[VHFcontesting] Sept. VHF Contest tropo

[jon jones]

Strong regional tropo across the Heartland early Sunday morning. Very strong signals out to 500 - 600 miles.
This was a "top --> down" type of opening with very strong ducting on UHF and microwaves. A real
boon to the rovers and low power portables who were able to work hundreds of miles on 222, 432, 902
1296 and 2304 MHz with low power and small antennas. I completed with K2DRH en41 and W0FY em48
with S-9 signals on 432 MHz with 10 W and a 8 el quagi. WQ0P and others reported making many 
 microwave contacts with loud signals. 
 
I managed to work K0WYN St. Louis, MO on 6M tropo -- but his signal was much weaker on 6 vs. 2 or 432 MHz.
Signals were actually loudest on 432 MHz despite my small antenna for most of stations I logged.
This implies a relatively thin tropo ducting layer . The furthest I worked on 2M tropo was EN50 -  oddly it was KO2R/r !
Tropo seemed to burn off by 1700 utc. Hepburn's map suggested the tropo might extend to KY, IN, OH, etc
the furthest east I heard/worked was Illinois.