I ran overnight Opera32 beacons several times this week, but work commitments have prevented my usual daily postings. Here is a summary:
Thu 16 / Fri 17 August
Received Op8 from DF2JP and DL3NSW over a short listening period.
My Op32 beacon was received by 12 stations in 7 countries: PA7EY, F6CNI, DF2JP, DD7PC, M0PPP, GW0EZY, G0KTN, DK7FC, F4DTL, TF3HZ, G0NBD and RX3DHR.
Best DX was RX3DHR, a single decode at 0154UTC; distance 2583km, signal / noise -38dB. Note that a signal to noise ratio on this mode of -40dB is just about the lowest that will work, so this was marginal.
The 1858km path to TF3HZ was open for nearly six hours, with a decode at 2129 and then every transmission from 2237 until 0412UTC. Best S/N ratio was -21dB just before my dawn, with six decodes better than -30dB.
Fri 17 / Sat 18 August
Received Op32 from RN3AGC (2483km/-37dB), DF2JP and I5ZPO over a short listening period.
My Op32 beacon was receved by 7 stations in 6 countries: GW0EZY, DF2JP, TF3HZ, RN3AUS/3, F6CNI, RX3DHR and PA7EY.
Best DX was RN3AUS/3, three decodes at 0108, 0214 and 0246UTC (2441km/-38dB) and RX3DHR, a single decode at 0214 (2583km/-38dB).
Again the path to TF3HZ was open all night with a best signal / noise ratio of -24dB.
Thu 23 / Fri 24 August
Received Op32 from DF2JP over a short listening period.
My Op32 beacon was receved by 5 stations in 4 countries: GW0EZY, G4WGT, TF3HZ, RX3DHR and RX3QFM.
Best DX was RX3DHR, two decodes at 0157 and 0230 (2582km / -36dB) and RX3QFM (2681km), an amazing seven decodes at 2240, 2313, 2346, 0019, 0124, 0157 and 0230 with the best signal / noise of -31dB at 2313UTC.
TF3HZ also decoded seven of my (32 minute long ) transmissions with the best S/N being -34dB, and other reports much poorer than earlier in the week.
Fri 24 / Sat 25 August
My Op32 beacon was receved by 9 stations in 7 countries: DF2JP, GW0EZY, M0LMH, G4WGT, PA3ABK, F4DTL, TF3HZ, RX3QFM and F5WK.
Best DX was RX3QFM, two decodes at 2352 and 0024UTC (2681km / -38dB).
Interestingly, TF3HZ decoded all 12 transmissions, from 2213 to 0414 with the best signal / noise ratio of -28dB and four decodes at better than 30dB. It seems there was a longer opening but at lower strength than on 16/17 Aug.
DK7FC, who runs significantly more ERP than myself, received reports from W1VD (6096km) and WE3XGR (5977km).
Sat 25 / Sun 26 August
Received Op32 from DF2JP and DK7FC over a short listening period.
My Op32 beacon was receved by 8 stations in 5 countries: M0LMH, G4WGT, DK7FC, TF3HZ, GW0EZY, RN3AGC, DF8UO and DF2JP.
Best DX was RN3AGC (2483km), a single decode at 0103UTC with a signal / noise ratio of -36dB.
TF3HZ (1858km) decoded my signal 10 times between 2325 and 0420UTC with a best S/N of -24dB and no reports worse than -30dB.
DK7FC had a two-way QRSS10 contact with VO1NA (two-ways on this band are very rare indeed), so conditions to the west were good.
This all demontrates improvements in long-distance paths maimly due to the coming winter and the longer periods of mutual darkness (hence good skywave propagation) between the stations.
