21 Jan 2020

2m FT8 RX - aircraft scatter?

At the moment I am on 2m FT8 RX using the vertical antenna (V2000 omni).  My theory is that if signals are coming in mainly by aircraft scatter polarisation won't matter, so I should see as many stations in the log as with the big-wheel horizontal omni.

At the moment (0947z) I have spotted 59 stations in 8 countries. Yes, I appreciate conditions could be different on a different day, but this would suggest many stations are being received by aircraft reflection. I know this is not definite proof.

UPDATE 1020z: A recent 2m FT8 CQ (10W to the vertical omni V2000) was spotted by 25 stations. 2 QSOs resulted with the best QSO being PD4KK (287km). It would appear results with the vertical omni match those of the horizontal big-wheel for "real DX".

Stations so far spotted today on
2m FT8 RX with the vertical omni
UPDATE 1640z: So far today with the vertical omni antenna 138 stations in 9 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX. I think the K6 (supposedly in New York) was a pirate in the UK as all his calls were spotted in the UK.  I think these spots confirm that a good proportion of the spots I receive are via aircraft. With 15 second transmissions, Doppler was not visible on my waterfall, even with stations on for several minutes.

UPDATE 1926z: 160 stations in 9 countries so far spotted in the last 12 hours on 2m FT8 RX using the vertical omni.

Stations spotting my 10W FT8 CQ 
on 2m on the vertical omni this evening
UPDATE 2034z: I recently called CQ (10W to the vertical omni) and was rewarded with 34 spots of my signal and several QSOs. Sadly my old work colleague Bob G3WKW called me, but did not hear me calling him 4 times!

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