Doing the VHF treble again.

I have written before about how much I enjoy "doing the treble" on VHF

http://gm4fvm.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/doing-vhf-treble.html

That rather long and waffly piece sets out the detail, but in general the idea is that I enjoy jumping up the bands to catch the highest usable frequency I can get.

Today was a classic example. I have been hiding away with a migraine headache. Shut in the shack with the lights off feeling terrible and there was nothing on the radio anyway.

As I recovered I thought I would give the radio a go.

I had been monitoring 10m WSPR and it started to open into Germany and Poland. I tried 6m JT65 and after a while I worked one station:-

15:46 50.276 SQ8JMD KO02 1558km worked (he was -20 dB, but came up later).

My thoughts then turned to 4m, and the FM rig was finding Russian OIRT broadcast stations.

16:02 70.200 SP2MKO JO93 1345 worked 59.
16:07 70.200 S51DI worked 59 (what a good worker Ivan is for the 4m band)

So of course, it looked like the MUF might reach 2m, so I called

16:10 144.300 SP5WCK KO12 1708 worked 59
16:12 144.300 SP8QEJ KO11 1345 worked 57

I got a bit carried away as I have never worked SP from this location on 2m. GM4JJJ was also on the band and he moved up 10 and I moved down 10.

16:12 144.290 SP2MKO JO93 1350 worked 59

There was so much splatter on that frequency I moved down another 10

16:16 144.280 SP5XMU KO02 1549 worked 59

Imagine it, not able to find a quiet spot on 2 metres thanks to Polish DX.

After a few calls I returned to 144.300 where JJJ and myself took it in turns but that seemed to be it on 2m.

So  I moved back down onto 4m.

16:50 70.200 SP2MKO JO93 1350 worked 59.

This must be the first time for me that I have worked the same station in the same opening on both 2m and 4m. Marek suggested we move to 6m but I lost him there, sadly. In the meantime someone else called me on 4m.

16:52 70.200 HA3GR JN86 1731 Worked 59

16:58 70.200 SP2FH JO92 1418 Worked 59

Time for tea, after which:-

17:39 70.200 SP8EP KO11 1708 worked 57
17:44 70.200 SP5XMU KO02 1549 worked 59 and another  2m/4m double.

I have often had 4m/6m doubles with the same station , and many cross-band contacts between those bands, as they a quite close proportionately to their frequency. But the same stations in 2m/4m doubles is much harder. 2m is more than twice the 4m frequency.

And finally, the one that got away:-

17:10 70.200 LZ1ZP KN22 2454. I heard him clearly, he called QRZ, I think he got my callsign, but I lost him under a blast of OIRT broadcasting stations. In the clear he was easily workable. Bah!

I really enjoy the short openings you get on 2m sporadic E. Or I enjoy them if I happen to be sitting at the rig when they happen. This was the first good one this year, after a couple of near misses. Maybe that is it, or maybe we will get some more.

Working two of the same stations on both 4m and 2m was a bit unusual. It also shows that there are some VHF fans around doing the same band hops which I do.

I am not alone.

Here is a screenshot of the OIRT broadcast stations cluttering up the 4m band.

At least it proves that the band is open.

My head still hurts and I managed to get several of the log entries mixed up. At least I could correct them. Migraines really disrupt my functioning and affect my sight and reasoning ability. I become clumsy and un-coordinated. Lucky, they are rare for me.

73

Jim
GM4FVM