2F559511444674164%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="439" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>

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Some of the Trans-Atlantic FT8 reports on 144 MHz...

Sun 12th Apr 2020... (It looks as if this is the end of the opening)
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
D4VHF PJ2BR 2m FT8 4750 km 05:07:14
D4VHF 9Y4D 2m FT8 4006 km 04:12:15
D4VHF J69DS 2m FT8 3865 km 03:08:14
D4VHF NP4BM 2m FT8 4450 km 02:16:14
D4VHF FG4ST 2m FT8 3911 km 00:25:44
D4VHF WP3DN 2m FT8 4363 km 00:11:14

Sat 11th Apr 2020...
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
J69DS D4VHF 2m FT8 3865 km 23:45:56
D4VHF FG8OJ 2m FT8 3867 km 22:50:14
PJ2BR D4VHF 2m FT8 4750 km 22:23:41
D4VHF FG5GH 2m FT8 3903 km 21:55:14
D4VHF FG4SU 2m FT8 3833 km 21:40:14
FM5CS D4VHF 2m FT8 3861 km 20:59:56
D4VHF FG4ST 2m FT8 3911 km 20:39:14
D4VHF FG5GH 2m FT8 3903 km 20:39:14
D4VHF J69DS 2m FT8 3865 km 20:37:14
D4VHF WP3DN 2m FT8 4363 km 20:37:14
D4VHF FG8OJ 2m FT8 3867 km 20:31:14
J69DS D4VHF 2m FT8 3865 km 20:17:26
D4VHF 9Y4D 2m FT8 4006 km 20:07:14
D4VHF PJ2BR 2m FT8 4750 km 18:43:14
9Y4D D4VHF 2m FT8 4006 km 18:34:41
D4VHF FM4SA 2m FT8 3864 km 16:18:14
D4VHF NP4BM 2m FT8 4450 km 15:13:14
D4VHF NP4BM    2m    FT8    4450 km    13:03:14
D4VHF FG4ST    2m    FT8    3911 km    12:59:14
D4VHF 9Y4D    2m    FT8    4006 km    12:58:14
D4VHF PJ2BR    2m    FT8    4750 km    12:58:14
D4VHF J69DS    2m    FT8    3865 km    12:58:14
D4VHF WP3DN    2m    FT8    4363 km    12:55:14
NP4BM D4VHF    2m    FT8    4450 km    12:25:57
D4VHF FG5GH    2m    FT8    3903 km    12:07:14
9Y4D D4VHF    2m    FT8    4006 km    11:40:56
J69DS D4VHF    2m    FT8    3865 km    10:51:26
D4VHF WP4G    2m    FT8    4358 km    10:16:14
D4VHF WP4KJJ    2m    FT8    4349 km    07:05:14
D4VHF FG4NN    2m    FT8    3885 km    01:17:14
FG4ST D4VHF    2m    FT8    3911 km    01:15:57
D4VHF FG8OJ    2m    FT8    3867 km    01:08:14

Fri 10th Apr 2020... Note the opening to Puerto Rico (WP/NP) and the US Virgin Islands (KP)
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
KP4EIT D4VHF 2m FT8 4393 km 23:39:56
WP4G D4VHF 2m FT8 4358 km 20:48:57
D4VHF FG4SU 2m FT8 3833 km 19:52:14
D4VHF FG5GH 2m FT8 3903 km 19:47:44
D4VHF FG5GP 2m FT8 3903 km 19:43:14
D4VHF FG4SU 2m FT8 3833 km 19:42:14
D4VHF WP3DN 2m FT8 4363 km 19:40:44
J69DS D4VHF 2m FT8 3865 km 19:38:56
D4VHF J69DS 2m FT8 3865 km 19:36:14
D4VHF FM4SA 2m FT8 3864 km 19:34:14
D4VHF FG4ST 2m FT8 3911 km 19:30:44
FG4ST D4VHF 2m FT8 3911 km 19:16:26
D4VHF WP4G 2m FT8 4358 km 19:16:14
KP4EIT D4VHF 2m FT8 4393 km 19:09:26
D4VHF NP4BM 2m FT8 4450 km 18:56:14
WP4G D4VHF 2m FT8 4358 km 18:43:26
FG4SU D4VHF 2m FT8 3833 km 18:41:26
WP3DN D4VHF 2m FT8 4363 km 18:31:58
D4VHF FG8OJ 2m FT8 3867 km 17:18:14
FG8OJ D4VHF 2m FT8 3867 km 17:12:56
FG5GP D4VHF 2m FT8 3903 km 16:02:26
D4VHF 9Y4D 2m FT8 4006 km 15:33:14
D4VHF KP2BH 2m FT8 4213 km 14:40:14
FG4NN D4VHF 2m FT8 3885 km 13:23:56
D4VHF PJ2BR 2m FT8 4750 km 01:31:14
FM4SA D4VHF 2m FT8 3864 km 00:57:26
PJ2BR D4VHF 2m FT8 4750 km 00:08:27

Thurs 9th Apr 2020
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
D4VHF J69DS 2m FT8 3865 km 21:57:14
D4VHF PJ2BR 2m FT8 4750 km 21:56:14
PJ2BR D4VHF 2m FT8 4750 km 21:54:26
J69DS D4VHF 2m FT8 3865 km 21:13:26
D4VHF J69DS 2m FT8 3865 km 18:11:14
D4VHF PJ2BR 2m FT8 4750 km 17:57:14
D4VHF FM1LF 2m FT8 3864 km 16:20:14
J69DS D4VHF 2m FT8 3865 km 16:01:57
PJ2BR D4VHF 2m FT8 4750 km 15:04:57

Wed 8th Apr 2020
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
9Y4D D4VHF 2m FT8 4006 km 21:26:26
D4VHF 9Y4D 2m FT8 4006 km 21:25:15
D4VHF J69DS 2m FT8 3865 km 18:07:14
D4VHF 9Y4D 2m FT8 4006 km 17:19:14
D4VHF FG5GP 2m FT8 3903 km 16:46:14
9Y4D D4VHF 2m FT8 4006 km 16:02:28
D4VHF FG5GH 2m FT8 3903 km 13:59:14
FG5GP D4VHF 2m FT8 3903 km 13:30:26

Tues 7th Apr 2020
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
D4VHF FM4SA 2m FT8 3864 km 23:02:14
FG5GP D4VHF 2m FT8 3903 km 22:35:56
D4VHF FG5GP 2m FT8 3903 km 22:33:14
D4VHF 9Y4D 2m FT8 4006 km 22:32:15
D4VHF J69DS 2m FT8 3865 km 22:32:14
FM4SA D4VHF 2m FT8 3864 km 22:27:41
D4VHF FG5GH 2m FT8 3903 km 22:25:14
D4VHF FG4NN 2m FT8 3885 km 20:13:14
9Y4D D4VHF 2m FT8 4006 km 19:58:56
D4VHF FG4ST 2m FT8 3911 km 19:40:14
D4VHF FG4SU 2m FT8 3833 km 18:57:14
FG4SU D4VHF 2m FT8 3833 km 16:30:29
J69DS D4VHF 2m FT8 3865 km 16:25:59
EA8AFB D4VHF 2m FT8 1516 km 13:48:29
D4VHF FM4SA 2m FT8 3864 km 22:44:44

Links...
1) Historic Trans-Atlantic Contact made on 144 MHz from Cape Verde to Guadeloupe - June 2020