VK2KRR - SIGNAL ENHANCEMENT LOG VHF/UHF DUCTING

2012/2013 Openings

1st Jan 2013 morning - yet again for the 4th morning in a row, I was able to get a 2m WSPR path to and from Derek VK6DZ at Elleker WA. @ 2664 km. No other indicators were showing, could not even see Adelaide 2m beacon on Spect Lab. This morning I was also able to work Bob VK6BE at Albany only 5/1 signal.

31st Dec 2012 morning - This morning I got a 2m WSPR path to Derek again! 3rd morning in a row! quite amazing! There were no indicators to say this was possible, the Adelaide 2m beacon was not even on Spect Lab. But there was Dereks signal on the WSPR screen 2664 km west.

29th & 30th December 2012 mornings - Made it to Derek VK6DZ on 2m WSPR both mornings @ 2664 km. Heard VK6REP 2m beacon at Esperance both mornings, on Sat morning was up to 5/4. Got 3 vessels heard at Esperance on marine tracking. Numerous vessels around Adelaide to Port Lincoln areas.

20th October 2012 morning - Interesting opening. Could not get any marine tracking signals from VK5 or VK3. No TV signals from VK5, only Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepp, and only later in morning. But did have Adelaide 70cm up to 5/4. Worked VK5ACY, VK5PJ, VK5AKK, VK5GF, VK5LA, VK3ZDX. Worked Peter VK5PJ on 2m to +30, 70 to +30 and 23 to S8. Bill VK5ACY was very strong on 2m up to +40. Jeff and Phil were weaker. Andy and Cameron were excellent.

9th Sept 2012 early morning - First of all I had a number of ships around the Adelaide area and across to Port Lincoln. I think eventually in this area I had about 7 vessels. This is in range of about 1025 Km to 800 Km.

A bit after 2am, I looked on the marine traffic internet map and could see a number of vessels being spotted near Esperance and Albany, WA, so I adjusted the beam heading to see what I could get. Not really expecting anything, suddenly a new ship alert rang out and it was not being displayed on the map due to the current view. I clicked over the list of ships on the Shipplotter program and it said new ship was Zheng Kai ..... 1419 nautical miles... (2627 Km!). No way! I thought... and so I zoomed out the map and there it was, just south of Albany, Western Australia. I was pretty excited to see that, and thinking to myself.. is it going to go any further ??? But no sadly it didn't. But still, 2627 Km is the furthest Ive ever gotten with the marine tracking signals, so I am very pleased with that, and I dont think conditions were all that good as I only heard about 8 signals from Zheng Kai in total.

Then I began getting a few signals from the middle of the Bight, around the 1500 Km zone. These persisted and were some of the last signals I heard.

Of which, the last signal received was from Manila Express, just before 9am. This was around 1300 Km I think. Just SW of Port Lincoln.

2011/2012 Openings

8th June evening, 9th June morning - So far able to decode 6 vessels just west of Adelaide, quite a few signals.

27th May 2012 - In the evening condx picked up toward Adelaide area, between about 11pm and midnight I was able to decode 4 ships in the water to the west of Adelaide to about 845 Km.

29th Dec 2011 - This morning was able to get a path to Derek VK6DZ on 144 MHz WSPR @ 2664 Km. Also hearing VK6REP Esperance 2m beacon 5/1 @ 2313 Km.

31st Oct to 2nd Nov 2011 - An unusually stable high pressure cell in the Bight, with low troughs well out on the east and west sides. I had reception of Esperance beacon 2m @2313 Km on each day, Monday Tues Wed, sometimes audible, mostly just on Spec Lab. Good signals into VK5 on 2m, did not have 70cm running. Phil VK5AKK got AIS reception to west of Perth.

12th Sept 2011 - Worked Brian VK5BC at Corny Point, 914 Km up to 5/9 on 144 MHz. Excellent. Along with a number of other closer stations.

