Wed 7th July 2021: There was yet another opening on the 50 MHz band between Australia and Europe on the 7th of July except this one seemed a bit more extensive. Looking at the PSK Reporter website, I found at least 15 Australian stations active for the opening.
These are the spots from the DX Cluster and they seem to indicate that as per usual, all of the activity was on the FT8 digital mode.
Spotter Freq. DX Time Info Country
VK3OT-@ 50315.0 G3NSM 06:30 07 Jul decoded on ft8n England
VK3OT-@ 50314.0 UR0MC 06:13 07 Jul CQ VK FT8 Ukraine
VK3OT-@ 50313.0 UT7QF 06:11 07 Jul TNX QSO 73 Ukraine
The longest path I could find was 18,009kms between VK2EFM near Sydney and EA1YV in the NW of Spain. That is only 2000kms short of the maximum distance without going to the long path (20,000kms+).
VK3OT-@ 50314.0 UR0MC 06:13 07 Jul CQ VK FT8 Ukraine
VK3OT-@ 50313.0 UT7QF 06:11 07 Jul TNX QSO 73 Ukraine
SP6NVN 50313.0 VK5PJ 07:17 07 Jul -23 db hrd Australia
S57RR-@ 50323.5 VK3ZL 06:47 07 Jul FT8 -19dB JN65um<>QF22 TU! Australia
OH7KM 50313.0 VK2OO 05:57 07 Jul cq -20 Australia
S57RR-@ 50323.5 VK3ZL 06:47 07 Jul FT8 -19dB JN65um<>QF22 TU! Australia
OH7KM 50313.0 VK2OO 05:57 07 Jul cq -20 Australia
DG1VL 50313.0 VK4HJ 05:22 07 Jul FT8 -13dB 469Hz Australia
S57RR-@ 50315.3 VK2EFM 05:20 07 Jul FT8 -14dB JN65um<>QF56 CQ Australia
S57RR-@ 50315.3 VK2EFM 05:20 07 Jul FT8 -14dB JN65um<>QF56 CQ Australia
Q. Are there more 50 MHz openings to Australia from Europe??? ...There does seem to be an extraordinary number of openings from Australia to Europe at the moment on the 50 MHz band. This is after all a VHF band, it's not HF.
Is this year exceptional?
Are there a lot more openings than usual?
Were these 50MHz openings happening in 2020 and I just didn't notice them?
I reported on one opening in July of 2019 and that seemed to me at the time to be very unusual. I think if I had noticed all of these openings in 2020, I would have written about it. If it was say from the SE of Australia to the Ukraine then I may not have said anything but any opening on 50 MHz from Australia to Western Europe is always special.
* * *
FT8 reports on 50 MHz between Australia and Europe from the PSK Reporter website from the 7th of July 2021 are shown below...
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
DK8NE VK4HJ 6m FT8 15881 km 05:19:44
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
DK8NE VK2WJ 6m FT8 16353 km 06:58:44
UT7QF VK2WJ 6m FT8 14572 km 06:26:41
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
EA1YV VK2EFM 6m FT8 18009 km 06:00:12
IK1PAG VK2EFM 6m FT8 16657 km 05:17:12
IK1EGC VK2EFM 6m FT8 16640 km 05:24:12
ON6CC VK2EFM 6m FT8 16620 km 05:43:42
IZ1LBG VK2EFM 6m FT8 16618 km 05:22:44
VK2EFM IZ1LBG 6m FT8 16618 km 05:19:29
II4DXS VK2EFM 6m FT8 16440 km 05:18:42
DH6DAO VK2EFM 6m FT8 16421 km 05:17:42
DK8NE VK2EFM 6m FT8 16336 km 06:36:12
DL1YM VK2EFM 6m FT8 16307 km 05:41:12
