Equinox 2014

[VK2ZRH]

C'mon equinox - do your stuff!

Tuesday 23 September is the vernal equinox (for the southern hemisphere).

This is TEP season.

There are two flavours of TEP . . . afternoon (super mode propagation) and evening (plasma bubble propagation).

6m enthusiasts, see here: http://home.iprimus.com.au/toddemslie/aTEP-Harrison.htm

2m enthusiasts (and 6m enthusiasts in northern Australia, see here: http://home.iprimus.com.au/toddemslie/eTEP-Harrison.htm

Posted in the interests of refreshing interest and knowledge in VHF DX.

[VK4WDM]

Hi Roger

Those links are very interesting. I think the 2m path from VK4 to JA has been worked once. I have heard a JA but failed to make contact.

Obviously many potential contacts are being missed and we need to become more proactive by calling and listening frequently when conditions are favorable but we need to clarify what the calling frequency is going to be. 144.1MHZ is used in VK but I believe that 144.2MHZ is used in JA?

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK2ZRH]

JA has been worked on 2m numerous times. VK4BFO holds the current Australian 2m DX records with a contact to JI7DMB (6763 km).

The 2m calling frequency won't matter - when the band opens to JA with nighttime TEP, it can be like 20m during a contest.

[VK3ZAZ]

A few JAs have been reporting what they perceive as VK4 FM stations over past few weeks fwiw.
How they do that is uncertain especially when it comes to callsigns which are rarely sent, so they have based it on frequency I guess.
no one responded.
If I was one of the fortunate few in the te zone I would respond but I don't so its up to the northern guys to lift their game and that's anywhere from Townsville to Broome.
But from what I remember about the 2M qsos records they were achieved by driving to the sweet spots out near the border of VK4 and VK8 initially and then from Mt Isa if I am not mistaken .. long way to drive for a 2M qso.


VK8HW JR6LHX 20/04/79 4969.7
VK4ZSH/4 JA7OXL 08/05/82 6543.9
VK4ZSH/4 JA7OXL 24/04/83 6616.9
VK4BFO JI7DMB 15/04/91 6763.0



Nil 2M qsos this century so far..


JR4ENY/1 VK4-FM? 104.9 1002 140923 180 104.9 103.3 101.7 peak 41 Mt.Isa?
JR4ENY/1 VK4-FM? 101.1 0939 140922 TEP 101.1 105.9 105.5 105.1? 104.7 104.3? 103.3? 103.1 102.7 101.5 94.3
JR4ENY/1 VK4-FM? 101.1 1014 140920 180 TEP 105.1 weak Cairns?
JR4ENY/1 VK4-FM? 101.1 0926 140918 180 TEP 94.3 107.5 106.7 105.9 105.5 105.1 104.7 101.5 Cairns and Townsville?
JR4ENY/1 VK4-FM? 104.9 1020 140917 180

[VK8MS]

Hi Roger (et all)
Six meters here has been very busy past few weeks (as usual for this time of year) into most of Asia (too many calls to list) on six even worked a new one this week HS0ZEA as Thailand now has access to six meters, this time of year there are a few of us active on six although it may not get posted as we find if we post too often it agitates some of our southern DX friends & Fo.
We also have regular path to KH6 mid afternoons and Middle east A47,A61,A9,A71,9K2 not many Hams operating on six from that region although this week we have worked 9K2MU & 9K2GS quite a few times.

On two meters this week I have worked into Timor & Indonesia BUT not sure if legitimate call signs as I can copy many Indons using two meters as CB style radio.

Have also been try to arrange skeds with JA's on two meters haven't worked any JA's since last cycle.

Regards,
Mark VK8MS.

[VK2ZRH]

Thanks for the detailed report. Keep up the good work, Mark.

[VK4WDM]

Plenty of JA on 6m into Townsville lately. I have just got my 2m yagi back up but is still has some matching issues to fix. Once that is sorted I will dedicate a radio to listen Nth on 2m.

No sign of the Middle East Stations on 6m over this side but they were very rare even during the peak of last cycle when we were working heaps of EU.

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[JR4ENY/1]

[quote="VK4WDM"]

> I have heard a JA but failed to make contact.

I am very interested in it.
When?
We JAs have never worked Townsville or Cairns area on 2m
but some reports of pagers(147MHz?) in cycle 21.

Summary of FM opening in Spring.
http://9210.teacup.com/2m_es_mania/bbs/2472 (Japanese)

de JR4ENY/1 Awa in Kawasaki Japan pm95sn.

[VK4WDM]

I have heard a JA but failed to make contact. When?

I will have to check back in my logs for the exact date but from memory it was late afternoon in October 1998 during a very intense 6m TEP opening to JA. A station was heard talking in Japanese (probably in contact with another local) but no call sign was identified. I don't think the JA's knew that there was an opening in progress and it only lasted for a few minutes. Myself and another Townsville stations called them but no contact was made.

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[JR4ENY/1]

Dear Wayne

>it was late afternoon in October 1998 during a very intense 6m TEP opening to JA.
...
>Myself and another Townsville stations called them but no contact was made.

Very interesting!
I am living in JA1 area since Oct.1992.
But never hrd VK4 on 2m and hrd VK4FM this Spring 1st(cycle24).
I was active on 2m SSB and EME in 1998 from JL1ZCG.

I do need more detailed info like date,time and frequency etc.
(frequency is very important because many fixed frequency stations/groups in JA)

tnx! de JR4ENY/1 Awa