2010/2011 Openings

25th June 2011 - A quick plug in of the FM vertical 2m yagis produced great results tonight. Was able to make it into the Broken Hill repeater 147.000 @ 638 Km. This is a very rare path and the repeater made it up to 5/9+10dB and I spoke to Peter VK2VKN and could also hear him on reverse. Great stuff!

24th June 2011 - FYI as at approx start of April, I have had no SSB 144 MHz or 432 MHz antennas running. So last 3 months may have missed openings.

3rd March 2011 - High from 1st March receeded slightly then came back. Signals from VK5 and also VK6. Copy on VK6DZ Elleker numerous times on WSPR from about 5am till 10.30am. Still continuing on the 4th March.

1st March 2011 - Good opening to VK5 all repeaters coming in so far except Port Lincoln.

12/13th Feb 2011 - Very interesting tropo event which started in the evening saturday 12th Feb. Switched on 2m and Adelaide beacon was 5/5 at an early 8 pm. I asked VK6DZ to come onto WSPR and I got him straight away -17dB. Completed JT65b contact with VK6DZ to make new WIA digital mode record for 2m band. 2662 Km. 

I was also hearing weak signals from VK6REP and VK6RST beacons on 2m. On the sunday morning, Esperance beacon was just audible and VK6FN Max in Manjimup was working the Port Pirie rptr VK5RMN on 146.700 MHz. Was great to hear Max making the trip across the Bight path especially since he is only running 60W and 1/4 wave vertical.

28th Jan 2011 - One of the best mornings there has been for a long time. Virtually all VK5 repeaters 5/9+ (Porl Lincoln 5/9+20) and hearing Esperance VK6REP beacon 144.5674 MHz 4/1 @ 2313 Km. VK3 repeaters were off the scale including 3RWZ, 3RWA, 3RMM & 3ROW. Unfortunatly no one was out of bed at the optimum time before the humidy starts to drop away and so the ultimate contacts were not made. Even VK5VF beacon on 70cm was 5/5 and 2m was 5/9, which is pretty amazing for these two. At 7am the humidity here was 75%, by 11am it was back to 32%, likewise the signals had also dropped away.

17th Jan 2011 - Good copy on VK6REP Esperance 144 MHz beacon up to S2, also copied Albany VK6RST 144 MHz on Spect Lab. Partially worked VK6DZ west of Albany on JT65b at 2662 Km, would have been new VK 2m digital record if completed. 

213700 11  -13 -0.8   94  3 *      VK2KRR VK6DZ OF84        

2nd Jan 2011 - Weak copy on VK6REP 144.5673 MHz this morning, only on Spectrum Lab. Also very strong VK3 signals, and marginal VK5 signals. Only lasted till about 9am.

23 - 24th Sept 2010 - Evening of 23rd and morning on 24th September were the best conditions seen for a long time. Much of VK3 and VK5 had much enhhanced tropo. I worked VK5GF, 5ZK, 5AKK and 5LA on 1296 MHz very easily.

I was also receiving the Esperance beacon VK6REP 144.468 MHz. As per usual, no operators keen on AR in VK6 area. Here is a capture of the beacon. nothing heard from Albany.

2009/2010 VK6 Openings

29.01.10 - Worked VK6WG on 432.100 MHz @ 2650 Km. Worked VK6FN @ 2821 Km on 146.500 FM. Also reception of Albany 2m beacon and Esperance. A great morning for a new VK2 70cm record.

14.01.10 - I received the Esperance beacon VK6REP 144.567 MHz @ 2313 Km. Signal up to 5/1.

06.01.10 - I received the Esperance beacon VK6REP 144.567 MHz @ 2313 Km.

I received the Boddington repeater VK6RMS 147.250 MHz @ 2821 Km.

The beacon was only copied via Spectrum Lab & the repeater was only very weakly opening squelch.
Meanwhile in VK5, stations that were a bit closer were working stations via the repeater. Never quite got strong enough here. Maybe next time.

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