Summer 2004 Issue

Spectacular Sporadic-E Opening!


Here is a brief summary of some of the reports received after an early July unexpected, spectacular sporadic-E opening.


By Joe Lynch,* N6CL

Normally, because of the quarterly nature of this magazine, we do not cover current events per se. However, the timing of this issue coincided with the spectacular sporadic-E opening that occurred on July 6–7. This five-plus hour 2-meter opening, which occurred between approximately 2100 and 0200 UTC, also included approximately 20 minutes of propagation on 1.25 meters.
To date I have received more than 50 reports related to this opening, way too many to include in this space. This number is far in excess of any other single event in my more than a dozen years of reporting weak-signal activities in my “VHF Plus” column in CQ magazine. What follows is a very brief summary of these reports, with more details of the opening to appear in my September column in CQ.

Those who sent me reports of their activities include the following 53 hams in 48 grids: AA3ID, FM25; AF4HX, EM85; AF4OD, EM72; AK3E, FM19; KØAWU, EN37; K1TEO, FN31; K1TR, FN42; K2ERG, FN13; K2SMN, FN20; K3KEL, FN11; K4RTS, FM08; K5MQ, EM31; K5PJR, EM26; K5SW, EM25; K8MD, EN82; KE4YYD, EL79; KMØT, EN13; KT4JA, EL97; KY1K, FN54; NØGZ, EN31; N2SLN, FN22; NØLL, EM09; NØRQ, EM13; NØUK, EN34; N1BUG, FN55; N1RR, FN41; N4HN, EM95; N4ION, EM62; N4JQQ, EM55; N5TIF, EM12; N9LR, EN50; N9QQB, EN53; NW5E, EL98; VE3AX, FN02; N3LL (op. W3KWH) EN90; VE3TMG, EN82; WØFY, EM48; W1GHZ, FN42; W1LP, FN41; W2MPK, FN23; W4HP, EM75; W4VC, EM81; W5SNX, EM73; W8PAT, EN81; W8WN, EM77; W9FS, EN61; WA1ECF, FN41; WA3LTB, EN92; WA5IYX, EL09; WA5JCI, EM21; WA8RJF, EN91; WB2SIH, FN31; WB4WXE, EM74; WD4KPD, FM15; and WZ1V, FN31.

Additional reports came from WA5IYX, EL09, who advised me that he was too far south of the opening, and NØIT, EM48, who told me that in St. Louis he was one of 500,000 households with no electricity for two days. Also, noted for his absence was N1BUG, FN55, who was on the road between his QTH and New Hampshire, helping a family member who was moving. Your editor was in a similar predicament, on the road in Birmingham, Alabama, with XYL Carol, W6CL, at the American Council of the Blind national convention.

On 144 MHz the best DX reported was a contact between KY1K, FN54, and K5QE, EM31, which measures out to be 1604 miles. K5MQ, EM31, reported also working KY1K, FN54, for a distance of 1514 miles and his 46th state terrestrially. KY1K, in commenting on his station, stated that it is all the more remarkable that he was on the farthest DX end of so many QSOs considering that he is only running 200 watts into a single 12-element Yagi only 21 feet high and surrounded by trees. In addition, his new mast-mounted preamp is still in the box! During the opening his wife, NK1I, worked 20 stations.

 

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