Japan & USA heard on 28 MHz - Fri 15th May 2020

Friday 15th May 2020. As we reach the middle of May, the multi-hop Sporadic-E paths on 28 MHz are really starting to open up.

Japan... The big suprise for me was the reception of JJ1RDX in Japan. I checked the spot and it's genuine. At 9,767 kms, this probably required in the region of 5 or 6 Sp-E hops to reach here.

USA... K9RX in South Carolina was heard at a distance of just over 6,000 kms. 

What is significant here is not so much the distance but the fact the opening was East-West. North-South openings are not so special as one hop to the south from N Europe and you're into an area where F2 and TEP is possible. It's the East-West openings that are special.

Sp-E... From just a European perspective, the opening to Europe wasn't great. Even though there are lots of dots on the map, the band was open for hours to just Spain and Portugal and no where else. I did several scans and heard just three CW beacons all day.

These are the FT8 stations heard over 2,500 kms...

Txmtr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)

JJ1RDX 10m FT8 9767 km 09:38:29

PV8BR 10m FT8 7277 km 15:36:29

J68HZ 10m FT8 6282 km 14:59:29

J69DS 10m FT8 6262 km 13:33:29

WP3R 10m FT8 6261 km 15:21:44

FG8OJ 10m FT8 6082 km 14:35:29

K9RX 10m FT8 6011 km 12:56:59

9K2NO 10m FT8 5215 km 08:28:14

5B4VL 10m FT8 3733 km 10:23:59

5T5PA 10m FT8 3518 km 21:29:00

S01WS 10m FT8 2862 km 17:20:44

EA8UU 10m FT8 2726 km 18:04:14

EA8AXT 10m FT8 2715 km 18:58:29

EA8CZZ 10m FT8 2710 km 18:31:29

EA8NL 10m FT8 2707 km 18:58:59

EB8AC 10m FT8 2704 km 18:56:59

YO3WSP 10m FT8 2651 km 08:56:29

EA8W 10m FT8 2590 km 17:59:59