First 40 MHz Crossband contact between Ireland and Norway - 28th June 2019

On Friday the 28th of June 2019, Lloyd EI7HBB in the west of Ireland managed to complete a 40 MHz to 28 MHz cross band SSB contact with LA4UOA in Norway, a first for the new 8-metre band.

EI7HBB was running 4 watts on 40 MHz from one of the Ukrainian transverters into a home made 2 element Moxon in the loft space of his house. He was listening to the LA station on 28.400 MHz.

Lloyd reports that LA4UOA was 5/9 on 28.400 MHz while he received a 5/2 report on 40.250 MHz in Norway. The distance was 1108 kms.

EI7HBB 40250.0 LA4UOA 09:37 28 Jun IO53SQ - JO38QH cross band 28.4 Norway

What was interesting about this contact was that 50 MHz didn't seem to be open at the time. The maximum usable frequency (MUF) had reached as high as 40 MHz but not 50 MHz.

This shows the value of the new 40 MHz band. It's a long way from 28 MHz to 50 MHz and by having a band in between ten and six metres, it will give a better idea of where the maximum usable frequency is.

First Sporadic-E crossband contacts made from Ireland on 40 MHz...Sat 25th May 2019

Following on from news of the inter-EI activity on 40 MHz last weekend, here is a report of the first crossband contacts made on the 8-metre band via Sporadic-E.

Phil EI9KP has sent on the following (in Blue)...

*****
Saturday 25 May 2019.
I noticed there were strong Es signals from Europe on 10m and 6m.  I activated the 8m ‘beacon’ keyer on 40.250MHz (CW, call and locator, 30s cycle, 5W, Delta Loop, HP) but was unsure how to actually get feedback.   I posted a message on KST Chat but there was no immediate response.  Eventually I just started calling on 50.185 later on 50.250 just saying something like “have CW beacon running on 40.250 looking for reports, feedback XB on this frequency …).  I had about a dozen QSO’s in-band on 6m but those HAMs did not have receive capability for that unusual frequency.

At 1526 UTC in QSO with DG1VL on 50.250MHz, he listened on 40.250 and reported hearing my beacon 599 in JO61WB.  I subsequently changed the FT-857D to USB and we had a full 2-way cross band QSO 40.250 8m / 50.250 6m, with 59 signals.  This was my first 8m/6m cross band experience and I believe it is a first in EI cross band 8m/6m to Europe. 

At 1615 UTC in QSO with OK2KG (JN89JI), a similar experience XB 8m/50.250, first getting a beacon reception report then switching 8m to SSB for a 2-way QSO, with a 53 signal report.

Both stations were using their 6m Yagi for receive so not really optimized for 8m, however, it was just an amazing experience and totally unexpected on “Day 1” of my experiment!

Sunday 26 May 2019.
At 1424 UTC in QSO with DK7ME (locator JN47TN) on 50.250, excellent 59 signals both ways.    He reported hearing my beacon on 40.250MHz and I switched to SSB for a 2-way QSO 8m/6m.  I heard EI4GNB’s beacon earlier on the day and asked Carlos to listen on 40.300MHz; he subsequently reported hearing Tim’s beacon in IO63WE.  That’s interesting in a way as the 40MHz ‘zone’ at the time seems to cover EI East Coast to West Coast, a much wider area than I am used to on 6m propagation, it’s just an initial observation. Great for him catching 2 EI beacons in a day!

S57UHX (locator JN65UN) was following the above QSO unfortunately 6m propagation faded out so we did not have QSO on 6m, however, he reported (by email) receiving the 40.250MHz beacon 51.

*****

What Sp-E skip distances to expect on 40 MHz??