Japan beacons for 144 MHz TEP

[VK2KRR]

Does anyone have any idea what beacons or other indicators are available from Japan that we can look for in Australia for TEP propagation?

Ive been seeing 6m TEP very late, 11pm est, though signals not all that strong yet. But next step will be to look for 144 MHz.

[VK5ZK]

Hi Leigh,

144mhz contacts to Japan using evening TEP were common from VK8 as far back as the 1970's.
Somewhere around 1977 I remember taking a 10 watt rig and a 3 element beam to Darwin and working several JA's on 144mhz SSB from my motel room.
One station active at the time in Darwin was VK8GB.
Jeff, VK5GF could probably add a lot more on this activity.
There was quite a bit published in AR magazine at the time.
I do remember that VK8GB had beacons that he monitored but don't have any details.

Garry VK5ZK

[VK4KSY]

I do remember this.
I and had a copy of some notes he sent around at the time on 144 Mhz to JA.
From memory he would scan the Bell pocket pagers freq, they were close to 144 mhz.

So that would be a start, BUT who uses pocket pagers any more .

Would like to see more info on this subject matter.

Kind regards
David
Vk4ksy

[VK2KRR]

There must be actual 2m beacons in Japan I would have thought
I did a quick internet search recently but didn't pick up much.
I think I did see a 2m beacon in Thailand, but the status of that Im unsure of.

[VK5PJ]

Leigh,
unless things have changed, there are NO beacons or repeaters in JA inside the 144 to 146 segment, that is why when you see a true domestic 2mx radio it has no repeater options on it

There must be actual 2m beacons in Japan I would have thought
I did a quick internet search recently but didn't pick up much.
I think I did see a 2m beacon in Thailand, but the status of that Im unsure of.

As JA has only a 2MHz allocation, it was deemed wasteful to allocate a frequency to any beacons, you must remember that JAS had / has an enormous HAM population, all trying to use that 2MHz of spectrum.

From memory 145.00 FM is the national calling freq so try listening there for activity.

Things may have changed, so I hope one of the JA's can help with some facts of what is there now. Your best bet is to find a national paging freq and look for that. Remember that 146-148 is not a ham allocation in JA and was / is full of commercial operators.

[VK3QI]

Leigh,

This is the site that might be of benefit to you to ascertain what stations might be operating just below and above 144-146 Mhz in Japan,

http://www.tele.soumu.go.jp/e/index.htm

and http://www.tele.soumu.go.jp/resource/e/ ... 008/t2.pdf

Unfortunately they don't appear to have an on-line accessible database (such as ACMA has).

It might be worth asking a few JA hams if that sort of information is available to certain people in the administration area - no doubt there would be plenty of "hams" working in the Japanese MIC.

Cheers

Peter VK3QI

[VK2KRR]

Hi & thanks for the info Peter.

Just out of interest, here is an image of 50 MHz WSPR evening TEP signal which I received from Tetsu JE5FLM. This was my signal which he reporting back to me. WSPR wont normally decode on evening TEP due to spreading etc. Even on 28 MHz its struggles.

As you can see this signal was close to 11 PM my time. Doesn't appear to be all that bad on this signal, though u can see its probably about 10 to 12 Hz, maybe double usual width.

6m TEP WSPR

I think WSPR could be used on 144 MHz as an automatic transmission which stations can visually see/hear for signs of signal getting through, they would just need to be both on a logger or chat to then go to voice or CW to make a contact.

[VK3BJM]

Leigh,

Perhaps you could try contacting the "DUBUS" columnist from Japan, Seiji Fukushima, JH6RTO. His email is jh6rto at m.ieice.org - he may be able to direct you to some JA TEP enthusiasts.

73,
Barry
VK3BJM

[VK2KRR]

Maybe we can find some Japanese 2m dxers via this page -
http://www.big.or.jp/~ham/pubhtml/dxclvu.html

[VK2KRR]

Has anyone had any luck identifying any possible 144 MHz beacons from Japan?
Doesn't seem good.

[JR4ENY/1]

144.66 1200bps APRS will be the best beacon for JA.
Over 500 fixed APRS staions TX and *RX* 24/365.

These are one of the most active digipeters in JA1 and JA6.
http://aprs.fi/info/?call=JJ1YDX-3
http://aprs.fi/info/?call=JF6YFU-3

And 144.64 was an old JA APRS FREQ.
Now qrv JAs 9600BPS and JR6 okinawa,BY,BV QRV 1200bps.
So VK6's may monitor 144.64.

FB DX! de JR4ENY/1 AWA PM95SN

[VK2ZRH]

For those interested, the link below provides an overview of evening type TEP, which supports propagation at 144 MHz . . . and higher

EVENING TRANSEQUATORIAL VHF PROPAGATION
http://home.iprimus.com.au/toddemslie/eTEP-Harrison.htm

The link to the Geoscience Australia website at the bottom of the page is a misnomer.

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK2KRR]

JR4ENY thanks for the info.

Roger thanks also for your paper on the subject, interesting to see where the peaks may be.

I highly doubt anything will come of this unless perhaps interested operators in JA form a group of some sort, so that interested parties at each end can keep in touch with each other and advise of evening transmissions, scheds etc on a regular basis.

[VK4KSY]

144 MHZ into Japan..

Thanks Leigh VK2KRR for your efforts following up on this subject.

Also a special thanks to JR4ENY for providing detailed information on frequency to listen for 144.66.

