3000km+ opening on 144 MHz from the Canary & Maderia Islands into Europe - 10th June 2021

Thursday 10th June 2021: This was a pretty remarkable day in Europe for long distance 3000km plus openings on the 144 MHz band. There is a LOT of information so I will split it up into three posts. 

This post is the first one of three.

This is a long report so scroll down to see the individual stations from the Canary Islands and the Madeira Islands. I'll put a propagation analysis at the bottom but it seems that depending on where the European stations were located, it was a mixture of tropo only, Sporadic-E & tropo and probably double-hop Sporadic-E / chordal hop Sp-E.

* * *

I'll start with EA8JK as he had the most impressive map from the PSK Reporter website.

There are an amazing eight paths that were in excess of 4000kms! This is well beyond the normal 2300km or so one-hop Sporadic-E limit.

Here are the FT8 paths for EA8JK and just look at how many stations that were in excess of 3000kms.

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
YO4GJH EA8JK 2m FT8 4392 km 15:10:15
EA8JK LZ1BG 2m FT8 4234 km 17:55:45
LZ2PI EA8JK 2m FT8 4212 km 15:49:42
LZ1KU EA8JK 2m FT8 4195 km 17:34:27
YO7FWS EA8JK 2m FT8 4091 km 15:13:12
EA8JK YO7FWS 2m FT8 4091 km 15:10:27
LZ1ZP EA8JK 2m FT8 4087 km 15:07:11
LZ2LG EA8JK 2m FT8 4032 km 15:13:12
OM3ZAS EA8JK 2m FT8 3994 km 16:00:24
EA8JK LZ2CM 2m FT8 3987 km 17:55:44
LZ2CM EA8JK 2m FT8 3987 km 15:02:42
SV2HNH EA8JK 2m FT8 3919 km 14:59:42
YO5LD EA8JK 2m FT8 3883 km 17:31:27
YO2LSP EA8JK 2m FT8 3883 km 16:52:27
EA8JK YO5LD 2m FT8 3883 km 15:30:44
YT2MW EA8JK 2m FT8 3821 km 15:27:27
HA2NP EA8JK 2m FT8 3819 km 15:59:19
EA8JK YU7MS 2m FT8 3819 km 15:30:44
Z32KF EA8JK 2m FT8 3814 km 15:28:57
EA8JK Z31TU 2m FT8 3810 km 15:38:14
YU7PAA EA8JK 2m FT8 3781 km 15:09:41
YU7KB EA8JK 2m FT8 3779 km 15:58:44
EA8JK E77T 2m FT8 3664 km 15:21:12
EA8JK ZA/IW2JOP 2m FT8 3660 km 17:47:12
EA8JK 9A7BKU 2m FT8 3610 km 16:35:12
HA1ZH EA8JK 2m FT8 3602 km 16:14:56
9A3DF EA8JK 2m FT8 3570 km 16:15:57
9A2AE EA8JK 2m FT8 3570 km 16:14:26
EA8JK 9A2AE 2m FT8 3570 km 16:14:11
9A9Y EA8JK 2m FT8 3565 km 16:17:27
9A5RJ EA8JK 2m FT8 3563 km 16:12:26
9A6NA EA8JK 2m FT8 3556 km 16:17:57
9A5BWW EA8JK 2m FT8 3556 km 16:15:57
EA8JK IW7DLE 2m FT8 3500 km 14:21:11
EA8JK IZ7DPB 2m FT8 3486 km 15:06:59
9A5ST EA8JK 2m FT8 3457 km 16:04:12
EA8JK IK7FPV 2m FT8 3442 km 15:58:56
EA8JK IK7EOT 2m FT8 3441 km 15:58:59
EA8JK IZ7NLJ 2m FT8 3425 km 15:17:42
EA8JK S51AT 2m FT8 3412 km 16:15:44