DL5ME VK2EFM 6m FT8 16178 km 05:24:42
S57RR VK2EFM 6m FT8 16172 km 06:12:12
I6BQI VK2EFM 6m FT8 16164 km 06:22:42
S55DX VK2EFM 6m FT8 16111 km 05:21:42
DG1VL VK2EFM 6m FT8 16058 km 05:25:12
SP3RNZ VK2EFM 6m FT8 15736 km 05:55:12
SP4K VK2EFM 6m FT8 15555 km 06:08:12
SP5QWB VK2EFM 6m FT8 15538 km 05:56:42
UT2XQ VK2EFM 6m FT8 15007 km 06:27:12
UT2XQ VK2EFM 6m FT8 15007 km 05:10:14
UT7QF VK2EFM 6m FT8 14553 km 06:20:14
R6KA VK2EFM 6m FT8 14454 km 05:19:12
UR5LAK VK2EFM 6m FT8 14442 km 05:50:45
UR0MC VK2EFM 6m FT8 14327 km 05:53:12
UR0MC VK2EFM 6m FT8 14327 km 05:08:44
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
DL1EZ VK2OO 6m FT8 16479 km 06:24:14
DK8NE VK2OO 6m FT8 16327 km 06:26:15
VK2OO SP3RNZ 6m FT8 15729 km 05:04:29
SM4CSK VK2OO 6m FT8 15715 km 06:01:14
VK2OO LY2IJ 6m FT8 15202 km 05:42:29
VK2OO LY5E 6m FT8 15202 km 05:42:27
UR0MC VK2OO 6m FT8 14314 km 05:31:44
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
ON4IQ VK3BD 6m FT8 16666 km 06:49:44
PA2M VK3BD 6m FT8 16596 km 06:14:44
PA4VHF VK3BD 6m FT8 16448 km 06:17:14
DL1EZ VK3BD 6m FT8 16407 km 06:23:44
DJ5FI VK3BD 6m FT8 16337 km 06:17:44
DK8NE VK3BD 6m FT8 16253 km 07:04:14
DL1YM VK3BD 6m FT8 16205 km 06:17:44
DL5ME VK3BD 6m FT8 16122 km 06:23:44
S57RR VK3BD 6m FT8 15993 km 06:28:14
SP3EPK VK3BD 6m FT8 15769 km 06:12:44
SP3RNZ VK3BD 6m FT8 15671 km 06:25:14
LY2IJ VK3BD 6m FT8 15183 km 05:48:14
VK3BD UT2XQ 6m FT8 14908 km 06:59:29
UT2XQ VK3BD 6m FT8 14908 km 06:57:44
UT7QF VK3BD 6m FT8 14429 km 07:08:14
VK3BD UT7QF 6m FT8 14429 km 07:06:29
UR9QQ VK3BD 6m FT8 14428 km 07:09:44
UY7QN VK3BD 6m FT8 14415 km 06:15:14
UR4LRG VK3BD 6m FT8 14400 km 06:12:44
UR5LAK VK3BD 6m FT8 14342 km 06:15:14
VK3BD UR0MC 6m FT8 14229 km 06:11:27
UR0MC VK3BD 6m FT8 14224 km 06:09:44
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
PA2M VK3DUT 6m FT8 16759 km 06:15:14
PA4VHF VK3DUT 6m FT8 16611 km 06:18:12
IZ1LBG VK3DUT 6m FT8 16597 km 06:13:41
I1FQH VK3DUT 6m FT8 16573 km 06:08:11
DL1EZ VK3DUT 6m FT8 16572 km 06:23:42
DJ5FI VK3DUT 6m FT8 16501 km 06:56:11
DH9SB VK3DUT 6m FT8 16497 km 06:17:56
DK8NE VK3DUT 6m FT8 16418 km 06:13:11
DL5ME VK3DUT 6m FT8 16285 km 06:23:41
S57RR VK3DUT 6m FT8 16158 km 06:27:41
SP3EPK VK3DUT 6m FT8 15933 km 06:05:41
VK3DUT SP4K 6m FT8 15675 km 05:51:59
US1UX VK3DUT 6m FT8 15134 km 05:48:41
UT2XQ VK3DUT 6m FT8 15073 km 06:57:44
VK3DUT UT2XQ 6m FT8 15073 km 06:36:29
UX1UA VK3DUT 6m FT8 14998 km 06:28:41
UT4EX VK3DUT 6m FT8 14638 km 06:15:45
UT7QF VK3DUT 6m FT8 14594 km 07:08:11
VK3DUT UT7QF 6m FT8 14594 km 07:02:29
UY7QN VK3DUT 6m FT8 14580 km 06:15:14
UR4LRG VK3DUT 6m FT8 14564 km 06:13:11
UR5LAK VK3DUT 6m FT8 14506 km 06:03:14
VK3DUT UR0MC 6m FT8 14394 km 06:18:27
UR0MC VK3DUT 6m FT8 14388 km 06:17:11
VK3WE
Txmtr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
DK8NE 6m FT8 16404 km 06:53:44
UT2XQ 6m FT8 15058 km 06:57:41
UT7QF 6m FT8 14579 km 07:08:11
UR9QQ 6m FT8 14578 km 07:09:44
