There has been some remarkable tropo conditions in Europe over the last few days with some stations completing contacts on the 144 MHz band in excess of 2000kms.
One of the longest contacts was that shown above... an amazing 3,275 km contact using FT8 between Thomas, OV3T in Denmark and Stefan, CT9/OM3RG on the Madeira Islands. See report from Stafan at the bottom of the post. Thomas reports using 700-800w into a 2 x 11-element Yagi on a 18m tower.
As can be seen from the map above, it is mostly a sea path but it does have to cross some land.
Bernd, DF2ZC in Germany also reports working CT9/OM3RG and the distance for this 2m contact was 2,818 kms. Bernd reports using EME power to 4 x 18-element M2 Yagi. Bernd also reports that the path had to cross over 1800m high mountains in the north-west of Spain.
Propagation Mode???... The long path over the sea would suggest it was one of the marine ducts that we have seen in the past resulting in really long distance contacts. The obstructed path however from DF2ZC to the Madeira Islands would suggest an elevated duct. Was it a combination of a marine duct near the surface and an elevated duct?
The tropo forecast by Pascal, F5LEN certainly suggests a good sea path for some areas.
I think some people will have their own ideas but I don't think anyone can be certain on this one.
Update: See bottom of post for another propagation map.
Link... For examples of other long distance contacts on the 2m band, see my 144 MHz page.
Addendum 1: Thanks to Stefan, CT9/OM3RG for sending on this additional information.
Stefan reports that he was using 100-watts from an ICOM IC-9700 into 2 x 9-element LFA Yagi.
He reports that he worked as many stations as he could with his 100-watts. He heard lots of other stations from Germany (DL), Belgium (ON) and Netherlands (PA) but they couldn't hear him.
This is a list of stations that Stefan worked on the 17th & 18th of December 2023. 3000km+ stations in red, 2500km+ in orange. CW in bold.
20231217 7:02 F6DBI IN88IJ FT8 2085
20231217 9:36 MW0AXA IO81FQ FT8 2371
20231217 9:37 GW7SMV IO81LN FT8 2378
20231217 9:38 G4CBW IO83UB FT8 2546
20231217 9:40 EI9KP IO54MB FT8 2450
20231217 9:44 G8JLY IO82WG FT8 2480
20231217 9:45 G0PQO IO92UA FT8 2365
20231217 9:46 M0PNN IO82TS FT8 2516
20231217 9:49 G4FUF JO01GN FT8 2530
20231217 10:12 F6EGD IN88HR FT8 2110
20231217 10:14 G4EZP JO01GN FT8 2530
20231217 10:25 G8HGN JO01FO FT8 2530
20231217 10:28 EI8KN IO62IE FT8 2296
20231217 10:30 F6HRO IN88JQ FT8 2114
20231217 10:32 G7GXK IO90IS FT8 2378
20231217 10:40 G8TTI IO81WM FT8 2408
20231217 10:42 2E1EMK IO91BI FT8 2404
20231217 10:47 G4BNM IO93EV FT8 2644
20231217 12:04 G4ELW IO81MC FT8 2337
20231217 18:21 G4ZFJ JO01HO FT8 2538
20231217 18:22 CT7AUS IM58HT FT8 968
20231217 18:24 G0LGS IO81WV FT8 2444
20231217 18:25 G8GON IO80HP FT8 2281
20231217 18:27 G4KWQ IO92AQ FT8 2523
20231217 18:28 M0BUL IO82NG FT8 2450
20231217 18:29 G4NBS JO02AF FT8 2564
20231217 18:30 M6JAY IO90HV FT8 2387
20231217 18:30 G7RAU IO90IR FT8 2377
20231217 18:31 G4DCV IO91OF FT8 2442
20231217 18:31 G0BIX JO01CI FT8 2498
20231217 18:32 G0ODR JO02OP FT8 2651