EA8JK 9A7JCY 2m FT8 3384 km 15:36:12
EA8JK PA0O 2m FT8 3383 km 17:06:11
IZ8FGH EA8JK 2m FT8 3334 km 15:02:11
I8OHQ EA8JK 2m FT8 3320 km 14:55:12
EA8JK IK8YFU 2m FT8 3298 km 17:26:44
IK8CNT EA8JK 2m FT8 3279 km 17:26:26
EA8JK DL1SBY 2m FT8 3279 km 18:23:44
EA8JK IW6OMM 2m FT8 3277 km 15:57:57
EA8JK PA3DOL 2m FT8 3272 km 17:08:41
DM7RM EA8JK 2m FT8 3260 km 16:00:25
EA8JK IK6DTB 2m FT8 3254 km 17:51:12
IK6DTB EA8JK 2m FT8 3254 km 15:10:42
DG1KDD EA8JK 2m FT8 3244 km 17:56:27
EA8JK I6JEI 2m FT8 3241 km 17:43:14
EA8JK DF2ZC 2m FT8 3226 km 17:51:14
EA8JK I8TWK 2m FT8 3217 km 16:41:14
EA8JK IZ8FDH 2m FT8 3213 km 15:53:56
EA8JK DK5IR 2m FT8 3200 km 15:57:27
EA8JK IZ8MBW 2m FT8 3198 km 15:21:44
PA3BIY EA8JK 2m FT8 3194 km 16:59:27
EA8JK PA3BWE 2m FT8 3191 km 16:59:14
EA8JK IW0EFI 2m FT8 3190 km 15:08:56
IK8YSS EA8JK 2m FT8 3186 km 15:51:15
EA8JK IK4GNG 2m FT8 3176 km 16:47:14
EA8JK DF7KF 2m FT8 3163 km 17:51:14
EA8JK IK4FMT 2m FT8 3144 km 17:25:14
EA8JK DK0A 2m FT8 3136 km 15:45:44
EA8JK OS7P 2m FT8 3128 km 17:01:14
EA8JK DF3FX 2m FT8 3116 km 18:17:41
EA8JK PA5KT 2m FT8 3115 km 17:06:14
EA8JK IZ0DIB 2m FT8 3104 km 18:24:15
EA8JK F5NWY 2m FT8 3104 km 15:58:29
I0JX EA8JK 2m FT8 3101 km 15:53:12
IK0FTA EA8JK 2m FT8 3099 km 17:46:57
I4EUM EA8JK 2m FT8 3093 km 16:17:27
EA8JK IK0SMG 2m FT8 3091 km 17:35:14
EA8JK IW0FFK 2m FT8 3087 km 17:35:44
EA8JK IK0OKY 2m FT8 3082 km 18:23:44
DF1GL EA8JK 2m FT8 3075 km 16:00:42
ON4CLQ EA8JK 2m FT8 3073 km 17:01:26
EA8JK ON5AEN 2m FT8 3063 km 17:07:41
EA8JK IK2MKS 2m FT8 3058 km 17:51:14
EA8JK IK0IXO 2m FT8 3052 km 15:51:59
HB9DFG EA8JK 2m FT8 3027 km 16:00:45
IZ2MHO EA8JK 2m FT8 3012 km 16:24:57
IW2EQR EA8JK 2m FT8 3011 km 16:40:27
EA8JK ON4JES 2m FT8 3006 km 17:07:41
IK2OLD EA8JK 2m FT8 2996 km 17:53:57
EA8JK IZ1GRJ 2m FT8 2982 km 18:13:00
EA8JK F8DFO 2m FT8 2975 km 17:06:11
EA8JK F6AJK 2m FT8 2940 km 17:51:14
EA8JK GW4TJC 2m FT8 2936 km 18:22:30
IS0YFG EA8JK 2m FT8 2733 km 16:50:27
EA8JK EI3KD 2m FT8 2708 km 17:42:44
EI3KD EA8JK 2m FT8 2708 km 17:22:27
F4JVG EA8JK 2m FT8 2682 km 18:05:57
EA8JK F5JYS 2m FT8 2634 km 16:22:11
F5APG EA8JK 2m FT8 2630 km 16:33:27
EA8JK G4LOH 2m FT8 2611 km 17:35:44
EA8JK G7RAU 2m FT8 2599 km 17:25:11
F4IDN EA8JK 2m FT8 2579 km 17:11:26
EA8JK F6APE 2m FT8 2550 km 17:11:42
EA8JK F1DUZ 2m FT8 2546 km 17:11:42
F6DBI EA8JK 2m FT8 2522 km 17:18:27
EA8JK F5OIH 2m FT8 2514 km 17:57:44

* * *

This is the FT8 map for EC8AIN on 144 MHz and again, there are plenty of reports over 3000kms.

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)

