Thursday 3rd June 2021: There was a remarkable opening on the 3rd of June from the Azores in the North Atlantic to Europe with paths in excess of 3,000kms being recorded.
The FT8 map above from the PSK Reporter website for CU3EQ in the Azores with a cluster of reports out around the 3000km mark in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. A full list of stations is shown at the bottom of this post.
This is the map for CU3AA which has a similar pattern...
And this is the map for CU1AL...
For all three CU stations, paths in excess of 3000kms were open to Germany on 144 MHz.
Propagation Mode: As reported by stations on the DX Cluster, the primary propagation mode was Sporadic-E. However as the maximum range for one hop is in the region of 2300kms, something else had to make up the additional 700 or so kms.
There are two possibilities.
One was Chordal Hop Sp-E with a bounce going from Sp-E to Sp-E cloud. This would however require two intense areas of Sporadic-E at just the right spot to support 144 MHz propagation.
The more likely scenario was that it was one Sporadic-E with a tropo extension. The weather charts show high pressure over the Azores...
The tropo forecast from the website of Pascal, F5LEN suggests that a few hundred kms of tropo around the Azores might be possible.
The Sporadic-E prediction map from Jim, G3YLA shows a kink in the Jet Stream to the south of Ireland which may have been a trigger mechanism for the Sporadic-E.
In his daily E's prediction on the PropQuest website, G3YLA wrote... "The sharp upper trough west of the UK is also a good source of atmospheric gravity waves (AGW) and the southerly jet stream from Portugal to Ireland could look good for paths to EA and CT with a possible extension by second hop to EA8/D4."
This region is shown in Purple above and is very close to where the 144 MHz Sporadic-E cloud was located.
Conclusion: It seems likely that the first few hundred kms were via tropo from the Azores and then coupled into a single Sporadic-E hop onwards to Europe.
Trans-Atlantic on 144 MHz??? The map below shows a 3000km circle centred on the Azores...
Considering there was a 3000km opening on 144 MHz between the Azores and Germany on the 3rd of June, sure a 3000km path on 144 MHz from the Azores to North America is possible?
Stations in St.John's, Newfoundland are close to the one hop Sporadic-E range. Stations in Nova Scotia would need a tropo extension.
If the North Atlantic is going to be bridged on 144 MHz then surely Canada to the Azores would be a first step in the process?
Reports from the PSK Reporter website...
CU3EQ
CU3EQ SWLJO43 2m FT8 3245 km 14:09:30
DD7DAC CU3EQ 2m FT8 3061 km 16:39:27
DL8YE CU3EQ 2m FT8 3058 km 14:18:12
DL9DBF CU3EQ 2m FT8 3053 km 17:04:12
DJ9IE CU3EQ 2m FT8 3051 km 14:06:27
DL6YBF CU3EQ 2m FT8 3027 km 16:34:57
DD5MA CU3EQ 2m FT8 3025 km 16:37:58
DK1VC CU3EQ 2m FT8 3023 km 16:33:57
CU3EQ DK4ZZ 2m FT8 3012 km 14:09:29
DF1JC CU3EQ 2m FT8 3009 km 16:37:27
PD1B CU3EQ 2m FT8 3006 km 14:29:57
PA3EAP CU3EQ 2m FT8 2998 km 14:26:57
DG1KDD CU3EQ 2m FT8 2987 km 14:35:42
DK4TG CU3EQ 2m FT8 2984 km 14:38:12
PC9F CU3EQ 2m FT8 2973 km 14:26:57
PD5MJF CU3EQ 2m FT8 2966 km 14:14:42
PD4R CU3EQ 2m FT8 2966 km 17:00:27
DL1EMA CU3EQ 2m FT8 2965 km 14:26:57
DL1EKP CU3EQ 2m FT8 2949 km 16:42:27
DL1KDA CU3EQ 2m FT8 2933 km 16:40:27
PA3FYC CU3EQ 2m FT8 2927 km 16:44:57
CU3EQ PD0MBU 2m FT8 2917 km 14:09:29
DF2OO CU3EQ 2m FT8 2916 km 16:28:42
DK5WO CU3EQ 2m FT8 2915 km 16:38:58
PD0HNL CU3EQ 2m FT8 2909 km 17:00:42
CU3EQ ON6LEO 2m FT8 2905 km 14:09:27
PE1ITR CU3EQ 2m FT8 2891 km 16:34:27
CU3EQ PE1ITR 2m FT8 2891 km 14:11:29
PE1RBF CU3EQ 2m FT8 2890 km 14:03:12
ON7FL CU3EQ 2m FT8 2888 km 17:07:27
