There was a good Sporadic-E opening on Friday 15th May 2020 from the UK and Ireland south to the Iberian Peninsula. Tim, EI4GNB reports that the MUF extended up as far as 70 MHz and he managed to work two Spanish stations crossband between the 40 MHz and 50 MHz bands. This was the first crossband contact on 40 MHz between Ireland and Spain.This is a screen shot from Tim of the FT8 contact with EA1YV in IN52OC square...
As the screen shows above, the FT8 contact with EA1YV took place at about 16:56 UTC and was followed straight away by a 8m/6m FT contact with EA1HRR in IN83JJ.
Tim reports trying a 60 MHz to 70 MHz contact with EA1YV as well. Even though the Spanish was S9 on 70 MHz, the Sporadic-E footprint on 60 MHz wasn't in the right spot.
Links...
1) Lots of information about the new 40 MHz band can be found on my 40 MHz page.
Indeed- good prop. I had a QSO with a Spanish station and proposed a cross band contact.
ReplyDeleteThe Spaniard did not get it- and came back to me on 40 Mhz....ops....first time Spain on 40 Mhz?!
looking for an xband qso on these new bands really requires the other station to do some googling and research.. luckily, things like THIS VERY BLOG are coming up in searches!
ReplyDeleteIt's only after these complicated QSOs that both sides realise this is either a 'first ever' contact in this manner, or at the least one of the first, making it worth all the effort and wading through menus etc.