[VHFcontesting] Taking advantage of brief propagation on VHF and up !

[Mark Spencer]

I'm curious has anyone else noticed brief "blips" of enhanced signals on 144 MHz and 222 MHz at all hours of the day ?  (Ie a signal from a distant grid peaks up well out of the noise for a few seconds then vanishes never to be heard again.)

I have noted this quite often (mostly on 144 MHz) when contesting from remote areas.   The signals don't seem to sound like meteor scatter and seem much shorter than typical air craft scatter events, but I can't really rule out either mode. 

Irrespective of the source of these signals I have been pondering ways to exploit this type of propagation and make more contacts during contests.  Maybe using  MSK144 with a very short T/R time might work ?  I figure anyone interested in trying to work me could monitor the pre announced frequency and probably wouldn't need to transmit unless they actually heard me ?

I was thinking perhaps of trying this out on 222 MHz while I used more traditional modes on 50 and 144 MHz.   This could run in the back ground so to speak and wouldn't really impact my "rate" as I typically don't do much with 222 and 432 unless I am "running the bands" with another station.

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

73
Mark S
VE7AFZ

mark at alignedsolutions.com
604 762 4099