After I strolled up to the radio room Friday afternoon about 1400 local the VHF low band came alive with DX thanks to a sporadic E skip opening. I haven't seen anything that intense in years. The band held up to well past midnight EDT. About 2100 local I moved to 6 meters and worked some new grids and one new state.
Saturday morning 6 meters opened at 0830 sharp and it was a great thing to work. All of us held our breath to see if the band would hold up until the 1400 local start of the annual ARRL VHF QSO party. I got about 1 1/2 hours deep into the contest and the band died here. It opened up a bit about 2 1/2 hours later at 1800 local into the Candian maritimes and parts of New England, but no where else. Sunday morning I had a weak opening into Texas and Minnesota, but that was about it for me (knocked off at 12:30 local for family time).
All in all the weekend was most excellent and the topper was working DN27 western Montana on 6 meters double hop E-Skip with 100 watts into a wire antenna. That is one I won't soon forget.
Now for the VHF low band scanner logs. The following freqs were active and the BCD-996T performed flawlessly.
6/9/2006
30.580 Unknown user/Foreign lang (114.8 Hz PL)
30.600 Unknown user/SS dispatch (91.5 Hz PL)
30.620 Unknown user/SS dispatch (114.8 Hz PL)
30.660 Unknown user/SS dispatch (77.0 Hz PL)
30.740 Unknown user/SS dispatch (107.2 Hz PL)
30.820 Unknown user/SS dispatch (118.8 Hz PL)
30.880 Unknown user/SS dispatch (225.7 Hz PL)
30.960 Unknown user/SS dispatch (173.8 Hz PL)
31.000 Unknown user/SS dispatch (173.8 Hz PL)
31.080 Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch (74.4 Hz PL)
31.120 Unknown user/usage (167.9 Hz PL)
31.240 Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch simplex (136.5 Hz PL),Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch (127.3 Hz PL)
31.320 Unknown user/usage
31.400 Unknown user/SS males (91.5 Hz PL)
31.440 Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch (100.0 Hz PL)
31.450 DoD User/Range (146.2 Hz PL), asked if ready to negotiate the course.
31.480 Unknown user/SS dispatch (127.3 Hz PL)
31.560 Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch (156.7 Hz PL)
31.720 Unknown user/SS dispatch (103.5 Hz PL)
31.920 Unknown user/SS dispatch (192.8 Hz PL)
33.160 Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch (77.0 Hz PL)
33.240 Unknown user/SS dispatch (107.2 Hz PL)
33.280 Unknown user/usage
33.440 Unknown user/Fire dispatch (179.9 Hz PL)
33.520 Unknown user/Fire dispatch
33.600 Unknown user/Fire dispatch
33.640 Unknown user/Fire dispatch (no PL)
33.700 Unknown user/Fire dispatch (187.2 Hz PL)/Unknown user/Fire dispatch (No PL) 33.720 Unknown user/Fire dispatch (No PL)
33.780 Unknown user/Fire dispatch (136.5 Hz PL)
33.800 Unknown user/Fire dispatch
33.860 Unknown user/Fire dispatch
33.880 Unknown user/Fire dispatch (186.2 Hz PL)/Unknown user/Fire dispatch (no PL)
33.900 Unknown user/Fire dispatch (131.8 Hz PL)/Unknown user/Fire dispatch, EDT time zone (no PL) two tones distorted.
33.940 Unknown user/Fire Dispatch (77.0 Hz PL)
33.960 Unknown user/Fire Dispatch, EDT time zone (167.9 Hz PL)/Unknown user/Fire Dispatch (114.8 Hz PL)
33.980 Unknown user/dispatch (no PL)
34.100 Unknown user/usage, mentioned Command Post
34.300 Unknown user/usage
34.840 Unknown user/usage, carrier keyups (No PL)
35.040 Unknown user/SS dispatch (118.9 Hz PL)
35.080 Unknown user/usage
35.100 Unknown user/SS-EE taxi dispatch (82.5 Hz PL)/Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch (100.0 Hz PL)/Unknown user/SS dispatch (141.3 Hz PL)
