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| D41CV - a special call of the D4C station in Cape Verde, was at one end of four record-breaking VHF/UHF contacts in late December and early January. |
For all of you who think VHF and
UHF are only good for local contacts…
The 2-meter tropo distance record
for Region 1 of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), which covers
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, was broken
twice within a week around New Year's. The South African Radio League (SARL)
reports that on December 28, GM3SEK in Scotland
worked the Monteverde Contest Club station, D41CV, on Cape Verde off the coast of Africa
at a distance of 4565 kilometers, or 2386 miles. On New Year's Day, D41CV
worked GM0EWX on the Isle of Skye on FT8, a
distance of 4776 kilometers or 2968 miles. A combination of remarkable VHF DX
conditions across Europe and a sea duct running as far south as western Africa was credited for creating the conditions that made
the record-setting contacts possible.
The tropo record for 432 MHz was
also broken, twice, in the same time period by most of the same players. SARL
also reports that on December 28, GM3SEK also worked D41CV on 432 MHz; and that
that record was quickly broken - also on New Year's Day - by G4KUX northern England,
who also worked D41CV on 432-MHz FT8 at a distance of 4644 kilometers or 2885
miles. This makes the 432 trop distance record in Region 1 just a little bit
less than the 2-meter record.
