Impressive 8+ hour VHF opening between AL and TX

[IcomIcR20]

There was an extraordinarily strong VHF band opening last night. It just so happens that the output frequency for the Highlands, TX VFD repeater is the same frequency as the input to one of our VFD repeaters here in Lee County, AL (156.225 MHz). Since we both use the same PL tone, every time they would transmit it would bring up our repeater. They were coming in full-scale for a whopping eight hours last night.

Here is an example of what they sounded like here: Dropbox. The bit of white noise you are hearing is because I am not very close to the repeater here in AL. There did not seem to be any static originating from the Texas repeater itself.

Now I am no VHF DX expert by any means, but an opening of that intensity for that length of time seems pretty crazy to me. This is a distance of approximately 600 miles.

 

[kkn50]

In central Alabama I was hearing stations from SW Louisiana.

 

[marvinsuggs]

There was an extraordinarily strong VHF band opening last night. It just so happens that the output frequency for the Highlands, TX VFD repeater is the same frequency as the input to one of our VFD repeaters here in Lee County, AL (156.225 MHz). Since we both use the same PL tone, every time they would transmit it would bring up our repeater. They were coming in full-scale for a whopping eight hours last night.

Here is an example of what they sounded like here: Dropbox. The bit of white noise you are hearing is because I am not very close to the repeater here in AL. There did not seem to be any static originating from the Texas repeater itself.

Now I am no VHF DX expert by any means, but an opening of that intensity for that length of time seems pretty crazy to me. This is a distance of approximately 600 miles.

That's amazing thanks for sharing. That's a local for me.

 

[marvinsuggs]

In central Alabama I was hearing stations from SW Louisiana.

I used to hear Iberville Parish, LA Fire Dispatch 157.450 , through the Santa Fe VFD 154.370 repeater with 157.450 CSQ as the input.

 

[kc2asb]

Now I am no VHF DX expert by any means, but an opening of that intensity for that length of time seems pretty crazy to me. This is a distance of approximately 600 miles.

I am not an expert either, but the duration and distances involved do seem unusual.

 

[EAFrizzle]

Now I am no VHF DX expert by any means, but an opening of that intensity for that length of time seems pretty crazy to me. This is a distance of approximately 600 miles.

That's a full-blown ducting event. Lots of fun when they last like that. I had one like that the other day, ~470 miles hearing Vicksburg, MS wx from SE of DFW.

 

[IcomIcR20]

This is what the VHF DX map looked like at the time. I was impressed by the distance, of course, but especially the duration. Other skip events I have experienced are usually much shorter, especially at 150 MHz.

 

[kc2asb]

The longest for me (distance wise) was back in the late 90's on the 2m band. I remember hearing a repeater from Virginia (from northern NJ). Exact details are fuzzy being so long ago. Wish I had logged it for posterity.

 

[EAFrizzle]

My longest contact was Houston to somewhere in FL on VHF. Back in the 90s, some friends and I would see how far we could talk on 70cm repeaters on our HTs during a good opening. Around 100 miles was the best we did on 440.

 

[kc2asb]

My longest contact was Houston to somewhere in FL on VHF. Back in the 90s, some friends and I would see how far we could talk on 70cm repeaters on our HTs during a good opening. Around 100 miles was the best we did on 440.

Impressive contacts. 100 miles is great on 440.

 

[EAFrizzle]

People would hardly believe us when we told them where we were. Then they'd sign off and start waking people up on the phone.

 

[nd5y]

It's not that unusual near the gulf (of America) coast.
Here are prediction maps.

https://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html