And you often get Es on ten when there is nothing on six, it makes a good indicator that six might open.
When there is no Sporadic E what would be a reasonable expection for ground wave distance on 10m? Does Vertical / Horizontal make any difference? (My QTH is 28 miles from G8CPZ with quite a few hills between is this possible? Might it work from the top of a non-sota summit Monks Moor?). Lots of overhead power lines (11KV I think) and now optical fibre overhead so a tall pedestrian vertical could prove fatal Paul
Well as you know it’s hard to quantify because there are so many variables but for CB 1MHz lower in frequency with 4W FM into a typical CB vertical then about 10 miles was the normal quoted range. Of course, well sited stations would have a LOS path that would increase that. Changing the power and modulation would help. The thing to do would be to make some 10m temporary antennas for the garden and see what you can achieve together. Something to do when you can’t get out on the SOTA summits.
The normal agricultural grid on wooden poles is 11 or 33kV. In the glens up here in Scotland you can sometimes find higher voltage transmission lines on short(ish) wooden poles carrying the power from the various hydro stations. That is to minimise the visual impact in such places of outstanding natural beauty, part of the late Tom Johnston’s legacy. The recently upgraded Beauly-Denny line is now 400kV and the tower height ranges from 42 to 65m here. The minimum height for a 400kV line is only 7.5m. I regularly walk under a low strung 400kV line that runs out from Torness AGR nuclear station. I’m not sure the height but I feel uncomfortable walking under it.
I think it is 11KV up a 10m pole that runs just past the house andf along the valley, once camped underneath a power line - there was a noticable hum on even short aluminium poles.
Hi Andy.
Funny that you should mention that. I/WE have experienced exactly that. And at times it was quite annoying. In the early 1980 when I was a soldier in Germany (second time), the situation was exactly that. Instead of only 10 miles as mentioned, somehow I recall a greater distance. Power and antennas may have been the difference. We were using 100w-SSB, vertical CB antennas tuned to 10m and placed as high as possible, and I regularly worked DA2YF with a clear signal. DA2YF was at least 20 miles north of my location. DA2GM was a good friend, we served together in several places, Manny was just under 25 miles south from my location. DA1RA (Bob) was at 12 miles, and DA1RZ (Ed) was only 3 miles. I think the others experienced similar ranges ± some. There were 4 or 5 stations within range, and a number of others that were beyond range but talked to the others. As I recall, back then 28.500 was considered the DX area, so we were a considerable number of kHz away from that.
So sometimes we would be having interesting conversations between us, something that we really wanted to continue, and the band would open… and suddenly we couldn’t talk at all because the band was flooded with G-stations interrupting because they wanted to log a DA prefix. It was most annoying. I wonder if anyone in Great Britain remembers working DA-stations on 10m-SSB from around 1980 to 1985?
Back then Germany only had about 12 repeater frequencies on 2m, so a few Americans tying up a German repeater would have been annoying to the Germans. In that era the best 2m radios were about 10 watts, and it took yagi antennas to get that kind of range, which defeated the ability to talk to friends in many different directions. But the 100 watts on 10m worked better.
Today I expect a 50w to 100w signal on 2m with a good vertical equally as high would probably work equally as well. And Germany has many more 2m repeaters, although I imagine a bunch of American soldiers tying up a repeater would still be annoying.
Good times, wonderful memories. Bill-DA2YF was married to a Korean, she didn’t take well to Germany. Things went bad, she was sent back to the USA and I don’t know what happened to Bill. Ed-DA1RZ died many years ago. Bob-DA1RA is living up in the state of Washington. Manny-DA2GM retired in El Paso before I did, and we were friends up until he died last fall. Our antennas were about 1.2 miles (1,931m) apart, we had many long chats on 2m-simplex.
Just as a side-note, my Pedestrian Mobile QRP radio is regularly heard well by Hans-W5HFN. Hans lives about 25 miles east of me, with a 3200 ft (1,000m) mountain in between us. So as you say, the range will be hard to quantify. But unless you give it a try, who knows?
Vy73 – Mike – KD5KC – El Paso, TX.
Please don’t forget dad to add this underneath every OS Map that you screen shot into the reflector
©Crown copyright 2020 Ordnance Survey. Media 010/20
Andy MM0FMF has instructed that this must be done as advised on this thread here Copying Ordnance Survey Maps Into A Topic - #16 by MM0FMF You will need to add this OS copyright thing to both OS Maps that you have screen shotted this this reflector add this is a requirement by Ordnance Survey.
Jimmy M0HGY
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Thanks Mr Association Manager.
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The OS Map above in this thread also needs that copyright thing underneath it also.
Jimmy M0HGY
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Time for another eye test Jimmy?
They say that domestics are on the increase during this time of forced “isolation” with family 
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That is so sad. And I am so very fortunate. Approaching 42 years now, her, I and 3 very large dogs.
Wishing everyone was as happy.
Vy73 – Mike – KD5KC – El Paso, TX.
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She looks charming, Mike, and that hat is a work of art!
Hi Mike, I used to work 10m from Dortmund with great success signing DA4GR.
I have just put my 4, spangly new 5Ah 3cell lipos into stasis at 11.1 Volts.
Just need to fast track myself to the start of the winter bonus season to complete my prep!
“Beam me up Scotty” “It’s life Jim, but not as we know it”
David
G0EVV
Off out for my daily exercise outing. Another circuit of my fab route. Not SOTA of course but will “activate” a couple of Summitsbase classics from the past - Longmoss Top and Great Weston Fell.
No Peanut today so just local 2m FM.
I’m lucky in that fairly open country is within walking distance, though nothing that I would call a summit.
The roads are quieter than usual too which makes for a pleasant walk…
Today I explored a local footpath for the first time, and found lots of open space suitable for SOTA antenna testing. It seems to be rather neglected farmland, so I guess it is destined for more house building at some point…
I noted the overhead HV powerlines for any future pedestrian portable experiments! With my FT70 handie, I had a nice chat on the local repeater GB3LH along the way, and will try to extend radio activities as time goes on.
It has been so easy up till now to jump in the car and head for the hills, that I have overlooked local walks to an embarrassing degree. Time to make up for that…
73
Adrian G4AZS
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QRV Great Weston Fell, TP5093 - 144.6125 C4FM
Hey Mike…Where were you stationed and what MOS? I was in Augsburg 77-79 and 84-87, 05H and 33S. DA1QZ and DA2KA respectively. It was tough getting antennas up living on the Kaserns (Flak and Sheridan) and In Housing…but I did find a way to put up dipoles.
73’s
Tim K5DEZ
