XPost: rec.radio.amateur.moderated

EI7GL....A diary of amateur radio activity

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105.9 MHz signal crosses the North Atlantic from Newfoundland to Ireland -
1st July 2021

Posted: 02 Jul 2021 05:05 AM PDT https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2021/07/1059-mhz-signal-crosses-north-atlantic.html



1st July 2021: This was one of those remarkable days for VHF signals going across the North Atlantic. In an earlier post, I reported how someone in
Cape Cod, MA in the USA managed to hear a FM radio station from the Azores Islands on 87.7 MHz. Later in the day, there was a remarkable opening on
Band 2 from Newfoundland to Ireland.
Paul Logan in Lisnaskea in Co.Fermanagh in the north of Ireland managed to catch an extensive opening to St.John's, Newfoundland and logged no fewer
than eight FM radio stations going from 88.5 MHz to 105.9 MHz. The distance
was just over 3200kms.
The most significant of these loggings was that of CBAF-FM on 105.9 MHz as
this is now the highest trans-Atlantic signal that has ever been recorded.
Here are the stations that Paul Logan heard...* * *
88.50 MHz / 20:45 UTC / CBN-1-FM / PI logged: B202 PS logged: CBC_____
RADIO_1_ / 3.6 kW
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbbj6-0T-pI
* * *
94.70 MHz / 20:45 UTC / CHOZ-FM PI logged: C557 PS logged: __OZFM__ 3203km
/ 100 kW
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2ybV3T6cg
* * *
96.70 MHz / 20:45 UTC / VOAR-FM / local interference / 100 kW
* * *
97.50 MHz / 20:43 UTC / VOCM-FM / PI logged: 79E0 / 100 kW
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJX3AtONQ0k
* * *
99.10 MHz / 20:43 UTC / CKIX-FM / 100 kW
* * *
101.10 MHz / 20:45 UTC / CKSJ-FM / difficult against local / 20 kW
* * *
101.90 MHz / 20:44 UTC / CBAX-FM-2 / PI logged: B205 PS logged: ICI_____ Musique_ / 90 kW
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7hvMWLKY50
* * *
105.90 MHz / 20:44 CAN / CBAF-FM-17 / 46 kW
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgz263usLQU
For the reception, Paul was using a ELAD FDM S2 SDR receiver with a Band 2 9-element Yagi 8m above ground level.


Propagation Mode: First off, let's have a look at the tropo forecast...

The prediction certainly suggests that tropo ducting probably didn't play
much of a role in this trans-Atlantic opening. Considering the distance was around 3200kms, it looks likely that it was probably double-hop Sporadic-E. However, there are plenty of reports of Noctilucent Clouds at present and
this region at about 80-90 kms above the Earth can reflect radio signals.
Is the opening strictly Sporadic-E (1600kms X 2) or is the top of
mesosphere region where the Noctilucent Clouds are involved as well?
In Conclusion: To put this opening in perspective, this was only the 8th trans-Atlantic Band 2 opening for Paul Logan in a period of about 20 years
and the highest yet in terms of frequency. I can't help wondering how high
did the trans-Atlantic maximum usable frequency go?
Did it extend into the air band around 120 MHz?
Is there any chance it might have reached 144 MHz?

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Azores FM radio station on 87.7 MHz heard in the USA - 1st July 2021

Posted: 01 Jul 2021 01:34 PM PDT https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2021/07/azores-fm-radio-station-on-877-mhz.html



There was another remarkable opening on Band 2 across the North Atlantic on
the 1st of July when Bryce Foster, K4NBF near Cape Cod in Massachusetts in
the USA heard RTP Antena 3 on the Azores Islands on 87.7 MHz.
The distance was in the region of 3,830kms and it is I believe the very
first reception report of a Band 2 signal from the Azores in the USA.
From what I understand, the reception happened at 14:15 UTC and it lasted
for about 35-minutes.
The FM radio transmitter had a power of 30 kW and was located at the Pico
da Barrosa site which is about 900m above sea level on the island of Sao
Miguel in the Azores.
Propagation Mode: The map below shows the predicted tropo conditions on the North Atlantic path...

