Tropo Log - DX Season 2005 / 2006

Openings to VK5 = 25+; VK6 = 5

DATE TIME FRAME DETAIL BRIEF FURTHER DETAILS
04.07.05 Sundown till about 9pm Reasonable signals from Mt Gambier beacons, 2m - 5/8; 70cm - 5/7; 23cm on Spectran Yes Click Here
20th and 21st July 20th in the evening and 21st in the morning A very strong high pressure cell lurking around for about 4 days. Center pressure peaking at 1040 over the SE. Good signals from Adelaide and Mt Gambier. Yes Click Here
17.08.05 Early 3.30am till sun up Tail end of high cell before a front. Not real exciting, but did get to MtGambier repeater and Warrnambool. Yes Click Here
23.08.05 to 27.08.05 Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat - mostly evening to midnight. Some enhancement also noted during the days. Very slow high pressure cell decided to give us some DX. Really good fun and was able to get to a few VK5 repeaters and VK3 and 2. Adelaide beacon was not the best. Have a read -- Yes Click Here
05.09.05 to 07.09.05 Evenings and mornings More tropo to VK5 and other areas. This time was more elevated with Adelaide beacon up to S5. Renmark TV 60dB+. Broken Hill beacon only. M.B, Barossa, Crafers, Lobethal. Adelaide 70cm beacon heard weak. Worked VK5PO on FM simplex and VK5UBC on SSB.
03.10.05 to 04.10.05 Evening and morning Good signals from most parts of VK5 on 2/70/23. Worked VK5UBC on 432.100 from Corny Point @ 914 Km. Got to Port Lincoln @ 1019 Km Yes Click Here
06.10.05 Morning First turned on and to my surprise, Renmark TV on 143.760 from SA was full
scale 5/9+60+! Turned out to be not much. Adelaide beacon was not audible first up but did get audible about 5/0 signal a bit later. I checked the weather radar and there was a funny line of phantom rain from near my area to past Port Augusta, which passes Renmark TV. Anyway, was not much out there AR wise. I found a strong secondary signal on 146.700 which I pressumed was Port Pirie repeater, but there was no ID coming on so I could not be 100% sure. Mildura beacon was 5/9 with QSB. Mildura repeater was 5/9+20 QSB. Worked VK3ZRS on Mildura repeater, then worked Terry VK3ATS at Mildura on 144.100 and 432.100, he was 5/9+20 on both bands.
I asked Terry to try 146.700 toward Port Pirie and give me a call, sure enough, it was Port Pirie repeater, and peaking 5/9+40 @ 867 Km. Jim VK5AJW
at Cowell across the water also gave us a call and confirmed it was PP but the repeater ID was broken. After this I tried for Port Augusta repeater and was able to get it, but it was weak only about 5/2 @ 913 Km.
07.10.05 Early morning But later, before the weather change here that night, about 1.30am, Renmark TV began breaking an S9+20dB squelch level. Adelaide 144.450 beacon also came up and must have been about S3 peak. Later, repeaters at Lobethal, Barossa Valley and Murray Bridge were workable (between 730 and 750 km). I worked Rob VK5MM at Mt Barker at about 3 am? via the Murray Bridge repeater. Nothing else to report.
09.10.05 Evening from around 9 pm to 10 pm Small weak opening. Adelaide beacon peaked 5/3. Heard Barossa Valley repeater S3, got to Murray Bridge S3, Crafers S3. Thats about it.
13.11.05 Early morning Small weak opening. Adelaide beacon peaked 5/2. Heard Barossa Valley repeater S3, got to Murray Bridge S3. Renmark TV 5/9+30. Partial contact with VK5ZK only.
16.11.05 Early morning Murray Bridge 5/7, Adelaide beacon 5/5, Lobethal 5/3, Barossa Valley 5/5. Another small weak opening. VK3ATS Mildura 2 (5/9) & 70  (5/6)
20.11.05 Early morning Did not write down much about this one. Fairly tame. Worked VK5UBC on 2m & 70cm SSB. Partially worked VK5PO 2m. Not much real excitinghappened or I would have remembered. Nil
05.12.05 Early morning from 2am

