Digital QSO via Aurora

[Paul Kiesel]

Howdy All,

Yesterday afternoon and evening, the solar flux was at a level of five and sporadic E propagation was pretty much subdued around the PNW. Around 0145 UTC, W7FI alerted me to the presence of auroral signals on 50.313 MHz. I went down to the shack to check it out, as I had been hoping to complete a digital QSO via aurora for a number of years as just a personal quest, so to speak. I had been thinking that I would need to use JT4 to do it, since JT4 has been effective in decoding EME signals at 10 GHz and higher. At those frequencies EME signals tend to be fluttery like auroral signals.

When I got to the shack, I found an auroral signal on 313. It was not decoding via FT8. I turned the antenna to get the best signal strength. I found it best at a heading of 43 degrees. When I got the antenna to that place, the signal, which was a hiss, decoded and it was VE7DAY calling CQ. I called, but John didn't reply. I called him on the land line. He said he only heard a strong noise that didn't decode. We tried again and then John did get decodes and we quickly completed a QSO.

For PNWVHFS Distance Scoreboard purposes, this contact is a record setter for 50 MHz, Digital, Auroral at 336.7 km distance. As far as I know, it is the first claimed digital auroral QSO to have been made on the VHF bands. Not that it is all that significant, but it is notable.

I made an entry onto the PNWVHF Distance Scoreboard. (Don't forget to refresh)

We are into the spring/summer sporadic E season and some interesting DX contacts have already been made on six meters. The rules for PNWVHFS members submitting a distance record claim are listed on the Distance Scoreboard page. Good DXing!

https://www.qsl.net/k7cw/pnwvhfs/distancescoreboard.html

73, Paul K7CW

[Dave B.]

Very interesting Paul. Could show the way for other paths via the Arctic
Region.

    de Dave, N7DB CN85uj


--
David Bernhardt
Boring, OR

[Paul Kiesel]

Thanks, Chris. We'll try Q65 next time.

73, Paul K7CW

On Saturday, May 28, 2022, 11:31:54 AM PDT, Chris G4IFX <g4...@uksmg.org> wrote:

Fascinating, Paul, and well done. For info,  ac while ago I asked Joe Taylor which modes might work better than FT8 on aurora and he suggested one of the wider spaced Q65 variants would cope with it well. Might try it one of these days!

73

Chris

G4IFX

_._,_._,_

---

Groups.io Links:

You receive all messages sent to this group.

View/Reply Online (#974) | Reply To Group | Reply To Sender | Mute This Topic | New Topic

---

The opinions expressed are the opinions of the authors alone and not that of any associated organisations or employers or hosting Internet service providers. No material may be used in other media unless full credit is given to the UK Six Metre Group or the credited original source of the material.

---

Your Subscription | Contact Group Owner | Unsubscribe [k7...@yahoo.com]

_._,_._,_

[Lance Collister, W7GJ]

I understand people in the TEP Zone also have had some good success with Q65 on
warbly TEP signals... GL and VY 73, Lance

On 5/28/2022 19:43:16, Paul Kiesel via groups.io wrote:
> Thanks, Chris. We'll try Q65 next time.
>
> 73, Paul K7CW
>
> On Saturday, May 28, 2022, 11:31:54 AM PDT, Chris G4IFX <g4...@uksmg.org> wrote:
>
>
> Fascinating, Paul, and well done. For info,  ac while ago I asked Joe Taylor which
> modes might work better than FT8 on aurora and he suggested one of the wider spaced
> Q65 variants would cope with it well. Might try it one of these days!
> 73
> Chris
> G4IFX
>

> On Sat, 28 May 2022, 18:08 Paul Kiesel via groups.io <http://groups.io>,

> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Groups.io Links:
>
> You receive all messages sent to this group.
>

> View/Reply Online (#975) <https://groups.io/g/uksmg/message/975> | Reply To Group
> <mailto:uk...@groups.io?subject=Re:%20Re%3A%20%5Buksmg%5D%20Digital%20QSO%20via%20Aurora>
> | Reply To Sender
> <mailto:k7...@yahoo.com?subject=Private:%20Re:%20Re%3A%20%5Buksmg%5D%20Digital%20QSO%20via%20Aurora>
> | Mute This Topic <https://groups.io/mt/91398775/4876986> | New Topic
> <https://groups.io/g/uksmg/post>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The opinions expressed are the opinions of the authors alone and not that of any
> associated organisations or employers or hosting Internet service providers. No
> material may be used in other media unless full credit is given to the UK Six Metre
> Group or the credited original source of the material.

> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Your Subscription <https://groups.io/g/uksmg/editsub/4876986> | Contact Group Owner
> <mailto:uksmg...@groups.io> | Unsubscribe
> <https://groups.io/g/uksmg/leave/9258316/4876986/1881582236/xyzzy>
> [w7...@bigskyspaces.com]
> _._,_._,_

--
Lance Collister, W7GJ(ex WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8, E51SIX, 3D2LR, 5W0GJ, E6M, TX5K, KH8/W7GJ, V6M, T8GJ, VK9CGJ, VK9XGJ, C21GJ, CP1GJ, S79GJ, TX7MB, TO7GJ)
P.O. Box 73
Frenchtown, MT 59834-0073
USA
TEL: (406) 626-5728
QTH: DN27ub
URL: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj
Skype: lanceW7GJ
2m DXCC #11 - 6m DXCC #815 - FFMA #7

Interested in 6m EME? Ask me about subscribing to the new Magic Band EME
email group, or just fill in the request box at the bottom of my web
page (above)!