VK to ZL Tropo Openings 2014/2015

[VK2KRR]

Thinking it could be a good idea to have a spot to make a log of the VK to ZL tropo openings. And to alert people to potential paths.

25.11.14, this afternoon is looking good
I'd suggest there is potential for an opening from NE VK2 and SE VK4 across to the north island of New Zealand (ZL) this afternoon and evening.
This will be found on the north eastern side of the low pressure trough and connected cold front which will sweep across the Tasman sea today as this extends across and lines up correctly with the two land masses. Once the trough or front passes to your east the path will die.
The Hepburn charts are also indicating same from about 0600 utc.

251114 BoM

251114 Hepb

I'd really suggest to fully monitor whats going on I'd be using 162 MHz marine tracking for floating beacons across the path, and 144 MHz WSPR initially. The data from that could prove to be very interesting with stations in a number of different loactions along each coast.

I'd suggest watching DX Maps AIS page for 162 MHz marine tracking info where you know there is no repeater spots. VK4FTEN is the only VK4 I know of who is uploading his data to there at present and VK2HIM is a good one for the more southerly paths. Spots are only uploaded if over 300 km.
http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php?Lan ... &HF=N&GL=N

[VK2KRR]

Fortunately this prediction worked out well
Good to see all the ZL stations that turned up on the logger, and the VK4's. A shame many were stuck at work.
A number of 2300 km 2m paths were worked. Seemed to begin at 0200 utc approx on voice.
I think VK4KSY almost got a 2500 km JT65 QSO but was not complete. Cant recall the ZL.
I dont think anything was worked above 2m band.
There were no extended marine tracking signals that I noticed.

The low pressure trough was easily observed at the VK2/VK4 end by looking at weatherzone or BoM radars. And was interesting to see where it was up to and who was getting signals. Radars dont extend out to sea far, but it seems the real disruption of the path occurred toward the ZL side of the ocean with the cold front sweeping NE ward at the far end quicker than the VK side. Satellite cloud map shows it a bit better on a wider scale.

So remeber to watch out for these cold front and trough link ups. When on correct angles from VK to ZL seem to work. I've observed it quite a few times. Doesnt always occur like this though. Will try keep a record of it here.

I'll keep an eye out for the next potential path.

[VK3ZTE]

G'day Leigh. Wondering - in your experience, does this type of phenomenon ever exist down into southern Victoria?

73 Grant

[VK3DXE]

G'day Leigh. Wondering - in your experience, does this type of phenomenon ever exist down into southern Victoria?

73 Grant

We get these down into VK7 Grant. When a strong front comes through Bass Strait, signals from VK7 can be really intense. The geometry with the angle of the fronts is generally no good for us across the Tasman though.

[VK3ZTE]

I'll be looking forward to it. cheers Alan

[VK2KRR]

Grant,
What Alan said is generally correct.
But this is not to say that there are no ZL paths into Melbourne, because they do happen occassionally, just in a different way to what happened above is all.

[VK3ZTE]

Thanks Leigh. Do you have a sense of the number of ZLs with an interest in WSPR? Come the summer, I would be tempted to WSPR towards ZL more often if I thought someone might be on the lookout . This with a view, hopefully, to follow on SSB contacts. cheers Grant

[VK2KRR]

Grant,

I sense there is very few ZLs that are interested in 2m WSPR which is a shame. I have seen one or two pop up occassionally, but unless they are GPS locked stations its going to be very hard for them to know if there on correct freq or not drifting unless they can do some local testing. It becomes almost useless without knowing if your station works correctly as you well know.
Not much I can do about it im afraid.

[ZL2BKC]

Grant,

I sense there is very few ZLs that are interested in 2m WSPR which is a shame. I have seen one or two pop up occassionally, but unless they are GPS locked stations its going to be very hard for them to know if there on correct freq or not drifting unless they can do some local testing. It becomes almost useless without knowing if your station works correctly as you well know.
Not much I can do about it im afraid.