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
DK8NE VK3ZYC 6m FT8 16399 km 06:15:44
S57RR VK3ZYC 6m FT8 16128 km 06:37:14
UR0MC VK3ZYC 6m FT8 14369 km 06:22:14
VK3ZYC UR0MC 6m FT8 14369 km 06:08:29
UR0MC VK3ZYC 6m FT8 14369 km 05:58:44
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
VK3OT LY2IJ 6m FT8 14975 km 06:14:29
UT2XQ VK3OT 6m FT8 14665 km 07:04:11
VK3OT UT7QF 6m FT8 14178 km 06:10:29
UT7QF VK3OT 6m FT8 14178 km 06:04:44
VK3OT UY7QN 6m FT8 14161 km 06:10:59
VK3OT UR0MC 6m FT8 13989 km 06:10:27
UR0MC VK3OT 6m FT8 13983 km 06:04:14
VK3OT UT8IO 6m FT8 13971 km 06:09:59
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
S57RR VK3ZL 6m FT8 15902 km 06:35:41
SP4MPB VK3ZL 6m FT8 15454 km 06:18:44
UT7QF VK3ZL 6m FT8 14357 km 07:08:14
UR0MC VK3ZL 6m FT8 14158 km 06:10:44
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
SP3RNZ VK3BE 6m FT8 15770 km 06:25:11
VK3BE UR0MC 6m FT8 14325 km 06:12:27
UR0MC VK3BE 6m FT8 14319 km 06:07:11
VK3WRE
Txmtr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
UR0MC 6m FT8 14328 km 06:10:15
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
UR0MC VK3EV 6m FT8 14352 km 05:49:44
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
UR0MC VK2ZQ 6m FT8 14379 km 06:00:44
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
VK5PJ UT2XQ 6m FT8 14236 km 07:12:59
VK5PJ UT7QF 6m FT8 13751 km 07:12:59
UT7QF VK5PJ 6m FT8 13751 km 07:12:14
UR9QQ VK5PJ 6m FT8 13750 km 07:18:14
VK5PJ UR9QQ 6m FT8 13750 km 07:13:27
UT8IO VK5PJ 6m FT8 13546 km 07:14:44
VK5PJ UT8IO 6m FT8 13546 km 07:13:29
1 comment:
I recall one such opening in July 2018 here is my post
Today, 24th July 2018 at solar cycle 24 minimum the 50 MHz band defied long established propagation theories and observations when the station of Gary Ashdown VK8AW near Darwin, Northern Australia in locator square PH57 worked several stations in Europe and was heard by many more between 0700-0800 UTC. The furthest station received being G3TXF in England, locator square IO71VE at a distance of 14,118 km and -09dB signal strength!
The weak signal FT8 data mode was being used.
This is absolutely remarkable as in all previously published theory and observations 50 MHz Sporadic-E signals usually never exceed 7,000 km by multi hop, and there should be no F2 or TEP propagation, unless at solar cycle maximum, which we most definitely are not.
However it appears these remarkable distances were, after all, likely achieved by a combination of TEP and Sporadic-E.
It seems the very weak signal mode FT8 is now allowing us to transmit and receive signals and achieve distances that only solar cycle maximum previously supported and we were able to detect. The FT8 use of standardised frequencies and automatic decode with internet reporting is greatly assisting detection. This is extremely exciting for pushing the VHF boundaries of this radio hobby and our understanding of propagation.
Post a Comment