[AK-VHF] 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