Day 2 of Trans-Atlantic opening on 144 MHz between the Canary Is and the Caribbean - 20th Aug 2021

Following on from the trans-Atlantic opening on 144 MHz on the 19th, the tropo duct between the Canary Islands and the Caribbean remained open on the 20th of August 2021.

César, EA8CXN in Tenerife seems to have had the best path to the Caribbean with seven different stations in Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe listed on the PSK Reporter website.

These are the reports for the EA8 stations...

EA8CXN

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
NP4BM EA8CXN 2m FT8 5237 km 01:59:59
EA8CXN NP4BM 2m FT8 5237 km 23:03:44
KP4EIT EA8CXN 2m FT8 5189 km 00:40:59
EA8CXN KP4EIT 2m FT8 5189 km 19:19:45
EA8CXN WP3DN 2m FT8 5158 km 23:14:14
WP3DN EA8CXN 2m FT8 5158 km 22:37:59
EA8CXN WP4G 2m FT8 5153 km 22:27:41
WP4G EA8CXN 2m FT8 5153 km 11:51:29
EA8CXN FG4ST 2m FT8 4813 km 12:37:14
EA8CXN FG4SU 2m FT8 4811 km 23:03:44
FG4SU EA8CXN 2m FT8 4811 km 22:54:29
EA8CXN FG5GH 2m FT8 4809 km 14:39:11
FG5GH EA8CXN 2m FT8 4809 km 11:31:29

EA8DEC
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
EA8DEC NP4BM 2m FT8 5237 km 22:11:44
NP4BM EA8DEC 2m FT8 5237 km 13:19:56
EA8DEC FG4ST 2m FT8 4813 km 12:39:44
EA8DEC FG5GH 2m FT8 4809 km 13:06:41

EA8RH
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
NP4BM EA8RH 2m FT8 5204 km 21:14:59
EA8RH NP4BM 2m FT8 5204 km 21:12:44
EA8RH WP3DN 2m FT8 5125 km 14:18:42
WP3DN EA8RH 2m FT8 5125 km 14:15:59
EA8RH WP4G 2m FT8 5120 km 14:18:41

EA8TL
Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
NP4BM EA8TL 2m FT8 5196 km 14:52:26
EA8TL NP4BM 2m FT8 5196 km 14:31:14

EA8RCP
Txmtr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
NP4BM 2m FT8 5107 km 14:49:26

EA8TX
Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
NP4BM 2m FT8 5221 km 18:51:44
KP4EIT 2m FT8 5173 km 18:51:45
WP3DN 2m FT8 5141 km 18:53:42
WP4G 2m FT8 5136 km 18:51:41

DX-Cluster: As the spots below show, there was some SSB activity as well...

 Spotter Freq. DX Time Info Country

EA8CSB 144250.0 KP4EIT 23:53 20 Aug swl rx 3/1 x-7000 signal very Puerto Rico

EA8BPX 144250.0 KP4EIT 23:36 20 Aug hrd in il18 again Puerto Rico

EA8CXN 144174.0 FG4SU 23:11 20 Aug FK96 TR IL18 Cqing Guadeloupe (FT8)

KP4EIT-@ 144250.0 EA8BPX 22:20 20 Aug 5/7 now good prpagation ssb Canary Islands

EA8CTK 144250.0 NP3XF 22:04 20 Aug 51 il18ni tr fk58 Puerto Rico

NP3XF 144250.0 EA8CXN 21:58 20 Aug 5/7 fk68 Canary Islands

NP3XF 144250.0 EA8BPX 21:41 20 Aug 5/6 Canary Islands

NP3XF 144300.0 EA8BPX 21:41 20 Aug 5/6 Canary Islands

EA8BPX 144250.0 NP3XF 21:40 20 Aug 53 fk68 il18 Puerto Rico 

EA8BPX 144250.0 NP4BM 21:29 20 Aug 53 second qso Puerto Rico

EA8CTK 144250.0 NP4BM 21:27 20 Aug il18 tr fk68 53 Puerto Rico

EA8CTK 144250.0 KP4EIT 21:11 20 Aug 5/2 il18ni Puerto Rico

KP4EIT-@ 144250.0 EA8BPX 21:10 20 Aug calling Caribbean Canary Islands

EA8CTK 144300.0 KP4EIT 21:09 20 Aug 5/2 il18ni Puerto Rico

KP4EIT-@ 144250.0 EA8CTK 21:05 20 Aug 5/3 tnx ssb Canary Islands

KP4EIT-@ 144250.0 EA8BPX 21:01 20 Aug 5/5 tnx Canary Islands

EA8CXN 144250.0 KP4EIT 19:25 20 Aug FK68 TR IL19 59++ Big SSB Sign Puerto Rico

EA8TX 144260.0 KP4EIT 19:23 20 Aug Il18 tr FK68 ssb Puerto Rico 

KP4EIT-@ 144260.0 EA8TX 19:22 20 Aug 5/5 tnx Canary Islands

EA8TX 144174.0 NP4BM 19:19 20 Aug Hrd 4 pse 144.260 Puerto Rico (FT8)

