Category Archives: Sporadic E

US West Coast Opening on 6 m

Posted on August 6, 2022 by dh8bqa

It’s been a very long time since I last caught a 6 m opening to the US West coast. Actually this opening tonight was just my second West Coast opening at all! And as it happens during all multi hop … Continue reading →

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MM/DH8BQA: 6 m opening from IO75kk

Posted on July 31, 2022 by dh8bqa

Marc, DO4DXA from JN58, asked during the contest if I could come to 6 m as it was open to Scotland. Did so after the contest was finished and easily worked him on CW with the KX3 matching the ZS6BKW … Continue reading →

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Double-hop on 4 m & the Balkans on 2m

Posted on July 11, 2022 by dh8bqa

Caught another Sporadic-E opening to the Balkans on 2 m early afternoon: —————————————————————— TIME CALLSIGN LOCATOR TX RX BAND MODE PROP. QRB —————————————————————— 11:55 LZ1AG KN22ID +02 -06 2 m. FT8 ES 1454 11:58 LZ2CM KN13OJ +01 -06 2 m. … Continue reading →

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Sporadic-E on 4 m & Aurora on 2 m

Posted on July 7, 2022 by dh8bqa

Interesting day today! Four was open this morning via ES to the UK & Ireland as well as EA & EA6. It closed at 12z and never opened again, MUF down. Thus nothing to expect on 2 m either, right? … Continue reading →

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More ES, even on SSB ;-)

Posted on June 11, 2022 by dh8bqa

Following yesterday’s openings 2 m was hot again all day long. At times we had two or three different path’ open (Greece, Italy, Spain) in parallel. And there was some good SSB activity, too! Not to miss anything I went … Continue reading →

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Plenty of Sporadic-E again

Posted on June 10, 2022 by dh8bqa

More Sporadic-E today with very high MUF, contacts around 1.000 km on 2 m! —————————————————————— TIME CALLSIGN LOCATOR TX RX BAND MODE PROP. QRB —————————————————————— 10:40 F6DBI IN88IJ -07 -11 2 m. FT8 ES 1336 10:46 F6CIS IN94WL -09 -09 … Continue reading →

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Bands hot again

Posted on June 9, 2022 by dh8bqa

Another great day! Started with a JA opening on 6 m although only 3 stations wkd (all JA8 from QN03/23). Once again I had the feeling being much too weak although running 400 watts into an 8 ele longyagi. 🙁 … Continue reading →

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Nice openings on 6, 4 & 2 m with new ones

Posted on June 7, 2022 by dh8bqa

Early start this morning with the first QSO on 4 m at 7:30z into the Balkans. Beaming East 6 m provided interesting QSOs and new squares with UN7DAT/NO00 and RD6AK/KN85. I doubt that the latter is legal but as always: … Continue reading →

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First 2 m ES for me this year

Posted on June 2, 2022 by dh8bqa

Four was open all afternoon. Two opened just briefly over here, good enough to work EA5BY (whom I had just worked on 4 m, too,  half an hour ago): —————————————————————— TIME CALLSIGN LOCATOR TX RX BAND MODE PROP. QRB —————————————————————— … Continue reading →

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3D2R – Rotuma as ATNO & a good 6 m opening

Posted on May 24, 2022 by dh8bqa

Worked DPØGVN, the German Antarctica base station, on 10 m today. Also caught the Rotuma expedition 3D2RRR as an All Time New One on a few HF slots. 6 m opened via multi-hop ES this afternoon, too, providing several stations … Continue reading →

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First 4 m ES opening this year

Posted on May 22, 2022 by dh8bqa

Seems like a late start on 4 m this year, at least for me. While I usually work the first 4 m Sporadic-E opening early May, sometimes even at the end of April already, it’s been the end of May … Continue reading →

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Another massive 2 m opening (just too close)

Posted on July 11, 2021 by dh8bqa

Another massive 2 m ES opening this afternoon! But as you can see from the MUF map I’ve been too close to it. Nevertheless managed a few QSOs during a short 15 minutes opening when the MUF was high enough, … Continue reading →

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ES on 144 MHz & DXCC #50 on 70 MHz

Posted on July 8, 2021 by dh8bqa

Early morning opening on 2 m to the west! 😎 More UK on 4 m afterwards. Worked 4X1TI/KM71 at 8:25z who provided DXCC #50 on 70 MHz. 😎 W4IMD/EM84 on 6 m at noon. More 4 m to EA/EA6 in … Continue reading →

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Japan, Caribbean & Svalbard on 6 m

Posted on July 7, 2021 by dh8bqa

Good JA opening this morning. But despite 400 W and an 8 ele LY my ERP still seems too low, really had trouble getting through. So just 5 QSOs made with PM51/53/74/86 squares. A small opening to the Caribbean late … Continue reading →

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Small US opening on 50 MHz

Posted on July 6, 2021 by dh8bqa

Same as yesterday, not positioned well enough to gain a lot from the multi-hop openings. Just caught UN7LZ & UN9L from MO13 in the morning. W8TN, KA8SYV & WB8CQV all from EM98, W4WT/EM74, WA4CQG/EM72, K4PI/EM73 and KA9UVY/EM58 in the afternoon.

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More patchy 6 m openings

Posted on July 5, 2021 by dh8bqa

Propagation not too good today. Well, probably it was, but just not here. Really had difficulties getting into it. So just a handful of QSOs including JA8KSF/QN03 early morning and VP2V/K3TRM in FK78 (another new one), 7Z1SJ/LL25 and A92EE/LL56 in … Continue reading →

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XE – Mexico on 6 m

Posted on July 4, 2021 by dh8bqa

Besides handing out a few more points in the 2 m contest this morning I was monitoring Six & Four all day long. While there was nothing on 4 m except a single EA1/IN52 there were some patchy openings on … Continue reading →

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Spain again on 144 MHz / USA on 50 MHz

Posted on July 3, 2021 by dh8bqa

After a few days of silence we had another short Sporadic-E opening on 2 m into Spain this morning: —————————————————————— TIME CALLSIGN LOCATOR TX RX BAND MODE PROP. QRB —————————————————————— 08:17 EA1MX IN73XK -12 -05 2 m. FT8 ES 1722 … Continue reading →

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Short QRB 4 m opening

Posted on June 30, 2021 by dh8bqa

Today some good 2 m Sporadic-E elswhere in Europe, we were too close to the clouds. But just far enough to gain from it on 4 m enabling short distance contacts! It’s not too often you can work within Germany … Continue reading →

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Six, Four & Two into Spain

Posted on June 25, 2021 by dh8bqa

Sporadic-E was quite localized today. While 6 m was open into different directions (worked A7/LL55, 5T/IL10 and EA8/IL17 on double hops) it was basically Spain only on 4 m starting to open early evening only and one hour later 2 … Continue reading →

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