[TransAtlantic] Today's Hepburn US/Canada-IRE

[M. Casey]

Friday PM Update,

There were a number of stations on the air here in the US last night and
early this morning. But, Nothing was heard and while conditions were
very good early in the evening from New England to Virginia, conditions
to the Canadian Atlantic provinces only showed modest enhancement.


It is unlikely that the entire path will connect but......
This afternoon's Hepburn Forecast indicates the possbility that an enhanced
Tropo path may exist at some point in time 22:00 UTC (6pmEDT Fri) tonite
and 0600 Saturday (2am EDT Sat), between the US East Coast, north of North
Carolina and the West Coast of Ireland.

Conditions are predicted to be greatly enhanced right on the coast tonite,
especially north of New Jersey to Newfoundland.

A few years ago, 90+MHz FM Broadcast stations from Maine and Eastern Canada
were heard in Ireland. Chris, GW4DGU, correctly pointed out that it was 
generally
accepted that the reception was via e-skip. But, tropo is, however rare, 
still
possible.

The FM Broadcast band may be a convenient place to
monitor conditions, even if you are not at your station.

Here's a few to try

USA/Canada------------------
99.1 CKIX St. John, Newf. 100kw-music
105.9 CBAF St. John, Newf   46kw--French
97.1 CBTB Baie Verte, Newfoundland 5kw
90.5 CBHA-FM Halifax, Nova Scotia 100kw--runs CBC Radio One--mostly News &
Info
89.7  WTBP-FM  Bath, Maine 10kw--
89.7 WGBH Boston, MA 98kw public
91.1 WNAN  Nantucket, MA 2kw
95.1 WXTK Yarmouth, MA 50kw
107.1 WCOD Hyannis, MA 50kw
107.5 WFCC Chatham, MA 50kw

Western IRELAND------------------
88.7 RTE Radio 1--Bantry SW Ireland 2kw
88.8 RTE Radio 1, 91.0 RTE 2FM, 93.2 Radio Gaeltachta---Maghera Mtn. Co
Clare, West Ireland --all 160kw
89.2 RTE Radio 1, 91.4 RTE2FM -- Cork City, Ireland --both 10kw
89.5 RTE Radio 1 W. Kerry,2kw,  W. Galway 3kw--both W Ireland
90.0 RTE Radio 1 -- Mullaganish, Southwest Ireland 160kw
104.9 4FM (music)--Galway 10kw
106.1, 105.7, 104.5  Red FM (new music)--Cork SW Ireland 10kw

After reviewing the Region 1 and 2 bandplans, and usage, I suggest we all
use 144.330. then.......
Make some noise and leave 5-10 second pauses between your transimission and
any other transmission you may hear, no matter how weak, unless you can
identify that transmission as one coming from the other side of the
Atlantic.

There are other frequencies we can use, but 144.330 is relatively unused
here on the US East Coast.  On this end, we called using CW & USB on.330
while some digital stations used .325 I haven't heard any problems using 
.330
on the Ireland side, but please let me know if  there is a conflict.

Please Use the ON4KST 144/432 chats.
(But, I do not have internet at my station)

On Sat AM, many of us will be out for the 10GHz contest (144.260 liason)

73
Mark K1MAP FN32sb Massachusetts