5000km TEP opening on 144 MHz from Puerto Rico to Brazil - 23rd March 2021

Around the time of the equinox every year, there are long distance VHF contacts made across the equator by means of Trans-Equatorial Propagation (TEP).

This year is no exception and on the evening of the 22nd of March 2021 (early morning on the 23rd in terms of UTC time), the 144 MHz band was open between Brazil and the Caribbean.

The map above shows the FT8 signals heard by WP4KJJ in Puerto Rico.

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
WP4KJJ PY5EK 2m FT8 5198 km 01:20:59
PY5EK WP4KJJ 2m FT8 5198 km 00:24:44
WP4KJJ PU2MBY 2m FT8 4760 km 01:24:29
WP4KJJ PU9DCB 2m FT8 4702 km 00:25:29
WP4KJJ PU9GTA 2m FT8 4672 km 01:21:29
WP4KJJ PT9FD 2m FT8 4666 km 01:51:29
PT9FD WP4KJJ 2m FT8 4666 km 01:28:44
PT9AL WP4KJJ 2m FT8 4660 km 00:23:44
WP4KJJ PT9AL 2m FT8 4660 km 00:23:30

As can be seen from the chart, most of the distances are in the region of 4700 to 5200 kms.

It's worth pointing out that while the times for these TEP openings are around 00:00 UTC, that is about 8pm local time in Puerto Rico.

The TEP opening was also evident on the lower bands like 50 MHz with spots on the DX-Cluster showing paths from Brazil, Argentina and Chile across the equator to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America.

The Band 2 FM band was also open as reported by the FM DX Brasil account on Twitter.

The map shows the TEP opening at 00:00 UTC with a FM radio station on 103.7 MHz FM on Puerto Rico being heard 5289 kms away in the south of Brazil.

I haven't seen any reports of 144 MHz openings across the equator in Africa and the Pacific. Is it just a lack of stations in the suitable locations? Are stations in the south of Spain and Portugal listening for the 144 MHz beacon on St. Helena???

The DL7APV 8 x 9 Element Antenna Array for Band 2 (88-108 MHz)

One of my interests is listening for long distance radio signals on the 88 to 108 MHz band which is  otherwise known as Band 2 or as simply the FM band to the general public. I recently came across this impressive antenna array from Bernd, DL7APV in Germany.

He is using an array of eight bayed 9-element Band 2 beams mounted on a rotatable base which is normally used for moon bounce on the higher VHF & UHF bands.

According to DL7APV, the antenna array has an impressive gain about about 14 to 15 dBd with a beam width of about 10 degrees.

The individual antennas are the 9-element 3H-FM-9M19 - Modell 2019 from Antennenland which retail at €109 each.

Despite the fact that the antenna has 9 elements, a lot of them are used to make the antenna broadband. It seems to have the same gain as say a narrowband 4 to 5-element Yagi.

For more details on this array, how it goes together and what was heard, check out DL7APV's 3-metre page on his website.