PA0JMV CU3EQ 2m FT8 2886 km 16:38:27
PA3BIY CU3EQ 2m FT8 2861 km 16:56:27
PA2DW CU3EQ 2m FT8 2858 km 14:44:27
CU3EQ PA3GUV 2m FT8 2857 km 14:09:30
ON5PU CU3EQ 2m FT8 2856 km 16:37:27
CU3EQ ON5PU 2m FT8 2856 km 14:23:59
CU3EQ PA1AW 2m FT8 2849 km 14:18:29
CU3EQ PA3EWP 2m FT8 2847 km 14:21:56
PB0AHX CU3EQ 2m FT8 2837 km 14:36:57
PA2WDR CU3EQ 2m FT8 2837 km 16:57:57
ON4ADP CU3EQ 2m FT8 2786 km 16:40:14
ON8SV CU3EQ 2m FT8 2782 km 16:40:57
ON4KHG CU3EQ 2m FT8 2767 km 16:25:14
ON5AEN CU3EQ 2m FT8 2766 km 16:44:28
ON4CLQ CU3EQ 2m FT8 2759 km 16:33:42
EA3EA CU3EQ 2m FT8 2462 km 15:31:27
F6DRO CU3EQ 2m FT8 2456 km 14:29:12
F6EAS CU3EQ 2m FT8 2371 km 15:12:42
F6APE CU3EQ 2m FT8 2343 km 14:55:44
F1DUZ CU3EQ 2m FT8 2332 km 16:16:27
F6BQX CU3EQ 2m FT8 2287 km 15:59:12
F2MM CU3EQ 2m FT8 2274 km 15:55:27
F4HBY CU3EQ 2m FT8 2265 km 14:45:12
F6DBI CU3EQ 2m FT8 2193 km 16:40:27
CU3EQ G4LOH 2m FT8 2143 km 14:09:29
G7RAU CU3EQ 2m FT8 2138 km 14:26:42
CU3EQ G7RAU 2m FT8 2138 km 14:08:56
CU3EQ F6KHM 2m FT8 2107 km 14:28:29
F8DBF CU3EQ 2m FT8 2105 km 16:35:27
CU3EQ F8DBF 2m FT8 2105 km 14:28:29
CU3EQ EI2FG 2m FT8 2095 km 14:28:26
F4GWG CU3EQ 2m FT8 2094 km 16:32:27
TM6KJS CU3EQ 2m FT8 2068 km 16:40:42
EA1SA CU3EQ 2m FT8 2032 km 15:37:42
EA1MX CU3EQ 2m FT8 2000 km 15:52:44
EA1YV CU3EQ 2m FT8 1596 km 15:46:57
EB1DJ CU3EQ 2m FT8 1591 km 15:57:27
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
DL6YBF CU3AA 2m FT8 3032 km 16:38:59
CU3AA DK1VC 2m FT8 3029 km 16:32:11
DF1JC CU3AA 2m FT8 3014 km 16:37:29
CU3AA DF2ZC 2m FT8 3010 km 16:33:14
CU3AA DG1KDD 2m FT8 2993 km 16:32:14
PA3FYC CU3AA 2m FT8 2932 km 16:44:59
PA5Y CU3AA 2m FT8 2927 km 16:38:59
DK5WO CU3AA 2m FT8 2921 km 16:38:59
CU3AA ON6LEO 2m FT8 2910 km 16:34:41
PA1BVM CU3AA 2m FT8 2897 km 16:43:59
ON7FL CU3AA 2m FT8 2893 km 17:06:59
PA0JMV CU3AA 2m FT8 2891 km 16:38:29
ON5PU CU3AA 2m FT8 2861 km 16:37:29
PA2WDR CU3AA 2m FT8 2842 km 16:57:59
ON8SV CU3AA 2m FT8 2787 km 16:41:29
CU3AA ON4KHG 2m FT8 2773 km 16:34:42
ON4KHG CU3AA 2m FT8 2773 km 16:33:59
ON5AEN CU3AA 2m FT8 2772 km 16:45:59
CU3AA F6APE 2m FT8 2349 km 14:40:23
CU3AA F4HBY 2m FT8 2271 km 14:34:27
F6DBI CU3AA 2m FT8 2198 km 16:40:29
CU3AA G4LOH 2m FT8 2148 km 14:38:29
CU3AA F4GWG 2m FT8 2100 km 16:32:11
CU3AA EI2FG 2m FT8 2100 km 14:31:26
CU1AL
Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
DK1VC 2m FT8 3010 km 16:09:41
PA3CWS 2m FT8 2919 km 16:10:11
PH4X 2m FT8 2914 km 16:10:11
ON6LEO 2m FT8 2894 km 16:09:41
PA0JMV 2m FT8 2880 km 16:09:44
PA1AW 2m FT8 2848 km 16:09:44
PA3EWP 2m FT8 2846 km 16:09:41
ON4KHG 2m FT8 2755 km 16:09:42
F6EAS 2m FT8 2355 km 16:10:12
GU8FBO 2m FT8 2275 km 16:10:14
F6KHM 2m FT8 2096 km 16:09:44
Yes I think a 2 meter qso is certainly possible though it seems from my years of studying and observing it seems easier on the European side to the Azores than from North America . I think the biggest problem is that there is a lack of serious 2 meter activity at the closest point which would be Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in these areas more automated beacons may be necessary as attempts to monitor the FM radio band from North America have seemed to prove fruitless owing to overcrowding of too many stations. The sporadic es cloud seems to decrease in MUF by the time it gets halfway across the Atlantic at least above 70 to 80 mhz but still Dxers in Ireland and Northern Scotland have reported FM dx from Newfoundland before and even as far south as Bangor Maine ! We must stay alert using everything at our availability ie FM radio stations, vhf beacons, and most important a common calling frequency and we must keep on trying. George KF4ZKU
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