15,000km+ opening on 50 MHz between SE Australia and Europe - 14th July 2021

Wednesday 14th July 2021: Openings on the 50 MHz between Europe and Australia near the bottom of the solar cycle are supposed to be 'special'... i.e. a rare occurrence... something that doesn't happen very often.

And yet the 14th of July saw yet another opening. I'm in two minds at this stage if I should be even recording these events are they seem so common? I need these openings to stop soon so I can take a break! 😂😂

The map above shows the extent of the opening from VK2XN in New South Wales in the SE of Australia. You'll notice that opening on the 14th seems to be mainly to the south-east of Europe. The longest path on FT8 was to IS0AWZ in Sardinia at 16,334kms.

I found the map for VK2OO near Sydney to be of interest...

Notice how the 50 MHz went up as far as Finland. Also notice how VK2OO also had what seemed to be a big opening to Japan at about 04:00 UTC (~8000kms) and this was followed later by the opening to Europe around 07:00 UTC. It has all the appearance of TEP (Trans-Equatorial Propagation).

As far as I can tell, the opening from Europe seemed to be largely confined to VK2 and VK3 stations in New South Wales and Victoria in the SE of Australia.

These are the spots from the DX Cluster... 

VK2WJ 50313.0 UR0MC 07:36 14 Jul FT8 QF56ss -> KN99ea Ukraine

VK3OER 50313.0 LY2IJ 07:20 14 Jul 071830 -10 0.2 2342 ~ CQ DX L Lithuania

LY2IJ 50313.0 VK3OER 07:17 14 Jul TU QSO! Australia

DO5OT 50313.0 VK3DUT 07:13 14 Jul JO62WL<ES>QF32VF ft8 TNX new o Australia

LY2IJ 50313.0 VK3ZYC 07:04 14 Jul TU QSO! QF31<>KO25 Australia

IK6DTB 50313.0 VK2XN 06:35 14 Jul TNX 73 Australia

SV2JAO 50313.0 VK2XN 06:12 14 Jul kn10<es>qf59 Australia

VK3ZAZ 50313.0 S57RR 05:49 14 Jul FT8, CQ vk Slovenia

VK3OT-@ 50313.5 S57RR 05:46 14 Jul into vk3 Slovenia

VK3OER 50313.0 4O6AH 05:31 14 Jul 052700 -14 0.2 922 ~ CQ DX 4 Montenegro

VK3DUT-@ 50313.0 406AH 05:31 14 Jul -17 rx only Montenegro

VK3DUT-@ 50313.0 I6WJB 05:30 14 Jul -18 rx only Italy

SV1DH 50313.0 VK3BD 05:30 14 Jul CQ -16db and gone Australia

FT8 paths for Australian stations on 50 MHz to Europe are shown below...

 Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
UT2XQ VK2EFM 6m FT8 15007 km 07:19:42
UY1HY VK2EFM 6m FT8 14724 km 07:18:15
UT7QF VK2EFM 6m FT8 14553 km 07:21:12
UR9QQ VK2EFM 6m FT8 14553 km 07:17:45
UR5LAK VK2EFM 6m FT8 14442 km 07:15:42
UR0MC VK2EFM 6m FT8 14327 km 07:26:12

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
UT2XQ VK2OO 6m FT8 14996 km 07:19:14
VK2OO UT2XQ 6m FT8 14996 km 07:05:59
VK2OO OH7LMQ 6m FT8 14961 km 07:09:29
UY1HY VK2OO 6m FT8 14712 km 07:15:45
VK2OO UY1HY 6m FT8 14712 km 07:12:29
UR5LAK VK2OO 6m FT8 14430 km 07:07:44
VK2OO US0LW 6m FT8 14320 km 07:30:29
VK2OO UR0MC 6m FT8 14314 km 07:29:59
UR0MC VK2OO 6m FT8 14314 km 07:09:14

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
VK2WJ 9A2JK 6m FT8 15930 km 06:40:29
UR5LAK VK2WJ 6m FT8 14460 km 06:38:14
VK2WJ UR0MC 6m FT8 14351 km 07:30:29
UR0MC VK2WJ 6m FT8 14345 km 07:24:44
VK2WJ UR0MC 6m FT8 14345 km 06:57:59

