WSPR Strikes Again! Extraordinarily rare high MUF, Winter Sporadic -E path detected.
Between 4 and 5 pm eastern Australian time this afternoon, a couple of our guys over here were lucky enough to have spotted some high MUF Sporadic E paths on 144 MHz WSPR.
Mick VK4NE was reported by both Jeff VK5GF @ 1631 km and Peter VK5PJ @ 1546 km. At the time there was also 50 MHz WSPR paths, but this time of the year, not too many on the 6m WSPR map.
The time of the year is Winter here. The time when most radio operators go into hibernation expecting NO DX at this time. We are currently less than 10 days out from our Winter Solstice on 21st June. Similar to summer, it has been noted that there can be a weaker and less intense peak in the weeks before and after the winter solstice too. This can cause Sporadic E and long Tropo paths.
Personally I have never come across an instance of high E MUF which reaches 144 MHz around the winter solstice during any previous years. I have heard of brief FM Broadcast receptions, but not many, and usually 50 MHz Es is common at this time. So to have a 144 MHz path reported by WSPR operation is very encouraging and will no doubt spur some of the other operators to pay a little more attention to what is happening over the coming weeks and perhaps put some extra stations on the air to try and help observe what the E layer is up too.
![[Image: 199021600_10157698628681986_383217743991...e=60CC1CEF]](https://scontent.fsyd7-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-0/s600x600/199021600_10157698628681986_3832177439910439028_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=b9115d&_nc_ohc=2Zv9uNkUzWYAX86tzkd&_nc_ht=scontent.fsyd7-1.fna&tp=7&oh=98838974f720be44ef869148bea54fa5&oe=60CC1CEF)
![[Image: 199354060_10157698628906986_207660497935...e=60CC4C2B]](https://scontent.fsyd7-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/199354060_10157698628906986_2076604979357617435_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=b9115d&_nc_ohc=bmF4Qz7XDocAX-nZBr-&_nc_ht=scontent.fsyd7-1.fna&oh=313eef143df747e76992e9fb17c0252b&oe=60CC4C2B)
Between 4 and 5 pm eastern Australian time this afternoon, a couple of our guys over here were lucky enough to have spotted some high MUF Sporadic E paths on 144 MHz WSPR.
Mick VK4NE was reported by both Jeff VK5GF @ 1631 km and Peter VK5PJ @ 1546 km. At the time there was also 50 MHz WSPR paths, but this time of the year, not too many on the 6m WSPR map.
The time of the year is Winter here. The time when most radio operators go into hibernation expecting NO DX at this time. We are currently less than 10 days out from our Winter Solstice on 21st June. Similar to summer, it has been noted that there can be a weaker and less intense peak in the weeks before and after the winter solstice too. This can cause Sporadic E and long Tropo paths.
Personally I have never come across an instance of high E MUF which reaches 144 MHz around the winter solstice during any previous years. I have heard of brief FM Broadcast receptions, but not many, and usually 50 MHz Es is common at this time. So to have a 144 MHz path reported by WSPR operation is very encouraging and will no doubt spur some of the other operators to pay a little more attention to what is happening over the coming weeks and perhaps put some extra stations on the air to try and help observe what the E layer is up too.