To VK2ZRH Rodger (propagation Guru) for an excellent posting on 144 MHZ TEP, a very good read.

Now the next thing that comes to mind is, are JA stations allowed on 144.100 and is it their calling frequency or should we listen else where,?.

Yes Leigh, it might not happen this solar cycle BUT we can’t see around corners can we.
The DX gods might be kind to us.

There are more solar cycles to come and Rogers data will be there to help the younger generation looking for this elusive goal that we all have.

Regards
David VK4KSY.

[VK2KRR]

Hi David,

No problems with the follow up.

BTW Im not at all saying that it wont happen due to the current low solar activity levels, and as you say, you certainly dont know whats around the corner, solar flux could be up to 200 by March, you never know.

I think the limiting factor will be stations available to try the path from the Japanese side. Once the VK's find out there are some willing to try, I dont think there would be any shortage of VK4's having a look north on 2m. Very impressed with activity levels in VK4 of late

[JR4ENY/1]

[quote="VK4KSY"]144 MHZ into Japan..

>Now the next thing that comes to mind is, are JA stations allowed on 144.100 and is it their calling frequency or should we listen else where,?.

In JA,144.100-144.400 is for SSB.
Here is the bandplan in JA(this is the law)
http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/6_Band_Pl ... 090330.pdf
But we don't use 144.100 for SSB.
Usually we start to use from 144.105 and 5KHz steps up like 144.110,115,120.....

No SSB calling frequency in JA.
We often use 144.150 for CQ DX in case of ES begining,because many stations in a rural area listen there.
But in JA1 area,most of all DX'ers use fixed group freq. like 144.130 144.165 144.230 etc etc.
So I can't say one good freq.

Older days we always used 144.110 for TEP contacts.
So I recommend calling CQ JA on 144.110.

de JR4ENY/1 AWA PM95SN

[JR4ENY/1]

From JA1 side
I am always monitoring lower freq. like VOR,TV,FM.
There were no good evening TEP path at all in this cycle24.

So I want to ask VK4s,"Can you hear JA FM stations?"
If no,maybe no chance to 144MHz.

I am a member of JVUDXC.(FM DX CLUB)
No TEP reports on FM band yet in this cycle24.
During cycle 23,reported Darwin FM often from JA6,but no FM reports from JA1 to VK4.
->No 144 TEP QSO recorded in cycle23. maybe low activity from VK8.
During cycle 22,reported VK4 FM from JA1 sometimes.
->QSO between JA1 and VK4 recorded.

de JR4ENY/1 AWA PM95SN

[VK2ZRH]

I prepared and presented a paper on TEP at the 2007 Gippsland Technical Conference, detailing the characteristics of ducted mode (evening type) TEP and two challenges for VK operators: bridging VK-JA on 432 MHz and extending the world 2m terrestrial record (about 7200 km two-way, ~8000 km one-way).

Here's a PDF of the presentation:

TEP_Gippstech_2007_Presentation.pdf

(1.33 MiB) Downloaded 755 times

Here's a PDF of the paper, published in 2008:

TEP_Gippstech_2007_Presentation.pdf

(1.33 MiB) Downloaded 755 times

The critical thing to making contacts is that stations at each end lie within the Heron-McNamara "communications zone" - an ellipse whose dimensions are related to the operating frequency; the higher the frequency, the smaller the ellipse. Fortunately, on 144 MHz, the ellipse is many kms in length on each axis. The illustration below shows the communications zones likely to support contacts greater than 7200 km.

VK-JA paths and communication zones for which record-breaking path lengths might be achieved.

Leigh VK2KRR: unfortunately, this indicates you're rather too far south and could not get into an equatorial plasma bubble without some sort of propagation extension, eg. tropo or Es. No harm in trying, however. Remember, it was once said 144 Mhz was too high a frequency for TEP

Good luck with your efforts, everyone.

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK2KRR]

Remember, it was once said 144 MHz was too high a frequency for TEP

Remember it was once said 2m doesn't go beyond line of sight too
Roger, I like a challenge, will certainly give it a try if/when condx favourable!

Older days we always used 144.110 for TEP contacts.
So I recommend calling CQ JA on 144.110

JR4ENY - Tnx for your info of frequency etc. Perhaps we can have unofficial freq of 144.110 MHz for stations looking for TEP.

[JR4ENY/1]

Followings are special SWL reports in JA7 and JA8 during cycle21.
But I don't have original papers.

1982/10/29 ????z VK4ZSH/8(PG87?) -> JR7ICP(R) QN01OG MUTSU-CITY 1WAY
1982/10/29 ????z VK4ZSH/8(PG87?) -> JA8AKB(R) QN03VE IWAMIZAWA-CITY 1WAY
1983/05/01 10??z VK4BFO(Mt.isa) -> JA8GEP(R) QN02QX SAPPORO-CITY

JA8RC QN03WG MIKASA-CITY said he HRD VK8 Darwin before.(NOT VK4!)
JA1VOK QM05AR FUNABASHI-CITY has been HRD by VK8AM.
VK4RO(QH30QK) HRD PAGERS ON 146.76 in MITO?(JA1) on 1982/05/08 1025z.

No contacts ever
JA1-VK8 Darwin
JA7-VK8
JA8-VK
VK4 around Townsville or Cairns area - JA

They mean the possibility of new records.

But again I must say,in this cycle24 FM is not even reported so far.

de JR4ENY/1 AWA PM95SN