Topband: ON4UBA/B

[Graham Mercer]

Hi Greg ... (and fellow Reflectees!)

Re: the above mentioned beacon ... John/ON4UN set up this beacon, operating
from his own QTH and running 600w, as part of a propagation experiment for
the solar eclipse. There were 2 other similar beacons on 40 and 80 ... These
were only switched on from 0300-1300utc approx for the experiment.

F.Y.I. ... here the eclipse was only 85%, whereas in Cornwall and GU/GJ it
was total, Wx here was totally overcast, but I was more interested in
monitoring 160m!! ... A TRULY FASCINATING experience it was too!
...Propagation was HIGHLY enhanced across the line of shadow ... Here EA3JE
in Barcelona, southern Spain was 20db over S9 at 1017utc, and gave me 599
(ere just 100w!) ...
IV3PRK peaked 599+10, and best heard but not worked was a 9A1 ... The
propagation to the east, i.e. along the track of the eclipse, was much
poorer, with stations in SP and DJ working  IV3PRK, but were not audible
here, although the IV3 was 579-599! GM3POI/Clive up in the Orkney Islands
received a 599 from IV3PRK.

Propagation seemed to be better after max eclipse, rather than before, and
signals held up much longer than I ever imagined! .. e.g. The max eclipse
time here would be approx 1110utc, but IV3PRK was audible from approx
1115z,when I first tuned across him, until about 1150utc, when he rapidly
started to
go into the noise (my ambient noise level around S5). A remarkable and
unforgettable one-off job methinks ..
never to be experienced again by GM4BES! ... but eclipses will occur in
other parts of the world, and are a MUST for 160m ops!!
I have spent the last 30 years here in Portpatrick, monitoring frequencies
in the 1.8-3.5Mhz region as a Coastal Radio Station R/O at GPK, day and
night, and have heard/worked some extraordinary things, but as far as a
summer mid-day experience goes, this beats the lot!

73 de Graham (Little 100w pistol!)
GM4BES.




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