by Zaba OH1ZAA
According to OH2BUA's 50 MHz cluster listings there has been wide-spread Es activity today, May 30th, 1997. Es-reflections were high up into Arctic latitudes, and OH5NHI (KP41CE) reported hearing a KA2-station around 12.15 UTC, while beaming in the general USA-direction. He had to run off to a meeting, so there is yet no 100% confirmation of this possible opening. Today's ionization patterns supported this option (any feedback comments from the USA??).
The following is only to remind you that this is just one season, and that there is a lot of opportunity on 50 MHz all through the year, partly depending on your geomagnetic location. Also it will soon be clear, that we have lost a very important Arctic beacon in the late eighties: OX3VHF.
Rely indeed on the fact that there is a lot of "mind-over-matter" on this band. You just set an ("impossible") goal to yourself, and see it come through (tomorrow, next week, or through the years). In plain language it means that in the lower VHF range there are far more openings occurring all the time, than we commonly assume.
I promised to one of the SM2/SM3-guys last winter to dig up my old records about OX3VHF (located at the southern tip of Greenland). Only a few of these have been published by OH2LX in our local magazine, in connection with his very informative topics about certain ionospheric and geomagnetic events.
Actually I was personally surprised to find this many openings as I have been able to visit my operating position just randomly during some weekends (though with a hypnotic determination to catch the OX3VHF signal). My problem is the 270 km distance from the work location to the station location, so a visit once a month is a good average these days.
Then some day in the late eighties (1988??) the Greenland beacon was taken off the air, and we indeed lost a very important indicator. From the recorded reception times there is a strong correlation with the occurrence of auroral E.
Upcoming details & revivals
This is the very basic listing of the reports. One day I will complete the list with all the side remarks of TV-reception and parallel EU/USAopenings. We are heavily encouraging a revival of this signal, and several additional Arctic beacons. LA7SIX, OH9SIX and OH1SIX were very well represented in the cluster listing today, as well as the Estonian ESoSIX / ES6SIX duo.
Check those out at any time, and report them.
(SK3SIX and JW7SIX may need more ERP; antennas!).
Be aware that a beacon signal is indicating an open band, and that logging a beacon is as important as logging a contact with another station. I'm convinced that with the greater burden of human activity on the environment, the study of geophysical processes will help us to find solutions and allow us to survive in the long run.
73, Zaba OH1ZAA/2 (presently
in Espoo, KP20jf)
Years 1986-1988; call: OX3VHF, QRG: 50.045 MHz,
loc: GP60qq
RX-equipment: 5-ele yagi up 37m at seaside (Gulf of Bothnia).
Times are in UTC Years:
1986-1988
Beacon
Date UTC
OX3VHF AUG 03, 1986
21.10 RST 579
OX3VHF NOV 14, 1986
23.28 RST 439
OX3VHF NOV 15, 1986
22.04 RST 329
OX3VHF NOV 29, 1986
21.55 RST 549
OX3VHF NOV 30, 1986
22.38 RST 549
OX3VHF FEB 21, 1987
21.02 RST 549
OX3VHF MAR 27, 1987
21.27 RST 339
OX3VHF JUL 17, 1987
22.11 RST 429
OX3VHF JUL 19, 1987
22.01 RST 579
OX3VHF JUL 20, 1987
20.21 RST 529
OX3VHF AUG 08, 1987
23.34 RST 439
OX3VHF SEP 25, 1987
23.28 RST 549
OX3VHF JAN 15, 1988
21.08 RST 559
OX3VHF JUN 26, 1988
23.26 RST 529
OX3VHF JUL 08, 1988
00.10 RST 539
OX3VHF AUG 05, 1988
23.33 RST 539
(End of Log No.2 ; following logbooks still
unsearched)
When did the OX3-beacon transmissions stop??
