Improved Propagation

[River City ARCS]

This article below was submitted by Don Righello, W6PJJ

By now, many local Amateur Radio Operators are probably aware that the Upper HF Bands have been experiencing improved Sporadic E and Backscatter Propagation over the past few days. All one has to do is listen and make a call from time-to-time to get activity stirred up.  

Just yesterday afternoon… I was sitting at my favorite location not far my the Home QTH where the manmade noise is very low. On the way there…I began listening on 20 Meters Phone and low-and-behold I heard a IK0. At first I thought he might be MM in the Pacific or located near the US. Wrong, he was in the Mountains near Rome. I thought, maybe during a short lull he might just hear in Pileup. So, I called him in Italian… Boom, he replied immediately, we had nice shore QSO. I called Bob N6PGQ when I first heard Paulo, Bob worked him and shortly thereafter, I landed this contact from my Mobile running a very old FT-100 and a lousy radiating dummy load… called an ATAS mobile antenna. 

I spend a significant amount of time in the Foothills SE of Sacramento, mostly because I am a country guy, I grew up in the country, and the love of it… has never faded. I also do a sizable amount of Landscape Photography in the country as well as Astrophotography. Just yesterday, I arrived at my little spot on a hill in Amador County about 30 miles SE of Sacramento, set up my Astro Equipment and while I waited for dark, I sat in the car fooling with the Transceiver. On the Six Meter Band at and near 50.125 I heard stations from ID, MT and WY. A bit later in the afternoon, the E Cloud had moved west and stations from WA, OR and CAN were coming in. 

Ten Meters was especially active yesterday with stations from CO, ID, MT, NM and WY having QSO’s. I worked a number of stations in Idaho and Montana. When it was dark, and the Astro Gear was on Computer control, I returned to the car to listen for Ten Meter Beacons. I found Beacons on the following Frequencies.

28.265 Time: 22:44 CW B Poor signal levels with QSB, could not copy a call sign or Grid NO. 

28.243 Time: 22:58 CW B Poor signal strength with QSB. This could have been the Beacon in the S. CA area that I have heard before. 

28.231 Time: 23: 04 CW B Call Sign W7PFR/B CN86 Location: Eatonville, WA.

28.207 Time: 23:05 CW B Call Sign NM7L/B DN06 Location: Richland, WA.

28.196 Time: 23:08 CW B Call Sign VE7MTY/B CN89 Location: Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, CAN.

28.277 Time: 23:13 CW B Call Sign W7UUU/B CN87 Location Port Orchard, WA. 

I have always enjoyed listening for distant stations, it began when I was about 6 years old and was introduced to a Shortwave Radio Receiver, I was hooked. I especially enjoy doing this from locations far from the Metro Areas where the nose floor is down in the -80-90db level or even better. Soon, I will be installing a cable for the CW Paddles for use with the FT-100 in the auto. For DX, CW is the best bet if you're not running QRO.

Last night after a long session at Astrophotography I packed up and headed home at Midnight. On my way home I worked two stations in VK Country and a station in N. Japan JA8COE, he was surprised I was mobile, he gave me a 5/5 he was well over S9. He called CQ four or five times after our contact without one response, I guess, most people are fast asleep that hour but, me, I know when to work the Pacific DX and that is usually when most folks are hard at it getting their beauty rest. 

73,

Don W6PJJ

“Life is too short to sleep it away, when there is so much DX to work”