Hi Folks,
was checking the models of different national weather services and it looks optimistically for tropo conditions on VHF and higher bands. Observe the bands on this weekend, these conditions give us a chance to work SOTA stations on 2m between the UK and the continent. Hope this will come true.
73’s,
Ralf DH3IAJ
In reply to DH3IAJ:
looks very good from UK. Big contest on 70cm UP sat and sun so plenty of stations to work UHF in continent.
73 dave
In reply to G0AOD:
It’s better than that Dave. Not only does there look to be a chance of decent tropo but the weather looks great too. Yes I know tropo is to do with high pressure ridges but you know what I mean! This is fortunate as I have a long walk planned for tomorrow (Sat) with HF/VHF SOTA activities and then camping overnight and contesting all day Sunday. The fact that we might get some good tropo the same weekend as a major contest is just fantastic.
I’d give some info on where my radio club’s contest station will be but I dont want to fall foul of any rules about making skeds etc. Suffice to say there will be at least one contest station on from GM on 70cm/23cm/13cm and possibly 9cm. Sadly we wont be QRV on either 10GHz or 24GHz this time.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Will be QRV 23 cms from IO93 for the contest
Hope to work many of you
MYKE
In reply to DH3IAJ:
The tropo has already started, tonight I activated NW-042 with just my VX-7 and rubber duck and made 24 contacts including working into Surrey and Northern Ireland. The weekend promises to be good fun if the conditions stay good.
73’s Barry M3PXW
In reply to M3PXW:
The inversion was clearly visible from Allt y Main yesterday afternoon. See:
73 John GW4BVE
In reply to GW4BVE:
hi,
by this photo, also big tropo-conditions …
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36645961@N00/1392570579/
73 Klaus DF2GN
In reply to M3PXW:
Will be qrv some hours on sunday morning during the contest from “Alter Berg” DM/BW-154 JN48JC on 70cm and 3cm. Also a bit SOTA on 2m (for tropo I hope) and on 80/40 and 20m.
Gd dx!!! 73’s Ralf DH3IAJ
In reply to DH3IAJ:
Hope for s2s Ralf 
In reply to G1INK:
Nice to have had a few calls to the south UK strong 5x9 qso’s and into Germany today on vhf
Not around tomorrow ;-(
got other things to do.
Steve m0sgb
In reply to M0SGB:
Conditions have been not as good as expected. Hard work on 70cm and no contacts on 3cm, most of the stations are not qrv in that band. At least I start the activation on 80m, no reply. QSY to 40m brought a couple of stations into the log, also not only SOTA chasers due spotting me in the dx-cluster. First time I used the Elecraft T1 tuner, worked very fine at the dipole. The qrm has been rather terrible today, disturbers ignored the frequency has been in use. Have I use a generator and an amplifier in future? However, it was very nice to be in the nature, many people had a walk in the morning asked me what I am doing there. I explained the SOTA program in few words. So it was a good advertisement for our hobby.
Have a lot of work in the office, mostly no time on weekends for SOTA, but one day…
Have all a nice time, 73 Ralf DH3IAJ
Steve: I finished before you start your tour, but next time!
In reply to DH3IAJ:
Hi Ralf - I was at Micks house (2e0hjd) when you were on 40m. I heard ON3WAB etc working you, but we could not copy you even on pro3 with filters - we had s9+ noise level. I activated a 1 pointer G/SP-012 and had 125 contacts - many cheasers hi ;-))
73 Steve.
I had no problem working you Ralf. Despite being on 40 ssb during the weekend usually brings more people out.
I can imagine being spotted on the dx cluster is not always an advantage. First they want to work you as fast as possible and then they have to ask your call and why you are /p. Some don’t have a clue that ham radio is 70% listening before calling. Anyway Thanks for another unique today Ralf. Hope that I will be able to return the favour some day
73,Peter
In reply to 2E0HJD:
Could you post a link for the Hepburn site please?
Thanks
Mark
In reply to M3RHJ:
Is this the one you need?
73 Marc GØAZS
In reply to G0AZS:
That looks like the one,
Many thanks
Mark
In reply to M3RHJ:
Don’t depend too heavily on Hepburn, comparing him with met office charts often suggests that he is on a different planet!
I find a good rule of thumb on 2m is that there is rarely any significant lift before the pressure tops 1024 mb and it has to be in the 1030’s before there is a good chance of a decent duct forming, and the best paths then form tangentially to the central area of the high: plenty of exceptions but this is what I look out for. It is also worth looking out for extended propogation along slow-moving weather fronts, sometimes you get brief but quite impressively good openings!
When all is said and done, perhaps the best indicator of an opening is the presence of Bryn 'DEZ reeling in the continentals before anyone else can hear them - he’s worth a dozen propogation predictors!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
The first thing that I used to do when I walked into the shack of an evening was tap the barometer! As you say Brian, 1030 mb plus. Of course, the weather forecast used to be without pressure information because it was thought that the average person would not understand and would get confused by being presented with too much informtion.
I’ve always found that a good time is when there has been a stable period of high pressure and it just starts to slip away - invariably when I’m not in the shack. I graduated to HSCW meteor scatter since the showers are more predictable than pressure systems and I could plan my DXing.
73, Gerald
In reply to G4OIG:
I forgot I was going to post this one for those who can read weather maps:
Run as an animation you can see the systems evolving, you can hold it at the day you want (it goes up to +84 hours) and with a bit of experience you can spot possible alternative developments.
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
Quote: "Don’t depend too heavily on Hepburn, comparing him with met office charts often suggests that he is on a different planet! "
Which probably makes his forecasts extremely accurate then!!!
73
Barry GM4TOE