It would seem that the most likely propagation mode was double-hop
Sporadic-E with perhaps TWO x 1900km hops.
Around the same time as this trans-Atlantic opening, Larry Horlick, VO1FOG
in Newfoundland heard a Band 2 FM radio station in Bermuda. This would
suggest that there was an active Sporadic-E region in the western part of
the N Atlantic capable of supporting propagation on Band 2.
The tropo map above shows a bit of tropo to the west of the Azores but I
don't think it's enough to account for the additional 1500kms that is
required to be added on to one Sp-E hop of 2300kms.
In Conclusion: Back on the 21st of June 2021, there was a remarkable trans-Atlantic opening on the 88-108 MHz band between Europe and Canada.
See links to posts on this page.
Now just over a week later, we have another opening across the North
Atlantic and the first reception report from the USA of the Azores.
I suspect this more southern path opens on Band 2 a lot more than we
suspect and it will hopefully encourage more people the NE of the USA to
listen for trans-Atlantic signals.

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Opening on 28 MHz between Alaska and Europe - 30th June 2021

Posted: 30 Jun 2021 02:59 PM PDT https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2021/06/opening-on-28-mhz-between-alaska-and.html


Wednesday 30th June 2021: This was an unusual day in that there was an
opening between Alaska and Europe on the 28 MHz band. The map above shows
the 24 hour plots for KL7J for the FT8 digital mode.
Usually signals passing over the Arctic region have a distinctive
distortion so it's interesting to see the digital FT8 signals getting
through.
I wonder if there are similar openings but nobody notices because the FT8 signals get too distorted?
Here are the DX-Cluster spots...
Spotter Freq. DX Time Info CountrySV2AEL 28074.0 KL7J 17:23 30 Jun tu
73! Alaska
PG7M 28074.0 KL7J 16:53 30 Jun What a surprise !!, tnx Alaska
KL7TC 28074.0 5B4AMM 09:10 30 Jun Cyprus
DO2HQS-@ 28074.0 KL7XO 07:20 30 Jun -08 73s Alaska
Some of the logs from the PSK Reporter website...

KL7XO
Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
LA7DFA 10m FT8 5644 km 07:21:44
DL4KCW 10m FT8 6984 km 07:19:44
PD1B 10m FT8 6784 km 07:19:41
SP7QJF 10m FT8 7172 km 07:14:42
LY5GT 10m FT8 6725 km 07:10:14
DO2HQS 10m FT8 6968 km 07:10:12
DL4SA 10m FT8 6724 km 07:09:42
SM2GHI 10m FT8 5488 km 07:09:30
KL2R 10m FT8 39 km 07:09:11

Txmtr Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
KL7TC SM2GHI 10m FT8 5447 km 09:13:15
KL7TC DO1YGR 10m FT8 6841 km 09:10:58
PD7RF KL7TC 10m FT8 6736 km 09:09:41
KL7TC ON3RV 10m FT8 6903 km 09:08:59
KL7TC DO9KW 10m FT8 6744 km 09:08:29
KL7TC LA7DFA 10m FT8 5608 km 09:05:59
5B4AMM KL7TC 10m FT8 8904 km 09:05:41
KL7TC LX1HD 10m FT8 7072 km 09:04:57
KL7TC KL2R 10m FT8 24 km 09:04:56
KL7TC KJ6OVM 10m FT8 3473 km 09:04:56
PA3CNI KL7TC 10m FT8 6795 km 09:04:26
DO9KW KL7TC 10m FT8 6744 km 09:04:26
NL7S
Rcvr Band Mode Distance Time (UTC)
DG9FFM 10m FT8 7485 km 17:46:14
PA2M 10m FT8 7210 km 17:46:12
F5NEP 10m FT8 7449 km 17:46:12
KL2R 10m FT8 374 km 17:46:11
KL7DE 10m FT8 83 km 17:45:42
CT7ANO 10m FT8 8273 km 17:45:00
F6JON 10m FT8 7842 km 17:43:44
DG0OPK 10m FT8 7396 km 17:39:07
DL1NEO 10m FT8 7490 km 17:38:27
EA3WD 10m FT8 8265 km 17:38:00
G4DDK 10m FT8 7112 km 17:37:29
G0DWV 10m FT8 7036 km 17:36:59
OE9GHV 10m FT8 7744 km 17:33:30

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