Results of the 32 MHz propagation tests by EI9KP - 27th Jan 2024

Phil, EI9KP is located in the north-west of Ireland and he carried out a propagation experiment on 32.013 MHz on Saturday 27th January 2024 from 09:00 to 17:00 UTC. He was running 5-watts into a vertical dipole and used FT8 and CW to ID.

And yes, before anyone asks, that's not a mistake. Radio amateurs in Ireland have permission to use 32 MHz.

Report from Phil, EI9KP... "I had my Low VHF antennas bent and broken in storm 'Isha' and am in the process of rebuilding.  A few days ago I resurrected my Low VHF Test Dipole.  Since there are now no coupled dipoles the test dipole was resonant on 31.600MHz.  I measured an SWR of 1.5 on 32.013MHz, it looked like a good opportunity to reconnect the beacon for a day.

I have received the following reception reports (PSKReporter, email, EI7GL blog):"

Europe... These are the stations in Europe that heard the signal...

Gintas, LY2YR in Lithuania (KO24OS) at 2188kms was probably F2 layer

Ari, OH5FI/OH5KUY in Finland (KP41DB) logged several FT8 signals and gave this report...

Fine copy at KP41db. 
Max: 240127_105300 22 -0.5 243 DE EI9KP IO54. 
Min: 240127_142815 -14 -0.3 242 DE EI9KP IO54
73 / OH5KUY

At 2316kms, the propagation mode was likely F2 again.

Costas, SV1XV in Athens, Greece (KM18UA) at 3045kms reports the following... "I can also receive EI9KP beacon on 32013.0 kHz CW, RST 559, giving loc IO54MB. Time 15:18 UTC, loc KM18." and " I can receive EI9KP beacon on 32013.2 kHz FT8, peaking at -11 dB. Time 15:10 UTC, loc KM18."

Alex, SV8QG in Greece (KM39GC) at 3133kms logged some FT8 signals from 10:52-11:01 UTC. Alex sent on the following decodes...

QRG 32,O12 USB REC IC-7200 ANT 4L@10m QTH KM39GC

105215 -2 -0.3 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105300 1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105315 -7 -0.3 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105400 -1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105415 -3 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105500 -2 -0.5 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105515 -7 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105600 -1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105615 4 -0.4 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105700 3 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105715 5 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105800 -7 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105815 -8 -0.3 1201 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105900 -1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
105915 4 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
110000 -1 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
110015 -9 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
110100 -4 -0.5 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54
110115 5 -0.4 1200 ~ DE EI9KP IO54

Phil, EI9KP continues... "The morning signals received in OH were extremely strong e.g. +22dB SNR, as was the report from Greece."

The signals to Greece at about 3000kms were almost F2 layer as well. As we look at western Europe, we move into the F2 skip zone.

Hugh, HC02 is a short wave listener in the south of Portugal in IM67BB (1892kms). Hugh writes... "Receiving the beacon - 16 to - 18dB in Portugal IM67 from an easterly direction at 0920 so must be backscatter."

 

EI9KP writes.. "Many thanks to Hugh for an all day reception report which I have represented in a graph above.  Scatter throughout the day with signals -15/-20 dB SNR with a 10 minute peak at around 12:28 UTC."

Paul, G7PUV / G9PUV in the south-east of England (JO00AU - 706kms) writes... "Two decodes here, both likely to be backscatter while I was beaming East.

----- 27.01.24 10:32:30 UTC ---------------

103215 -20 0.4 1140 ~ DE EI9KP IO54

----- 27.01.24 10:45:29 UTC ---------------

104515 -19 0.4 1140 ~ DE EI9KP IO54 "

EI7GL... This is my own report. I used an old HF radio tuned to 32.0124 MHz on USB with a vertical half-wave for 28 MHz. The distance from EI9KP to my location on the south coast of Ireland is 248kms.

The signal was very weak and the screenshot above is going from right to left.

At the bottom around 600 Hz, you can see the trace from the CW signal. I couldn't actually hear this by ear but I could see it on screen for most of the time. I didn't get that many FT8 decodes but the weak FT8 signal can be seen above around 800 Hz.

These are my FT8 decodes from the 8-hour period that I was monitoring the frequency...

090915 -20 -1.7  804 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

131115 -18 -2.1  813 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

133515 -20 -2.1  814 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

140615 -19 -2.2  815 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

161000 -20 -2.6  818 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

161100 -19 -2.6  818 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165315 -18 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165515 -18 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165615 -18 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165715 -16 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165815 -15 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

165915 -14 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170015 -16 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170115 -16 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170215 -16 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170315 -15 -2.5  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170415 -15 -2.6  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170515 -16 -2.6  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

170615 -16 -2.6  819 ~  DE EI9KP IO54

As for the propagation mode? At 248kms, it's hard to say. I'm close enough that the signal may have been direct but F2 backscatter can't be ruled out. I'd need to do the test at night to be sure if it was direct or not.

Whatever the propagation mode, I came to the conclusion that I'd need about a 10dB improvement in the signal for me to hear it properly.

North America... These are the reports from the USA and Canada...

Bernard, VA2CY in Quebec, Canada (FN46LW - 4321kms) reported reception at 13:57, 15:01 and 17:02 UTC. EI9KP writes... "Bernard VA2CY is using a 80-meter dipole oriented SW-NE. On 32 MHz this makes an antenna pattern having lobes off the ends."

Andrew, K8EL in Ohio (EN91EB - 5383kms) sends on the following screenshot...

Larry, VO1FOG in Newfoundland, Canada (GN37IN - 3146 kms) reports that the beacon was in from 1230 till switch-off at 1707 UTC.

Larry also took a nice video of the reception...

As heard here in GN37in at circa 0900 local... pic.twitter.com/axxTC2naVI

— VO1FOG (@VO1FOG) January 27, 2024

K8EL in Ohio EN91EB

EI9KP concludes... "It is worth noting that stations VA2CY and K8EL and on the same line viewed from IO54MB. Last reception reports from Europe were at 1520 (Greece) and 1707 (Canada)."

In conclusion... It's nice to see that one experimental transmission on an odd frequency in the low-band VHF region generated so much interest. It's unlikely we'll see any amateur radio activity from other countries at 32 MHz but that doesn't mean people can't experiment and try to listen.

No doubt Phil will be carrying out more experiments on 32 MHz in the future and we'll try and get the word out a few days earlier for the next one.

Link... I have the results of some previous 34 MHz propagation tests up on my 40 MHz page.