PJ2BR completes 5461km contact on 144 MHz with just 10-watts - 7th Feb 2022

At the moment, there seems to be an TEP opening on the 144 MHz band every evening between South America and the Caribbean area. The evening of the 6th of February was no exception with an opening just after midnight UTC on the 7th (~8pm for the stations involved on the evening of the 6th).

Brett, PJ2BR in Curacao reports working stations in Argentina with just 10-watts into a 3-element Yagi!

PJ2BR writes... "This is an unusual evening. Was able to work @LU4DJC, @LU1FAM and @LU2EPO on 2m Q65. What makes this unusual is, made the contact with 10W and a 3 element Arrow yagi! My signal was also rx’ed in Uruguay. 5461 Km on 2m 10W!"

Many people will be familiar with the Arrow dual band antenna which is often used to work the satellites.

5,461 kms on 144 MHz with just 10-watts in to a 3 element Yagi is pretty amazing. Remember that this is via Trans-Equatorial Propagation and not via some satellite passing over. 

It is also a LOT further than the 3000kms or so across the North Atlantic from Newfoundland to Ireland which has never been bridged on 144 MHz.

To complete the contact, PJ2BR was using the Q65 digital mode...

In this screen shot, LU2EPO in Argentina was hearing PJ2BR at -16dB which is just below what is detectable by ear.

There are the spots from the DX-Cluster for the opening...

Spotter Freq. DX Time Info Country
PY2OAL 144180.0 FG8OJ 01:47 07 Feb TEP 4300 KM tnx Q65 Sent: -05 Guadeloupe
PY2SRB-@ 144180.0 FG8OJ 01:21 07 Feb Q65b CQ Guadeloupe 
PY2SRB-@ 144180.0 NP4BM 01:20 07 Feb Q65b CQ Puerto Rico
HI8GSP-@ 144180.0 LU2EPO 01:14 07 Feb Q65 TNX FOR THE CONTACT Argentina
PY5EK 144180.0 WP4KJJ 00:57 07 Feb Q65B +0 dB 1529 Hz TNX TEP Puerto Rico
PY2SRB 144180.0 WP4KJJ 00:53 07 Feb Q65B -1 dB 1555 Hz Puerto Rico
LU1FAM-@ 144180.0 PJ4GR 00:50 07 Feb Q65B Bonaire
LU1FAM-@ 144180.0 HI8CAF 00:49 07 Feb Q65b Dominican Republic
LU1FAM-@ 144180.0 PJ2BR/QRP 00:49 07 Feb q65b Curacao
WP4KJJ-@ 144180.0 PY5EK 00:49 07 Feb Brazil 
WP4KJJ-@ 144180.0 LU2EPO 00:48 07 Feb Argentina
LU4DJC-@ 144180.0 PJ2BR 00:41 07 Feb TEP Q65B Curacao
LU4DJC-@ 144180.0 HI8CAF 00:40 07 Feb TEP Q65B Dominican Republic
LU4DJC-@ 144180.0 HI3I 00:37 07 Feb  TEP Q65B Dominican Republic
PY2SRB-@ 144180.0 WP3DN 00:31 07 Feb Q65B -8 cq Puerto Rico

Links...

1) For more examples of long distance openings on the 2m band, see my 144 MHz page.