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
IS0AWZ VK2XN 6m FT8 16334 km 06:43:44
I6BQI VK2XN 6m FT8 15900 km 06:11:14
I6WJB VK2XN 6m FT8 15884 km 06:24:44
VK2XN I8OHQ 6m FT8 15773 km 06:54:30
S59A VK2XN 6m FT8 15696 km 06:06:44
VK2XN IZ7NLJ 6m FT8 15668 km 06:53:56
IZ7NLJ VK2XN 6m FT8 15668 km 06:42:14
IK7EOT VK2XN 6m FT8 15637 km 06:42:14
IW7DLE VK2XN 6m FT8 15583 km 06:39:15
4O6AH VK2XN 6m FT8 15469 km 06:13:14
VK2XN SV2DCD 6m FT8 15299 km 06:53:57
SV2DCD VK2XN 6m FT8 15299 km 06:39:14
Z37CXY VK2XN 6m FT8 15269 km 06:48:14
SV2JAO VK2XN 6m FT8 15215 km 06:56:14
VK2XN SV2JAO 6m FT8 15215 km 06:53:59
UT7QF VK2XN 6m FT8 14256 km 06:56:44
UR5LAK VK2XN 6m FT8 14138 km 07:07:44
UR0MC VK2XN 6m FT8 14024 km 07:07:45

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
DO5OT VK3BD 6m FT8 15963 km 07:04:14
LY2IJ VK3BD 6m FT8 15183 km 07:00:14
SV1DH VK3BD 6m FT8 14994 km 05:25:14
VK3BD SV1DH 6m FT8 14994 km 05:24:56
UY1HY VK3BD 6m FT8 14626 km 07:16:14
UT7QF VK3BD 6m FT8 14429 km 07:21:44
UR5LAK VK3BD 6m FT8 14342 km 06:55:44
UR0MC VK3BD 6m FT8 14224 km 07:33:14

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
I6WJB VK3DUT 6m FT8 16080 km 05:21:14
4O6AH VK3DUT 6m FT8 15672 km 05:21:44
UY1HY VK3DUT 6m FT8 14791 km 07:16:11
US4EX VK3DUT 6m FT8 14640 km 07:18:44
UT7QF VK3DUT 6m FT8 14594 km 07:19:11
UR9QQ VK3DUT 6m FT8 14593 km 07:19:14
UR5LAK VK3DUT 6m FT8 14506 km 07:33:14
UR0MC VK3DUT 6m FT8 14388 km 07:49:41

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
VK3FZ LY2IJ 6m FT8 15186 km 07:25:59
VK3FZ LY5E 6m FT8 15186 km 07:15:29
VK3FZ UR0MC 6m FT8 14219 km 06:58:59
UR0MC VK3FZ 6m FT8 14213 km 06:59:17
VK3HY LY2IJ 6m FT8 15194 km 07:16:59
VK3HY LY5E 6m FT8 15194 km 07:16:56

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
I6BQI VK3OER 6m FT8 15775 km 05:26:15
I6WJB VK3OER 6m FT8 15759 km 05:26:14
4O6AH VK3OER 6m FT8 15352 km 05:26:14
LY2IJ VK3OER 6m FT8 15058 km 07:33:45
VK3OER LY2IJ 6m FT8 15058 km 07:26:29
VK3OER LY5E 6m FT8 15058 km 07:26:29
UY1HY VK3OER 6m FT8 14489 km 07:19:44
UR5LAK VK3OER 6m FT8 14205 km 07:16:14
UR0MC VK3OER 6m FT8 14086 km 07:35:14

VK3WE
Txmtr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
UR0MC 6m FT8 14374 km 07:40:11

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
I6WJB VK3ZL 6m FT8 15812 km 05:36:14
4O6AH VK3ZL 6m FT8 15406 km 05:26:44
SV1DH VK3ZL 6m FT8 14879 km 04:25:14
UR0MC VK3ZL 6m FT8 14158 km 07:02:14

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
VK3ZYC LY2IJ 6m FT8 15334 km 07:19:30
VK3ZYC LY5E 6m FT8 15334 km 07:18:59
LY2IJ VK3ZYC 6m FT8 15334 km 07:08:14
UR0MC VK3ZYC 6m FT8 14369 km 07:25:44