08 April 2024

160 Meter Solar Eclipse Propagation Test

There was a lot of activity reported across the 160 meter band during the eclipse.  At 808 miles both a CW and SSB QSOs were easily made between KGØVL in Iowa and W4DEX in North Carolina.  These contacts would have been impossible under the current near-solar maximum without the effects of the eclipse at just an hour after solar noon in Iowa.

During the regular mid-day test just a few hours earlier there was no audible signal and only very weak visual indication between the two stations.  The contacts were made about the time of eclipse totality at the midpoint of the path.  Below are a few of the contacts made: 

18:58 KG0VL-JEFF: W4DEX 5X5 SSB into Iowa18:58 W4DEX-DEX: KG0VL CW 559 QSO, 53 SSB QSO

18:59 KG0VL-JEFF: W4DEX also 599 CW 1.899

19:00 W4DEX-DEX: KG0VL CW now 599

19:02 KG0VL-JEFF: W1 now 1811CW

19:04 K4DBK-DENNIS: faint SSB at 1904

19:07 KG0VL-JEFF: WA4LDU 56 SSB

19:07 WA4LDU-JOE: KG0VL 59 SSB

19:08 K4DBK-DENNIS: KG0VL 5/5 ssb@1907

19:09 KG0VL-JEFF: K4DBK 55 SSB Iowa

19:09 K4DBK-DENNIS: KG0VL 57 SSB @ 1907

Report from KGØVL:
WA4LDU on SSB (1907ut). Then Gene, WA4PGI came back to my CW call at at 2019utc at 599. We then switched to SSB and had a 5-7 (or greater) QSO.
Next came W4OP at 2021utc on SSB. He was 5x5. Heard Dennis, K4DBK for about 15 minutes and worked him on SSB as well. Heard another unknown SSB station calling from Roanoke, but he was busy working others.
Heard, but did not work: K8RYU 579 on CW at 1950utc, ten minutes before my max. K8RX heard calling CQ on CW around 2025UTC at 559.

 

The eclipse passed over Bloomington, Indiana at approximately 1900 UT. This point is near the center of the 808-mile path between KGØVL and W4DEX

KG0VL Received at W4DEX

The first image is KG0VL received at 1650 during the mid-day test before the eclipse started.  

      

                                                  

Video of W4DEX SSB received at KG0VL at approximately 1900 UT