YO4GJH EA8AIN 2m FT8 4389 km 15:15:11
LZ1KU EA8AIN 2m FT8 4193 km 14:23:29
LZ2CM EA8AIN 2m FT8 3984 km 15:39:59
YO5LD EA8AIN 2m FT8 3880 km 15:30:57
Z32KF EA8AIN 2m FT8 3811 km 15:28:56
YU7KB EA8AIN 2m FT8 3776 km 15:09:41
E77T EA8AIN 2m FT8 3661 km 15:26:57
HA1ZH EA8AIN 2m FT8 3599 km 16:14:56
9A3DF EA8AIN 2m FT8 3567 km 16:15:56
9A2AE EA8AIN 2m FT8 3567 km 16:14:29
9A9Y EA8AIN 2m FT8 3562 km 16:17:27
9A5RJ EA8AIN 2m FT8 3559 km 16:12:29
9A6NA EA8AIN 2m FT8 3553 km 16:17:56
9A5BWW EA8AIN 2m FT8 3553 km 16:15:56
IZ7DPB EA8AIN 2m FT8 3484 km 15:06:11
9A5ST EA8AIN 2m FT8 3454 km 15:11:11
IK7FPV EA8AIN 2m FT8 3440 km 14:56:41
IZ7NLJ EA8AIN 2m FT8 3423 km 15:19:26
IZ8FGH EA8AIN 2m FT8 3331 km 15:09:44
IK8YFU EA8AIN 2m FT8 3296 km 17:26:26
IK6DTB EA8AIN 2m FT8 3251 km 15:10:41
PA3BIY EA8AIN 2m FT8 3190 km 16:59:26
IK8YSS EA8AIN 2m FT8 3183 km 15:51:41
IK4FMT EA8AIN 2m FT8 3141 km 17:25:26
I0JX EA8AIN 2m FT8 3098 km 15:08:41
I4EUM EA8AIN 2m FT8 3090 km 16:17:26

* * *

These are the paths for EC8AZE. Even though there are only three of them, anything over 3000kms on 144 MHz is worthy of a mention.

EC8AZE

Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
YO5LD 2m FT8 3748 km 15:32:44
S51ZO 2m FT8 3445 km 16:16:14
IV3GTH 2m FT8 3209 km 16:16:41

* * *

Just one 3000km+ FT8 path for EA8CMP...

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
EA8CMP DF7KF 2m FT8 3125 km 17:57:44

* * *

144 MHz DX-Cluster spots for the Canary Islands (EA8). (Tropo only in Blue). While this is a small sample, it suggest that most of the really long distance paths were via the FT8 digital mode.

Spotter  Freq.  DX  Time  Info  Country
LZ2PI 144174 EA8JK 18:06 10 Jun 21 KN23<ES> IL18 tnx ft8 qso Ft8 Canary Islands
DF2ZC 144174 EA8JK 17:55 10 Jun 21 JO30RN<ES>IL18CP -11 Canary Islands
IZ0ZAD 144174 EA8JK 17:41 10 Jun 21 Tnx for contact 73 Canary Islands
IK0SMG 144174 EA8JK 17:38 10 Jun 21 TNX ES 73 Canary Islands
G7RAU 144174 EA8JK 17:31 10 Jun 21 IN79JX<TR>IL18CP cq, GL Canary Islands 
PE1HWO 144174 EA8JK 17:13 10 Jun 21 JO21GV<ES>IL18CP hrd on GP Canary Islands
PA3BIY 144174 EA8JK 17:02 10 Jun 21 JO22HB<ES>IL18CP TNX! Canary Islands
YO2NAA-@ 144174.9 EA8JK 16:59 10 Jun 21 FT8 KN05ns<ES>IL18 Canary Islands
S51ZO 144174 EC8AZE 16:19 10 Jun 21 Jn86/IL28 tnx Canary Islands
HA1ZH 144174 EA8JK 16:17 10 Jun 21 JN86LK<>IL18CP tnx FT8,73! Canary Islands
9A2AE 144174 EA8JK 16:16 10 Jun 21 JN86HF<>IL18CP Canary Islands
YO5LD 144174 EC8AZE 15:35 10 Jun 21 TNX! Canary Islands
9A5ST 144174 EA8JK 15:25 10 Jun 21 hrd calling CN Canary Islands
IZ7NLJ 144174 EA8JK 15:23 10 Jun 21 tnx for FT8 qso Canary Islands
G4LOH 144174 EA8JK 14:40 10 Jun 21 IO70JC<TR>IL18CP wkg LZ Es Canary Islands
EB8BRZ 144295 9A5RJ 16:58 10 Jun 21 Cq con cq Croatia

* * *

Madeira Islands: CT3HF was also active on 144 MHz and was heard by many stations in excess of 3000kms...

Here are some of the stations that heard the FT8 signals from CT3HF...