35.110 Unknown user/SS dispatch
35.130 Unknown user/usage (missed PL tone)
35.180 Unknown user/business dispatch (186.2 Hz PL)/Unknown user/SS dispatch (82.5 Hz PL)
35.720 Unknown NY/EE YL accented taxi dispatch (151.4 Hz PL)
35.740 Unknown user/SS dispatch taxi simplex (203.5 Hz PL)
35.780 Unknown user/SS dispatch taxi simplex (192.8 Hz PL)/Unknown user/usage (179.9 Hz PL)
35.820 Unknown user/SS dispatch (114.8 Hz PL)
35.920 Unknown/SS dispatch
36.000 Unknown user/SS dispatch simplex (85.4 Hz PL)
37.180 Unknown user/Fire dispatch (No PL)
37.220 Unknown user/usage (CW ID), data burst signal here. (No PL)
37.440 Unknown user/SS dispatch (141.3 Hz PL)
37.560 PA KGH244/KA5727 PPL Electric Utilities Corp – Unknown power company (146.2 Hz PL)
38.500 NY Fort Drum Range Control (151.4 Hz PL)
39.020 Unknown user/LE dispatch (110.9 Hz PL)
39.060 Unknown user/usage (118.9 Hz PL)
39.160 Unknown user/LE dispatch (141.3 Hz PL), mentioned Northfield.
39.200 Unknown user/LE dispatch (100.0 Hz PL)
39.240 Unknown user/LE dispatch (127.3 Hz PL)
39.280 Unknown user/LE dispatch (110.9 Hz)
39.320 Unknown user/LE Car-Car, mentioned WV & VA (110.9 Hz PL)
39.340 Unknown user/LE (127.3 Hz PL)
39.360 Unknown user, digital burst signal
39.380 Unknown user/LE dispatch simplex (118.9 Hz PL)
39.400 Unknown user/LE dispatch
39.480 Unknown user/LE dispatch (103.5 Hz PL)
39.500 Unknown user/dispatch
39.520 Unknown user/LE dispatch (110.9 Hz PL)
39.640 Unknown user/LE dispatch (156.7 Hz PL)
39.900 Unknown user/LE dispatch (no PL), Maybe NY
39.940 Unknown user/LE dispatch (94.8 Hz PL)
39.960 Unknown user/LE dispatch (82.5 Hz PL)
41.750 Unknown user/usage
42.060 Unknown HP dispatch (203.5 Hz PL)
42.100 Unknown HP dispatch
42.140 Unknown midwest HP dispatch
42.260 Unknown HP mobile (192.8 Hz PL)
42.300 Unknown HP (151.4 Hz PL)
42.340 Unknown HP dispatch (no PL)
42.400 MO KAA204 Missouri HP dispatch – St. Joseph (173.8 Hz PL)
42.460 Unknown HP
42.480 Unknown HP dispatch (DCS 131)
42.900 IL SHP (141.3 Hz PL)
42.940 Unknown HP mobile (203.5 Hz PL)
42.960 Unknown users/usage (94.8/210.7 Hz PL)
6/10/2006
30.620 EE dispatch, man said his was trying to find a place to dump, he found one and no one was around. Sounds a little shady to me. (94.8 Hz PL)
30.660 Unknown user/SS-EE dispatch taxi simplex (77.0 Hz PL)
30.760 EE dispatcher (71.9 Hz PL)
30.880 Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch (225.7 Hz PL)
30.960 Unknown user/usage (141.3 Hz PL), dispatch to 1301 ditch bank road/508 lake shore drive.
31.880 Unknown user/SS dispatch, missed PL
33.800 Fire Dispatch (179.9 Hz PL)
33.900 Fire Dispatch (179.9 Hz PL)
33.960 Fire Dispatch (179.9 Hz PL)
33.960 Fire Dispatch EDT (167.9 Hz PL)
35.060 Unknown user/dispatch (DCS271), Mentioned checking balance from Wayne County feeders/L&L Lawn Chairs
35.100 Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch (141.3 Hz PL)
35.160 Unknown user/SS taxi dispatch (118.9 Hz PL)
35.700 EE Taxi dispatcher (179.9 Hz PL)
37.440 SS taxi dispatcher (141.3 Hz PL)
37.440 EE dispatcher (131.8 Hz PL)
37.460 EE OM electrical dispatcher (186.2 Hz PL)
37.860 Electric Utility (186.2 Hz PL)
38.500 NY Fort Drum Range Control (151.4 Hz PL)
42.660 HP LE dispatch (173.8 Hz PL)
44.200 Continous unid data transmission
46.100 EMS Dispatch EDT (No PL)
47.320 Highway Maint Dispatch (192.8 Hz PL) CW ID, definite northeast US possible MA
47.340 Highway Maint Dispatch (146.8 Hz PL) CW ID, definite northeast, possible MA, mentioned Gloucester.
And as I type this blog entry this morning the VHF low band frequencies are hopping again. Time to log somemore stuff.
73 de Larry