Actually us ZL's like the VK's to do the hard work instead

There are now 5 ZL beacons running JT4 modes that are worthwhile listening to, and I would expect more to come. Unfortunately the frequency shifts of WSPR are to low to be generated directly using the PLL's in use at the 2 sites running JT4 so it is off the menu.

The current beacons to listen out for on digital modes are:

Wellington ZL2UHF
144.275MHz Running JT4D every minute
432.275MHz Running JT4D every minute
1296.275MHz Running JT4F every nminute

Waipuna Ridge ZL2WHO/b
432.271MHz Running JT4D and CW ID on alternate minutes
1296.271MHz Running JT4F as per 70cm

There is also planned in the pipeline:
Wellington 3.4GHz and 10GHz beacons (the 10GHz is close to ready, and the 3.4GHz has been waiting 12 month for license approval)

The 1296.271 ZL2WHO/b beacon was commissioned yesterday and will be enabled in 1-2 weeks time once the license application is complete.

Unfortunately the only 2m beacon is in Wellington which does not have the punch to get to VK, but maybe this year with JT4 modes running it will be heard. Please please try!

Mark's 2m beacons on .271 runs a higher power so if the his 2m beacon is heard then I challenge everyone to check for the JT4D signal's on 432.271 to see if that band is open.

Yes, 6m is missing from the list as it has a number of other technical difficulties that still need to be ironed out (too much to explain here), so R&D is concentrating on WSPR on 6m instead. I'm expecting a licensing complication to deal with as well, but (I am not an expert on licensing matters but this could be how it pan out) we could end up with a national license for the WSPR frequency. This could open up the opportunity to run beacons at fixed locations for no license fee as the MED SMART system allows for this concept which is in use by the commercial TV users.

So in the future we could have a local beacon (like the ones at the 2 sites listed above) which go on a "WSPR break" every 5 or 10 minutes - change to the WSPR frequency and do their thing for 2 minutes and return back to their normal duties. This concept is quite exiting to me and I am keen to give it a try. Maybe for next summer (but no promises) If it doesn't catch on it can all be changed via DTMF control.

73,
Wayne ZL2BKC

[VK3ZTE]

Thanks for the info Wayne. When conditions look promising this summer, I'll keep a lookout on both 144.275 (although inexperienced in using JT4D) and 144.271 beaming ESE or thereabouts. cheers Grant VK3ZTE

[VK3ZTE]

Leigh. I take your point about the difficulties of getting going without a sprinkling of other users providing regular predictable signals to set things up. My personal experience too, was that I hadn't really appreciated the advantages of proper frequency locking until I'd played around with known signals and receiving stations for a while. cheers Grant

[ZL3PX]

I can squirt WSPR anytime day or night to VK but tropo from the eastern side of the S.I is rear
I will be there

[VK2KRR]

Possible northern ZL to northern VK7 and south coast VK3 later friday night and saturday morning.

ZL to VK3/7 morning 13.12.14

[ZL3TY]

Weak tropo on VK2DVZ meteor scatter signals this morning (saturday)

ZL3TY

[VK3ZAZ]

Grant,
What Alan said is generally correct.
But this is not to say that there are no ZL paths into Melbourne, because they do happen occassionally, just in a different way to what happened above is all.

I have only been back on 2m since 5A went off and have worked ZL1,2,3 both on Es and TROPO
and set new VK3 record.
Brian VK5BC also worked across as did the SERG guys.
Alerting is the key which did not occur this week much when the band opened to VK2 and 4 on es on 2M few were on.
WSPR failed dismally.

[VK2KRR]

WSPR failed dismally

I dont think its fair to say WSPR failed Steve, more so the operators failed. It needs stations on air to make it work.

On the other hand, its been pretty easy to see the short 6m E paths coming up with all the stations on 6m WSPR . So its easy to see where 2m paths should pop up.

I run both 6 & 2m WSPR at the same time from the one PC, makes it easier.