20231217 18:32 G0JDL JO02SI FT8 2642
20231217 18:33 PA4ZP JO21RK FT8 2766
20231217 18:38 G1OJS IO90JU FT8 2391
20231217 18:43 G0LTG IO81RF FT8 2367
20231217 18:44 G6HIE JO00DW FT8 2467
20231217 18:47 PA3BIY JO22HB FT8 2768
20231217 19:22 G3TKF IO81SJ FT8 2386
20231217 19:24 M0CFV IO91UM FT8 2489
20231217 19:25 G4ZTR JO01KW FT8 2577
20231217 19:28 G7WIR JO01BJ FT8 2497
20231217 19:28 G3XDY JO02OB FT8 2602
20231217 19:29 G3XDY JO02OB FT8 2602
20231217 19:31 F6EAS IN98LV FT8 2235
20231217 19:32 G4GFI IO91VH FT8 2475
20231217 19:34 OV3T JO46CM FT8 3275
20231217 20:09 GW4SHF IO82HP FT8 2466
20231217 20:11 G4RGK IO91ON FT8 2471
20231217 20:13 PA2M JO21IP FT8 2741
20231217 20:16 G4AEP IO91NJ FT8 2453
20231217 20:19 G4KPZ IO92WK FT8 2575
20231217 20:21 G0JJG JO02ME FT8 2605
20231217 21:42 PA2CHR JO32DB FT8 2854
20231217 21:48 DG6JF/P JO33QN FT8 3017
20231217 21:50 PA3DZL JO21LS FT8 2763
20231217 22:08 G4DHF IO92UU FT8 2605
20231217 22:10 PA3BIY JO22HB FT8 2768
20231217 22:20 G0LTG IO81RF CW 2367
20231217 22:21 G4DHF IO92UU CW 2605
20231217 22:27 G0LTG IO81RF CW 2367
20231217 22:42 ON4KHG JO10XO FT8 2626
20231217 23:21 G0GMB IO92NB FT8 2511
20231218 6:37 F6KHM IN78RJ FT8 2028
20231218 6:39 G4FUF JO01GN FT8 2530
20231218 6:46 F5DQK JN18GR FT8 2413
20231218 6:50 G4EZP JO01GN FT8 2530
20231218 6:51 F6GNR IN97FD FT8 2069
20231218 6:53 EA1M IN53TI FT8 1399
20231218 6:55 G4RRA IO80BS FT8 2272
20231218 7:24 G4MKF IO91HJ FT8 2431
20231218 7:37 ON4KHG JO10XO FT8 2626
20231218 7:46 ON4KHG JO10XO FT4 2626
20231218 7:55 G3XDY JO02OB FT4 2602
20231218 8:36 M0VXX IO90 FT8
20231218 8:40 EA7JCR IM67WK FT8 1129
20231218 8:47 G3WZT IO90UX FT8 2443
20231218 8:49 G4DDK JO02PA FT8 2603
20231218 8:52 M0CKM IO90QT FT8 2414
20231218 8:54 G4FSG JO02PC FT8 2610
20231218 8:55 EA1YV IN52OC FT8 1268
20231218 8:59 G3WZT IO90UX CW 2443
20231218 9:02 M0CKM IO90QT CW 2414
20231218 9:10 EA1DFP IN53XI FT8 1416
20231218 9:12 G6HIE JO00DW FT8 2467
20231218 9:20 EA1CCM IN52QG FT8 1291
20231218 9:21 G3ZSS IO90NU FT8 2406
20231218 9:23 G3SJX IO91LC FT8 2420
20231218 9:44 DF7KF JO30GU FT8 2785
20231218 9:45 OQ4U JO20KV FT8 2696
20231218 10:01 PA1BVM JO21RO FT8 2778
20231218 10:15 PA3DOL JO22MT FT8 2845
20231218 10:30 PA3DOL JO22MT FT8 2845
20231218 10:35 G0JJG JO02ME CW 2605
20231218 10:47 G4CKS IO91VL FT8 2489
20231218 10:59 DF2ZC JO30RN FT8 2818
20231218 11:45 DL8YE JO32TC Q65A 2929
20231218 13:11 G4HSK JO01FS FT8 2544
20231218 13:18 G4BWP JO02FH FT8 2590
20231218 13:19 G0LQI IO80SP FT8 2319
20231218 13:23 PA0CAB JO22DA FT8 2748
20231218 13:34 PA3DOL JO22MT FT8 2845
20231218 15:38 DL1YDI JO42FA Q65A 2969
20231218 16:02 DM1CG JO30GU Q65A 2785
20231218 16:26 DM1AC JO30IV Q65A 2797
20231218 18:46 PA3BIY JO22HB FT8 2768
20231218 18:48 PA3FYC JO31AF FT8 2783
20231218 19:11 PA5Y JO21VO Q65A 2795
20231218 19:39 DL5EBS JO31NH Q65A 2848
20231218 19:54 ON4CLQ JO11SE FT8 2647
20231218 20:09 F5RZC JO10JG FT8 2539
20231218 20:50 ON4MU/P JO20ET FT8 2663
20231218 21:01 DL5EBS JO31NH FT8 2848
Addendum 2: PA3AUC supplies the following chart which suggests that the opening was due to an elevated duct at 500-750m.
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