CT3HF
Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
LZ1BG 2m FT8 3936 km 17:21:15
YU7KB 2m FT8 3457 km 16:27:56
ZA/IW2JOP 2m FT8 3391 km 15:22:56
9A7BKU 2m FT8 3280 km 16:11:27
IW7DAX 2m FT8 3251 km 16:09:59
IZ7DPB 2m FT8 3207 km 18:01:27
IK7EOT 2m FT8 3163 km 18:00:59
IK7FPV 2m FT8 3163 km 18:00:56
IZ7NLJ 2m FT8 3140 km 14:47:57
IZ7UMS 2m FT8 3109 km 17:58:59
IK8YFU 2m FT8 3044 km 16:47:30
IK8CNT 2m FT8 3025 km 16:45:56
I7CSB 2m FT8 3021 km 17:42:15
IW6OMM 2m FT8 2976 km 15:53:29
IK6DTB 2m FT8 2949 km 15:53:29
I8TWK 2m FT8 2930 km 17:59:29
I6JEI 2m FT8 2928 km 15:45:59
IW0EFI 2m FT8 2891 km 15:26:57
IZ3QFG 2m FT8 2862 km 17:42:14
IZ0BYM 2m FT8 2848 km 17:54:29
IK4FMT 2m FT8 2811 km 18:10:14
IZ0DIB 2m FT8 2801 km 17:14:44
IK0FTA 2m FT8 2795 km 17:30:15
IK0SMG 2m FT8 2789 km 17:54:59
IK0FVC 2m FT8 2787 km 15:54:56
IW0FFK 2m FT8 2784 km 17:15:44
IK0OKY 2m FT8 2779 km 17:43:14
IK4PMB 2m FT8 2757 km 17:36:11
DK0A 2m FT8 2755 km 17:06:27
IK0IXO 2m FT8 2744 km 15:54:56
IK4LFI 2m FT8 2712 km 17:36:11
IK2MKS 2m FT8 2708 km 17:41:14

Dx-Cluster spot...

CT3HF 144174.0 LZ1KU 17:40 10 Jun IM12OP<ES>KN32 Bulgaria

***

View from Romania: It's interesting to check the FT8 map for YO4GJH ...

The two EA8 stations were covered already but just look at all of those EA5 & EA7 stations in the south-east of Spain. The longest ones are over 2800kms which is 500kms or so in excess of the normal single hop for Sporadic-E.

There are no stations near Gibraltar or the south coast near Portugal. This to me suggests that it wasn't just a case of just one-hop Sporadic-E from Romania to Spain and then into a tropo duct to the Canary Islands. I think on this occasion we are looking at what was probably Chordal Hop Sporadic-E with the signal 'bouncing' between two Sporadic-E regions.

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
YO4GJH EA8JK 2m FT8 4392 km 15:10:15
YO4GJH EA8AIN 2m FT8 4389 km 15:15:11
YO4GJH EA7VA 2m FT8 2869 km 15:32:41
EA7VA YO4GJH 2m FT8 2869 km 15:25:29
YO4GJH EA7KI 2m FT8 2864 km 15:21:14
EA7CL YO4GJH 2m FT8 2858 km 15:32:59
YO4GJH EA7CL 2m FT8 2857 km 15:32:44
EA7BHO YO4GJH 2m FT8 2777 km 15:23:29
YO4GJH EA7BHO 2m FT8 2777 km 15:21:14
EA7KOM YO4GJH 2m FT8 2773 km 15:31:29
EA7L YO4GJH 2m FT8 2714 km 16:38:29
YO4GJH EA7L 2m FT8 2714 km 15:40:42
YO4GJH EA7RZ 2m FT8 2696 km 17:20:41
EA7RZ YO4GJH 2m FT8 2696 km 16:38:29
EA7KP YO4GJH 2m FT8 2624 km 15:40:59
YO4GJH EA7KP 2m FT8 2624 km 15:34:14
EA5IEA YO4GJH 2m FT8 2543 km 17:17:59
EB5GC YO4GJH 2m FT8 2539 km 15:29:59
EA5GJ YO4GJH 2m FT8 2539 km 15:28:59
YO4GJH EB5GC 2m FT8 2539 km 15:25:15
YO4GJH EA5GJ 2m FT8 2539 km 15:25:15

* * *

Mode of Propagation: Well, it's complicated! First of all, let's look at the tropo prediction map from Pascal, F5LEN...

It clearly shows the almost ever present tropo duct between the Canary Islands and Portugal. There has been reports of a tropo duct extending all the way up to the south west of the UK and the south coast of Ireland for the last few days.

I have included the map for EA8JK again below for clarity.

I think the western paths shown are via a marine tropo duct. These include Ireland, the UK, the NW of France and the west coast of Portugal.

I think for stations in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, we are seeing one Sporadic-E hop to the SW of Spain and then tropo to EA8.

I suspect the more southerly paths to the likes of Romania and Bulgaria were via chordal hop Sporadic-E. There was a 4000km+ opening from Portugal to Israel as well and this would tie in with a Chordal Hop / Double Hop theory.

However, other than the UK and Ireland, I don't think we can pick out any one of the other paths and be 100% sure what they were.

All we can be certain of was that the 10th of June 2021 was an exceptional day for long distance DX on 144 MHz.