Simple QRP projects, 10m, 8m, 6m, 4m, FT8, 160m, WSPR, LF/MF, sub-9kHz, nanowaves and other random stuff, some not related to amateur radio.
9 Jun 2013
PY1RO on 6m CW - real DX reception!
The magic band (6m) is full of surprises. I came into the shack this evening after gardening most of the day up at our new bungalow to hear some signals on 6m WSPR. Rather than decode, I tuned down to the DX portion of the band to hear PY1RO (GG87lb Brazil) coming through at 559 on CW on 50.108MHz at a distance of 9369km. I was copying him on the V2000 vertical and my FT817 with a long lossy feeder. A few minutes later and he had faded out completely! Although I called him a couple of times, I did not break the pile-up, not that I was really expecting to, HI. Still, it was good to hear my best DX on the band in some years. At this time of year the propagation is more likely to be multi-hop Es rather than TEP I believe. Here is a video of PY1RO on 6m (not this occasion though).
Low VHF certainly turns up surprises, especially at this time of year!
ReplyDeleteI heard PY1RO myself along with PY2XB back on the first Sunday in May when the band was "jumping".
As to what the actual propagation mode was, that's very difficult to determine at these frequencies, quite often it seems to be a mixture of modes.
"Magic" is the right word, sure enough.
Yes, I guess it could be a mix of Es down to lower latitudes then some TEP. I am exchanging 6m WSPR spots with CN8LI currently and that is more or less a first hop down to Brazil. From Morocco, the MUF for TEP propagation will be higher than here in the UK. It could be these very long summertime 6m paths may be some altogether different variety of propagation. The G-JA 6m openings may be due to mesospheric clouds.
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