Duct morning 16.02.05
Wow, two openings in one month! Gee spoilt. Interesting to note that this is
virtually the
same date last year that the week of major conditions occured in the south.
On the Tuesday afternoon (15th), I noted the MSLP and cloud map. Actually looked
similar
to the Boxing Day duct chart with the elongated High Press cell coming into the
Bight from
the SW. Differences were center pressure in the Bight was higher this time and
cloud along
the cell was in a different spot.
There was also Red and Brown wind direction and temp arrows along the top of the
Cell
(North side).
I could not see Brian VK5UBC on Propagation Logger in the afternoon, so I sent
him and
email specifically mentioning for him to check to the west this evening. While
it was just
an educated guess, turned out to be right, could have just as easily been wrong.
After about 9pm Tues night, Brian copied both Albany and Esperance 2m beacons.
Albany only
on Spectran and Esperance in and out of the noise.
I considered this to be a good sign, but would depend upon the weather at my end
of the
path. I had a weak front pass through that afternoon, we had a few spots of rain
and that
was all. The front kept moving east and by 9pm there was a clear sky with only a
slight
breeze. Good sign.
Basically now its fingers crossed and lights out 11pm. As a rule, summer time,
early
morning is the time things happen here.
Sure enough, things started happening around 3 am. Before I went to sleep, I set
up my
radio's, one on Adelaide beacon 144.450 cw with squelch set to S1 and the other
monitoring
Renmark TV 143.760 with the squelch set to 40dB. I think I had a signal over the
sql from
Adelaide beacon first, then Renmark TV periodically over 40dB woke me up, Hard
to remember
at that time of the morning.
Beacon was there and Renmark TV was reasonably solid. Was looking like the best
opening in
a while. Adelaide beacon got to 5/5 and I could just get to the Crafers
(Adelaide)
repeater 147.000. VK5THA and VK5MM came back to me. Was looking good.
Around 4.15am I checked for VK6 beacons on Spectran. Nothing from Perth or
Albany (cloulds
coming across that area), but had a weak trace on Esperance 144.567.1 cw. I
could not
confirm that this was Esperance till about 5.50am when I could deffinately see
the FSK
keying. Esperance is 2313 Km from here. Only another 10 mins to 6am and I had
lost it.
Though it did come back about half hour later until about 9am.
During the morning I worked - 144.100 SSB -
VK5PO - 5/9
VK5UBC - 5/9+10
VK5ZK - 5/5
VK5USB - 5/9+10
Adelaide beacon 144.450 about 5/7 peak; Esperance 144.567.1 Spectran only.
432.100 SSB -
VK5UBC - 5/5
VK5USB - partial contact only up to about 4/1 with QSB
432.450 Adelaide beacon not seen or heard.
Furthest repeater accessed was Port Augusta at 913 Km. Also got Port Pirie at
867 Km.
Central North 833 Km. Heard Cowell at 961 Km and Port Lincoln at 1019 Km.
No 70cm repeaters were heard from VK5.
Worked VK5UBC on 146.500 FM.
VK5UBC was able to copy a good signal from the Wagga repeater. But noted not a
great deal
heard from VK3.
Was good to make the contact with VK5UBC on 432.100 as my longest SSB 70cm
contact.
Renmark TV peaked to 5/9+60dB, did not make it to 60dB+ that I saw.
Last two repeaters standing were the two highest in VK5, being Port Pirie at
730m & Port
Augusta at 845m.
When I last heard VK5UBC and VK5USB, they were 5/9, I then checked for the
Adelaide beacon
and could not hear it.
Cheers
Leigh VK2KRR
15Feb, 22:12 | VK2KRR | VK5UBC 432.100 5/5; partial with VK5USB | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:46 | VK5UBC | Listening Wagga Rpt | 139.168.197.25 |
15Feb, 21:45 | VK2KRR | Now on Pirie, Central North faded | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:43 | VK2KRR | VK5LL on Central north now | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:41 | VK5UBC | Can't break in | 139.168.197.25 |
15Feb, 21:40 | VK2KRR | Yes, just got Port Augusta @ 913 Km, so it does still work | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:39 | VK2KRR | Yes there is people on Wagga | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:37 | VK5UBC | Wagga Rpt up to s7 | 139.168.197.25 |
15Feb, 21:35 | VK5UBC | Is there anybody on the Wagga rpt | 139.168.197.25 |
15Feb, 21:33 | VK5UBC | Not much in the way of rpts here Leigh, only Mt William | 139.168.197.25 |
15Feb, 21:31 | VK2KRR | Just hear ID of Cowell repeater 146.800 @ 961 Km & Central North voice ID 146.925 @ 833 Km | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:27 | VK2KRR | Very strong signal from Canberra repeater here off back of beam, unusual | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:20 | VK2KRR | Still getting a very weak signal from Esperance beacon here, Spectran only | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:11 | VK2KRR | Adelaide beacon only 5/2 - 144.450 | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:10 | VK2KRR | VK5UBC and VK5PO up to 5/9 144 MHz | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 21:04 | VK2KRR | VK5ZK up to 5/5 | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 20:56 | VK5ZK | VK2KRR 5/2 144.12 | 144.137.204.86 |
15Feb, 20:56 | VK2KRR | VK5UBC 5/7 144.120 | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 20:56 | VK2KRR | VK5PO up to 5/5 | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 20:52 | VK2KRR | Working VK5PO | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 20:48 | VK2KRR | Well I think I heard you Brian but you didn't hear me? | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 20:47 | VK5UBC | Listening 146.5 fm Leigh | 139.168.197.25 |
15Feb, 20:41 | VK2KRR | Port Pirie in here at the moment I think, about 3 repeaters 146.700, VK5RMN is 867 km | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 18:49 | VK2KRR | Just confirmed reception of Esperance beacon here now 144.568 MHz 2313 Km | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 18:26 | VK2KRR | Becoming more consistant now, but just need a bit more............ | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 18:23 | VK2KRR | Just had a bit more of the main carrier from what I thin is Esperance, need about 1 dB more to work it out for sure | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 18:03 | VK2KRR | Adelaid ebeacon 5/5 but not hearing much from the repeaters | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:50 | VK2KRR | Just done a switch from Spectran to Spectrogram, see if that helps | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:39 | VK2KRR | Just hearing Lobethal 146.775 audible | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:36 | VK2KRR | Think I just saw a fade in with FSK shift then, but so weak its not funny | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:26 | VK2KRR | Just zoomed in the yagi, definitely have a trace QSBing on Esperance freq, very weak. Still cant confirm unless I see FSK shift | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:21 | VK2KRR | Hope it gets stronger, I'll be able to confirm it | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:20 | VK2KRR | Just saw a slight trace on Esperance beacon freq on Spectran, though looks a bit lower than the last time I spotted it | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:13 | VK2KRR | Beacon is also building back to S3 | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:12 | VK2KRR | Renmark TV has just reached 60dB....YES! | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:08 | VK5MM | 12C Here | 203.26.206.129 |
15Feb, 17:07 | VK2KRR | Just went outside, air virtually dead calm, bit cold though 11.5 degC | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:03 | VK2KRR | Adelaide beacon dropped to S1 | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 17:03 | VK2KRR | Renmark TV hitting S9+50 right now | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 16:59 | VK2KRR | Renmark TV has been up to S9+50 QSB | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 16:56 | VK2KRR | Been working VK5THA and VK5MM via Crafers rptr up to S4 | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 16:50 | VK2KRR | Adelaide beacon 5/4 | 203.134.94.74 |
15Feb, 16:47 | VK2KRR | Things are starting to happen | 203.134.94.74 |