[VHFcontesting] RE 2 Meter Beacon on C6

[w3cmp at aol.com]

Hello Steve:

    A two meter beacon would be a great idea.  There are propagation paths to the Caribbean that are untapped because no one ever looks that way.  If you recall, the legendary VP5D, Bob Cooper, was very active on 2 meters from VP5 up to the early 1990s when he moved to ZL.  He did come up the coast and into the states on several occasions on sporadic E and tropo.  Herb KV4FZ used to be very active on 2 meters from St Croix in the 1980s and 1990s, and there was a lot of 2 meter activity on Puerto Rico, at least pre 2017 hurricanes. 
     In 1992 and 1993 I went to Turks and Caicos for 2 meter EME DXpeditions. Grid was FL31.  The set up was a pair of M2 5WLs in '92 and a pair of 19XXX in '93, a TR-751A, Commander II amplifier, mast mounted preamp.  I was able to work into South and Central Florida every day at a distance of almost 600 miles.  Rene, WB4MJE in Big Pine Key, Bruce, K2RTH, and others I can't recall were no problem on SSB.  In 1995 I went to Little Cayman with W7GJ for a EME DXpedition.  Grid was EK99; setup was similar to setup at VP5.  Again, getting over the mountains of Cuba and back to the Keys and South and north to Central Florida on SSB and CW were no problem.
     In 2006 and 2007 I took 2 meter equipment along with 6 meter equipment to Haiti.  Power was 170 watts and antenna was a 9 ele M2 in 2006 and a 13 ele KB8RQ model in 2007.  I did work several hundred miles over to Puerto Rico with little difficulty.  Didn't try the states because of the lack of reliable ac power.
     No doubt there were and are tropo and sporadic E openings from the Caribbean islands way up the coast and into the southeastern US that go undetected because of the lack of indicators and activity.  The location in the Bahamas would be a great indicator of potential openings down towards Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, U. S. and British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Eastern Cuba, and perhaps other desirable DX locations.  
     If I can be of help in getting a beacon set up email me directly.

73,  Chris W3CMP