out of nowhere...

[MOTORHEAD3902]

Hey all,
Out of nowhere just now, with no other VHF-Lo skip coming into my lil corner of SE VA, copied KAA958 (Jefferson City Mo Dispatch for the Mo Highway Patrol) broadcasting a lookout for a c&r driver. Didnt catch the freq, due to the reciever being in the other room...strange how stuff just pops up- then POOF!! It's gone.

[BaLa]

If It was Jefferson City, should have been 42.64

[wa2ciq]

Was it possibly a meteor burst?

[MOTORHEAD3902]

I guess it's possible...but I have no way to tell

[k9rzz]

It could have been a fleeting E skip opening. Sometimes the foot print on the other end of the opening can be quite small. On six meters I've experienced openings where it seemed like I've talked to every single ham in Houston, but no one else outside of town.

John K9RZZ
Milwaukee, WI

[902]

MSHP is a good indicator of MUF extending to 42 MHz, at least. I see reports from DX reflectors in Europe reporting people hearing "KAA203" or the other troops. Many of their stations are currently very high ERP. That may change, as no one makes kilowatt or higher low band stations or amplifiers anymore, and they seem to be battling an ever-increasing noise floor by remaining on low band. The shift may be toward more lower ERP sites placed around the state.

Many states have abandoned low band for higher bands and I think Missouri and California are two of only a few that remain primary low band users. Great for DX, but extremely limited capacity-wise for the people who must use those systems.

For 6 meters, I've noticed that, except for contesting periods where people venture outward, metropolitan areas seem to have more pockets of organized activity. What were you on, 52.525 or SSB?