4000km+ path from the UK to Cape Verde opens up on 144 MHz - May 2020

Monday 25th May 2020. It looks as if the maritime tropo duct from the UK to Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa is open again.

The 144 MHz reports are shown below...

Wednesday 27th May 2020...
It looks as if the path to the UK may have been disrupted but it looks as if there was a Sporadic-E opening allowing stations in France and the N of Spain to access the marine duct to the west of Morocco.

Tuesday 26th May 2020...
D4VHF G4LOH 2m FT8 4098 km 08:47:14
M0AFJ D4VHF 2m FT8 4094 km 07:41:26
D4VHF G3NJV 2m FT8 4090 km 01:03:14
D4VHF G7RAU 2m FT8 4086 km 08:24:14
D4VHF GW4SHF 2m FT8 4404 km 01:00:14
D4VHF EI3KD 2m FT8 4170 km 00:24:14

Monday 25th May 2020...
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
GW4VXE D4VHF 2m FT8 4280 km 16:25:27
D4VHF GW0KZG 2m FT8 4276 km 20:56:11
D4VHF GW1JFV 2m FT8 4264 km 22:34:41
D4VHF EI8IQ 2m FT8 4256 km 19:50:14
D4VHF GW6TEO 2m FT8 4249 km 14:44:14
D4VHF EI8KN 2m FT8 4230 km 15:01:11
G0FUV D4VHF 2m FT8 4209 km 20:47:57
MW1CFN D4VHF 2m FT8 4438 km 17:35:56
GB5VEP D4VHF 2m FT8 4438 km 15:21:56
D4VHF G4ELI 2m FT8 4101 km 15:54:14
D4VHF G4LOH 2m FT8 4098 km 07:19:14
D4VHF G3NJV 2m FT8 4090 km 07:18:14
M0AFJ D4VHF 2m FT8 4094 km 07:13:56
D4VHF G7RAU 2m FT8 4086 km 07:09:14
D4VHF GW4SHF 2m FT8 4404 km 04:55:14
G4LOH D4VHF 2m FT8 4098 km 00:01:27

Sun 24th May 2020...
G7RAU D4VHF 2m FT8 4086 km 23:35:26

As you can see, the distances involved are in excess of 4,000kms which is always incredible  when you consider that it's 144 MHz.

The tropo forecast is for a reasonably stable path from Cape Verde up to the Bay of Biscay but the last few hundred kms may be a problem.

Check out the website of Pascal F5LEN for the tropo forecast.... http://tropo.f5len.org/atlantic-ocean/atlantic-d4-ei/