Notes and comments on this event:
Serge,
VE1KG, writes:
Udo, I live on the East coast in Nova Scotia right on the water
could you tell me which freq you are monitoring? Running here
4X17M2 to a 8877. Few years back I had the North American
record for sporadic E worked into the Florida Keys & heard
W4FF also. I have monitored 144.300 is that the European
calling Freq? I must say I have never heard anything from
Europe. Can you give me some FM frequencies in Europe I could
monitor? [Here it is!, Ed]
Best 73, Serge VE1KG FN84CM
---
Serge lives in a perfect place for multi-hop Es into Europe.
But what we need is a perfect alert system to bring people on
the band on a day like this. It aint help if Europeans are
monitoring 144.200 and Stateside and Canada is on 144.300. So
we gonna miss again. What's your idea?
Post your note/comments here
please.
Udo, DK5YA, Ed.
---
Charles,
EI5FK, writes:
This will probably interest many people here. I worked
with a radio officer in the Irish Navy who after changing jobs
told me that he clearly heard US or VO Coastguard (I forget
which) on 156mhz from less than 200 miles outside the Irish
coast one summer about 15 years ago, taking into consideration
both sides were using vertical aerials of low gain and that
the VO/US Coastguard was probably using less than 25watts I
believe that the main problem is a lack of hams willing to put
in the effort on 144mhz
Charles EI5FK
---
Chris,
GW4DGU, IO71sc writes:
The simple solution generating transatlantic
activity would be to encourage people like VE1KG to keep an
eye on
ON4KST's Chat, particularly as it presents a Eurocentric
view of the DX cluster. If 2m behaves like 6m for
transatlantic Es, then openings over 'the Pond' will usually
(but not always!!) take place after European events.
I try to beam towards VE/VO after European Es openings and to
transmit a beacon CQ on 144195.0. I have posted details to the
(North American) VHF Propagation Logger, but haven't seemed to
generate any interest.
I think we need to raise interest in the possibility
(probability?) of transatlantic propagation on 144MHz on the
eastern
seaboard of North America. Experience has already shown that
expeditions are unlikely to be successful, and we need to find
ways of encouraging regular activity on 2m with good equipment
in the Canadian Maritimes in particular.
Charles, EI5FK's comment reminds me of something I said in the
early '80s when transatlantic propagation was being discussed.
I suggested then that the first transatlantic QSO on 2m would
be made by someone using a hand-held transceiver whilst
walking on a beach in NW Ireland...
A further thought about making a transatlantic QSO on 144MHz.
[June 28th]
As Miguel, says the two calling
frequencies will make a random QSO less likely, but the other
major problem is that most
people on the fringes of both NA and Europe tend to beam
toward the centre of their continent, so random contacts are
probably even less likely than they would be if we all used
omni-directional antennas!
If there is to be any chance of a QSO, it is more likely to be
made by people going out and trying for it over an extended
period of time, rather than by serendipity. Sitting calling CQ
towards VE1/VO1 for hours at a time on 144.300, or I guess
144.200 if you're on the left bank, isn't going to make anyone
very popular, so I suggest that we try to adopt an informal
common transatlantic calling frequency.
The problem is where? It has to be somewhere with relatively
low band occupancy on both sides of the ocean. From my
perspective, I'd go for 144.155, does anyone have a better
suggestion?
Also, to avoid QRM, we need to adopt some form of scheduling.
I suggest 30s periods with NA going first. That's convenient
for ssb, it fits in with WSJT/JT44, and it's reasonable on CW.
Does anyone have any comments?
---
David Hamilton, fm tv dxer
writes:
on thursday 26 june 2003 i did recive ta reception on the fm
broadcast band and ch 2 video.. all the audio and the ch2
video pic can be seen / heard on my website
http://www.geocities.com/tvdxrools/index.htm i would like
some help in iding the logo on my video picture. i know its
not clear but worth a try. the fm station is CBTB BAIE VERTE
newfoundland canada on 97.1 mhz . many regards and its about
time you boys did a ta on 144 europe to us/canada
david hamilton... cumnock ayrshire scotland uk
---
Miguel A. Vallejo, EA4EOZ,
IN80ci writes:
The only reason because transatlantic contacts have not been
made yet is because America uses 144.200 and Europe 144.300
for calling frecuencies. This cause for the most operators to
be QRV only on the calling frecuency, just like a XTAL
receiver. When both side of atlantic uses the same frecuency,
we will discover transatlantic propagation is possible, via
multi-hop Es, tropo (have you seen the Hepburn's tropo maps?)
or a mix of all. [See
Tropo Nov. 3rd. 2001, Ed]
---
Gary,
G4IFB IO91, writes:
Guys, it seems to me we don't need MS-style TX and
RX slots on a common frequency since we already have a
dual-channel system. Why don't EU ops call "CQ US/VE" on 144.2
and US/VE ops call "CQ EU" on 144.3? Those channels should be
reasonably quiet at the callers' end, and they stand a
reasonable chance of hearing fragments of DX calls, if the
path opens. Or am I missing something?
Also, of course, there are the beacons to monitor.
If the path ever opens, a quick alert on DXcluster should do
the trick.
I must admit, though, that personally I prefer 15m CW any
day!!!
---
VP9/W3CMP; 50/144MHz
Looking for calls of well equipped 2mtr stations in
CU, D4, EA8, CT3, CT, EA, F, ON, PA, G, GW, and EI whom he
might try to contact if conditions on that band look
favourable from VP9. Chris writes : "I plan to concentrate on
6 mtrs (kW and long antenna); however, I am also going to take
2mtr equipment along. I am planning to run a "healthy"
150Watts on 2mtrs (VP9 legal limit for that band) and a medium
to long yagi. I will be looking for 2mtr contacts should it
appear that conditions are favorable, i.e. stalled high
pressure system over mid Atlantic, or indications of Es
propagation above 100MHz to east or northeast. I realize that
chances for a contact from EU to VP9 are probably very slim;
however, I am not aware of any serious 2mtr operations from
VP9 in the last 20 years (ever?) so I am willing to try. I
will probably have a 2mtr beacon operating in the mornings and
whenever I experience propagation on 6mtrs. Details still have
to be worked out, equipment at this time looks like a FT897 &
3CX800 amp for 6mtrs; FT847 & solid state amp for 2mtrs.
I'm not sure if I will be operational on digital modes yet."
Dates: June 27 - July 4, 2003
144MHz Monitor FREQ : 144.200MHz when pointed to US and
Caribbean;
144.290 MHz when pointed to EU and Africa / (VP9DUB beacon
freq. 144.300MHz)
50MHz Monitor FREQ : 50.110MHz and 50.125MHz / (VP9DUB beacon
freq. 50.027MHz)
HF Monitor FREQ : 14.345MHz and 28.885MHz
Schedule frequencies for SSB meteor scatter contacts :
50.150MHz and 144.150MHz,
I will always take 2nd and 4th sequence. If 6 mtr band opens I
will move to 50.118MHz. I will concentrate on multiple hop
contacts. Please honor standby requests for west coast and
interior EU continent contacts. If 2 mtr band opens for
sporadicE I will move to 2 mtrs. I expect to monitor both 6
and 2 mtrs from 08:30UT onward Internet access : yes - either
AOL or local provider - will be limited, however WSJT : still
being worked on
73, Chris Patterson W3CMP
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