It looked as though the last of the current super-tropo would be swept away with some advancing low pressure tomorrow morning, and conditions looked excellent from 21UT to 09UT.
Before going QRT for the evening, I came back to the radio from watching some TV, to find D41CV booming in at up to -06dB - in my tiny 3-element Yagi! I was using 50W initially, with 80W later, to make sure the full QSO was completed, as propagation faded a little.
It took me just two calls to be heard! I'm absolutely amazed that I've achieved with so little what would have been, last week, the 2m IARU R1 distance record.
It's a shame that so many operators still refuse to engage with FT8, simply because it goes against their fixed ideas about what radio is. The Facebook and QRZ.com groups have seen a fair share of grumpy men saying these groundbreaking DX distances are 'not real QSOs'. Well, I agree the mode is no good for human-human contact. But for sheer technical ability to reach parts other modes never did, and the fascination that brings, is reward enough for me.
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| Superb radio site at D41CV. |
Bring on the summer. There's no stopping me (but I may become a lonely man, sending 2m CQs into the void for weeks!) Until then, it seems I have no other long-haul DX stations to chase!
Wow, that's excellent John. Who would have thought... Cape Verde Islands direct on 144 MHz with a 3 element! No satellites, no ionosphere, just tropo.
ReplyDeleteHNY, John! Yes, who would have thought? If it had been put forward as a possibility a few weeks ago, the 'experts' would have laughed at it.
DeleteIt would have been a record distance a few weeks ago. Congrats with this great QSO. I consider FT8 as valid. If you can do it with FT8 a real "QSO" mode like JS8 would be possible as well. But what do you have to prove ;-). Well, because of this post I mounted my VHF/UHF beam in the tower again after 12 years!!! 73, Bas
ReplyDeleteThe FT8 for/against argument has been raging - and I lost patience with it and abandoned the grumpy people to fight amongst themselves! I am very glad you were inspired to put up your beam! The transatlantic crossing is now clearly possible, just a matter of time until the tropo/tropo + Es line up properly. My 8-ele is awaiting construction this week!
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