KP4EIT-@ 144250.0 EA8CXN 19:15 20 Aug 5/910db tnx Cesar Canary Islands

NP4BM-@ 144174.0 EA8TX 19:11 20 Aug +8 ur best Canary Islands (FT8)

KP4EIT-@ 144174.0 EA8CXN 18:59 20 Aug -01 tnx Cesar Canary Islands (FT8)

EA8CXN 144174.0 KP4EIT 18:57 20 Aug FK68 TR IL18 Puerto Rico (FT8)

KP4EIT-@ 144174.0 EA8TX 18:52 20 Aug -10 tnx Canary Islands (FT8)

FG4ST 144174.0 EA8CXN 12:31 20 Aug FT8 TROPO Canary Islands (FT8)

EA8CXN 144350.0 FG4ST 12:23 20 Aug FK96 TR IL18 SSB Guadeloupe

EA8CXN 144174.0 WP4G 11:53 20 Aug FK68 TR IL18 Puerto Rico (FT8)

EA8CXN 144174.0 FG5GH 11:48 20 Aug FK96 TR IL18 Guadeloupe (FT8)

EA8CXN 144174.0 WP3DN 11:19 20 Aug FK68 TR IL18 Puerto Rico (FT8)

EA8CXN 144174.0 NP4BM 11:04 20 Aug FK68 TR IL18 Puerto Rico (FT8)

Video clips: This first one is an SSB contact between EA8CXN on Tenerife and KP4EIT in Puerto Rico...

Worked @KP4EIT on SSB, amazing signals. FK68 TR IL18.
Thanks "Papo" for nice QSO pic.twitter.com/Pblz1pLiGh

— César Regalado León (@EA8CXN) August 20, 2021

This second video clip is of Franck, FG4ST on Guadeloupe working EA8CXN...

Nice VHF tropo SSB opening this morning between Guadeloupe and Canary Island with César @EA8CXN. Hope to hear you tonight in 70 cm! #hamradio #hamr #dx #VHF pic.twitter.com/1aN3zpodBX

— FG4ST Franck (@fg4st) August 20, 2021

It's pretty amazing to when you consider that you are listening to a trans-Atlantic signal on 144 MHz.

Distances: Like the previous day, the distances were in the region of 4800 to 5200kms.

It's interesting to see the distances plotted out on a map and how parts of North & South America are closer to the Canary Islands than the Caribbean.

Propagation Mode: The map below from Pascal, F5LEN shows the predicted tropo conditions...

It looks as if there is a large tropo duct across the Atlantic. It may well be that a layer of dust from the Sahara may be playing a role in this opening as well as it travels west.

Links...

1) Trans-Atlantic 144 MHz opening on the 19th of August 2021

2) See my 144 MHz page for other trans-Atlantic reports

* * *

Update: Day 3 - 21st of Aug 2021

This day was similar to previous days except the number of stations was lower.

FT8 spots

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)

EA8CXN NP4BM 2m FT8 5237 km 18:02:14

NP4BM EA8CXN 2m FT8 5237 km 15:31:59

KP4EIT EA8CXN 2m FT8 5189 km 21:39:59

EA8CXN KP4EIT 2m FT8 5189 km 21:39:15

EA8CXN FG4ST 2m FT8 4813 km 21:39:14

EA8CXN FG5GH 2m FT8 4809 km 21:39:11

KP4EIT EA8DEC 2m FT8 5189 km 12:46:56

DX-Cluster spots

 Spotter Freq. DX Time Info Country

EA8CXN 144174.0 FG4ST 21:51 21 Aug FK96 TR IL18 Guadeloupe

KP4EIT-@ 144174.0 EA8CXN 21:41 21 Aug NOW VERY STRONG INTO FK68 Canary Islands

KP4EIT-@ 144174.0 EA8CXN 19:54 21 Aug -9 TNX cESAR Canary Islands

EA8DEC 144174.0 KP4EIT 13:07 21 Aug FK 68 CQ Puerto Rico

KP4EIT-@ 144260.0 EA8TX 12:55 21 Aug 5/3 tnx Canary Islands 

KP4EIT-@ 144174.0 EA8DEC 12:53 21 Aug -23 tnx Canary Islands

EA8TX 144174.0 KP4EIT 12:53 21 Aug Hrd 0db pse 144.260 Puerto Rico