[Meteor-Scatter] RE: [Moon-net] Re: [HSMS/JT44] 144 MHz Es

[Graham]

At 22:18 21/05/03 +0200, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>I can report having seen several QSO's between Hungary/Tschechia/Germany and
>Canary Islands. That is around 3500 km!!
>In Holland not further than EA9...
>
>73, Dick/PA2DWH
>

no sea after EA9 from your angle Dick.....coincindence ??

these may not be pure E's qso's ??

for several days before the whole EA south coast and CT west coast was being
heard/worked by the EA8 guys, even EA1VHF beacon was being reported, which
is well north & inland. ie the tropo was roaring.

Seems possible that these were E's with a tropo extension as the bulk of the
Es opening was to south EA or west coast CT.

the entry/exit angle to this Es+tropo path would favour those east of PA,
because of the first Es reflection point, as would a true double hop E's
path as the second reflection would be over sea and not land. The anomoly to
this was the G7RAU - EA8 qso but we have no other data on what was going on
that far west as there is no other path that works to anywhere from Europe
to a reflection point that drifts/forms west of CT. The EA8 was also audible
here for long periods but very weak just on the noise floor at the same time
as I was working CT1 on the coast, seems the entry angle was not right, but
was working, just.

These long "Es" qso's are not terribly unusual on paths that have long water
expanses at one end in areas where during the Es seasons there are often
extended tropo sea paths, some OK's did it last year, and the EA to 4X4 path
has also exhibited the same behaviour as it has from here with LZ's on their
east coast (black sea) and suddenly RZ6 appears from the far side of the
water. This was possibly/probably the mechanism in operation from VS6 to JA7
also when I made 3k, minus a few meters :-(,  on this occassion the tropo
extension was possibly at my end as Taiwan was worked on tropo during the
prior days.


The other explanation is that the double hop needed is enhanced by having a
water reflection. In which case LONGER distances not shorter would be
favoured by the geometry required, too close and you will not make the
second hop geometry needed or be in the dead zone and if double hop is
really the mode then I am a bit surprised we have not seen more long
distance stuff across mainland europe.

I'm not sure which route offers the best calculated path loss option as I
have not calculated it (someone care to ?? although what to assume for the
Es efficiency is hard to speculate, the tropo duct over sea is well
documented/calculable) 

This is, as with all things Es, speculation based purely on observation,
either way, it doesn't really matter I guess as long as the QSO's are made
and folks had fun & excitement making them, but it is interesting/coincidental.

Graham F5VHX


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