2.20am - Hearing Adelaide beacon at 5/3 signal 144.450 @ 762 Km W.
Getting Lobethal, Murray Bridge and Barossa Valley repeaters.
2.50am weather - Baro 1002.4 hPa steady
6 ft temp - 12.3 degC
50 ft temp - 13.9 degC
RH - 48%
DP - +6 degC
Wind - 0 Km/h
3.17am - Yes! Got Central North repeater VK5RLH 146.925 @ 833 Km
3.39am - Just got Crafers repeater weak on 147.000 @ 764 Km
3.41am - Central North repeater now 5/6...... oh things are starting it look good.
3.52am - oh my lordy... Just got Cowell. Cowell is on the 'far side' of the gulfs 146.800 @ 961 Km W - VK5REP.
6.53am - Adelaie beacon 2m 5/5. Just getting Crafers. Murray Bridge 5/9, Lobethal 5/3. Renmark TV 5/8.
Weather - Baro - 1005.4 hPa
6 ft temp - 14.4 degC
50 ft temp - 15.5 degC
RH - 57%
DP - +7 degC
Wind - 0 Km/h
7.25am - Got Port Pirie repeater 146.700 5/9 @ 867 Km. Response from VK5NEX but repeater not very sensitive and I could not access. Crafers 147.000 is 5/9. Adelaide beacon still 5/5.

7.00am - Worked Brian VK5UBC from Gawler on 144.100 @ 764 Km, signal 5/5. Nothing on 432.
19.12.05 2.30am through morning

This morning was pretty huge! Good 5/9 from Adelaide 2m beacon. Hearing the 70cm beacon weak and also the 1296 beacon. Had big signals from Phil VK5AKK on 50 MHz sig 5/2; 144 MHz signal 5/9+50dB; 432 MHz sig 5/9+20 dB; 1296 MHz sig 5/3 peak. John VK5PO was 5/9+50dB on 146.500 FM @ 738 Km. Worked Adelaide area repeaters plus could hear Port Lincoln 2m to 5/3 only @ 1019 Km.

Also worked VK5UBC on 2 & 70, VK5PO & VK5ZLX.
22.12.05 2.30am through morning Had to leave early but had Mt Gambier 2 & 70 beacons up to 5/9. Also had Adelaide beacon 2m only up to 5/5. Did get to Mt Gambier 2m repeater and a few Adelaide repeaters A few VK5s worked some rarer VK2 contacts such as 2AYM, 2TWR, 2DO.
02.01.06 early morning till midday Worked VK5. Also copy on Mt Barker (Albany) 432.564 beacon at 2682 Km. Boddington repeater 147.250 @ 2817 Km and worked VK6JR at Dunsborough 2933 Km for a new VK2 and VK6 record.. Yes Click Here
****** ********* NO LONGER LOGGING VK5 OPENINGS. ONLY VK6 OPENINGS **********
24.01.06 2am till unknown time later in the morning after 8am. Mt Barker (Albany) 432.564 beacon at 2682 Km up to 5/6. Mt Barker 144 MHz up to 5/1. No contacts made with anyone in VK6. Signals from Adelaide not all that good. Signals from Mt Gambier excellent! 2m 5/9; 70cm 5/9+20; 23cm 5/6. Number of VK5 contacts were made.
20.02.06 4am till about 12pm Mt Barker (Albany) 432.564 beacon at 2682 Km up to 5/4. Mt Barker 144 MHz up to 4/0. No contacts made with anyone in VK6. VK6JR coped me on JT65 could not get him here. Heard VK6WG in the noise later on. Worked 5UBC, ZLX, NY, ZK
06.03.06 Morning Getting Mt Saddleback, Boddington VK6RMS repeater only 4/1, no contacts made Brian VK5UBC worked 6KZ, HK and others on repeater.
07.03.06 Morning Albany (Mt Barker) 2 & 70 beacons audible to 5/3. No stations worked

BACK