WWVH (Hawaii) [STRONG] on 2.5 mHz ???? Can this be possible?

[steve_qix]

It's 6:51 AM EST, and I'm checking my so-called "radio controlled" clock I received for my birthday.  So, I put on the 5 mHz WWV, and I can hear the male voice, and just before the male voice, the female voice (much weaker).

So, then just for fun, I tune town to 2.5mHz, and the female voice is actually LOUDER than the male voice.  Is this possible?  My understanding of WWV, is the male voice is from Colorado, and the female voice is from Hawaii ? ! ?   Hawaii on 2.5mHz to the East Coast :-)

If true, we should, in theory, be able to work Hawaii on 75 or 160 meters at this time.  Not being much of a DX chaser, I can't really comment, but those with more experience in this area can probably shed some light on the subject.

Thanks and Regards,

Steve

[WA2ONK]

Hearing the same thing here in NJ. WWVH is stonger than WWV on 2.5mhz.

Chuck..

[flintstone mop]

YUP this is the time for some DX fishing!!! The low bands are going looong!!
Fred

[KA1ZGC]

Is this possible?

It's a fact, isn't it?

My understanding of WWV, is the male voice is from Colorado, and the female voice is from Hawaii ? ! ?   Hawaii on 2.5mHz to the East Coast :-)

Yes, and it gets even more interesting when you read what NIST has to say on the topic:

http://tf.nist.gov/timefreq/general/broadcast.htm#7

Everything you ever wanted to know about WWV, WWVH, and WWVB; but were afraid to ask your mother can be found here (9 meg PDF, you've been warned):

http://ts.nist.gov/MeasurementServices/Calibrations/upload/SP250-67.pdf

Page 54 (of the PDF, not what they label as page 54) shows the hourly format for WWV, page 83 (again, of the PDF itself) shows the hourly format for WWVH.

They also have a complete rundown of all the antennae, transmitters, power, control, and anything else you could ever want to know about WWV, WWVH, and WWVB.

Automation is able to tell the difference because WWV and WWVH use a different frequency for their "tick" markers. Software WWV/WWVH receivers can tell you a lot about propagation by measuring the delta between the two, without having to look up the K and A indices and make some guess using those numbers (which are largely indirect measurements, anyway). You can see the spread between propagation to Colorado and to Hawaii on every frequency they share in real-time using that kind of software, and use it as a strata-0 ntp server to boot!

Good reading on a cold night when the bands are dead. I keep a copy in my shack for just that purpose.

--Thom
Keep Around One Zero Glitch Clock

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

If true, we should, in theory, be able to work Hawaii on 75 or 160 meters at this time.  Not being much of a DX chaser, I can't really comment, but those with more experience in this area can probably shed some light on the subject.

It's done quite regularly on 75 meters from the east coast. Further distant QTHs like JA, ZS, ZL and VK are quite available too. I hit all those last winter on 75. Doing on 160 would be a much tougher nut, but some guys with good vertical antenna systems make the links.

[KA1ZGC]

Doing on 160 would be a much tougher nut, but some guys with good vertical antenna systems make the links.

Now I'm tempted to drive over to Timmy's and hijack his 180' vertical "T".

His wire array functions as a 2-element yagi on 160, but that thing is a genuine PITA to get the parasitic reactances set correctly, so I'd have to leave that to him (and I beleive he's at WBCQ with Gabe at the moment).

Loading the BC-610-"B" into the vertical "T" is child's play, so it would be fun to try it some time soon.

What's the word from Europa? What frequencies would be good to try cross-pond AM? Anyone in the Old World have any suggestions?

--Thom
Killer Agony One Zipper Got Caught

[AF9J]

160 to Hawaii is doable - tough, but doable.  I did it once back in 1986, with 100W of CW into a  1/2 wave dipole up 5 stories at W9YT (the Univ. of WI Ham Club station).  It was KH6CC, and it was by grayline propogation.  He went from S0 to S7 to S0 in the space of maybe 5 or 6 minutes.  Any 160m AM East Coast to Hawaii QSO will more than likely be short and sweet.  I doubt it'll be of ragchew old buzzard duration.  That just doesn't happen very often on 160m.  In many cases, 160m DX is similar to VHF/UHF weak signal stuff (as a matter of fact, I know a lot of VHF/UHF weak signallers, that are into 160m operating). 

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

There is supposedly an AM net in the UK on 1980 kHz at 1100Z on Sundays. Can anyone from the UK verify this? Something like 0600Z would be more conducive for a US-to-UK path.

I worked the Orkney Islands on 160 last winter. It was on slopbucket. But before you write it off, here's the kicker. I had forgotten to switch from the 75 meter dipole to my 160 meter dipole. So, I still made the contact on the 75 meter coax-fed dipole!! That makes me think, under the right conditions and actually using a 160 meter antenna (especially a good vertical) contact to the UK or other parts of Western Europe is possible on AM.

[AF9J]

I don't see why not.  After all, I worked VP9AD with 5W of CW from the midwest & a mediocre 1/4 wave (on 160) endfed antenna.  It's about the same distance as western Europe is for you Steve.  So it should be doable.  I think Stew Perry, W1BB used to do it on AM to Europe back in the day (the 40s, 50s, & 60s).

73,
Ellen - AF9J
 

[Carl WA1KPD]

I think Stew Perry, W1BB used to do it on AM to Europe back in the day (the 40s, 50s, & 60s).

73,
Ellen - AF9J
 

Somewhere on the web I ran into a HUGE pdf file of the newsletter he used to issue. Very interesting in terms of 160 capability.

[KB2WIG]

  ' Somewhere on the web I ran into a HUGE pdf file of the newsletter he used to issue. Very interesting in terms of 160 capability "

Click on AMPX on the upper left hand corner of this page.... klc

[WA1GFZ]

I think you w3 qnd w4 cats get a longer opening to ja on 75 in the morining.
We peak around 4:45 AM here.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Just worked Hawaii on 80 meter slopbucket a few minutes ago - KH7XS. It was about as easy as falling off a log - 5/9+ both ways. I'm thinking it might be doable on AM!

160 to Hawaii is doable - tough, but doable.  I did it once back in 1986, with 100W of CW into a  1/2 wave dipole up 5 stories at W9YT (the Univ. of WI Ham Club station).  It was KH6CC, and it was by grayline propogation.  He went from S0 to S7 to S0 in the space of maybe 5 or 6 minutes.  Any 160m AM East Coast to Hawaii QSO will more than likely be short and sweet.  I doubt it'll be of ragchew old buzzard duration.  That just doesn't happen very often on 160m.  In many cases, 160m DX is similar to VHF/UHF weak signal stuff (as a matter of fact, I know a lot of VHF/UHF weak sgnallers, that are into 160m operating). 

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[AF9J]

As long as you have the antennas - sure why not. I still think it won't be old buzzard quality.  Still, 160 can surprise you.  I got caught up one time in a 160m roundtable where many of the stations were only running abut 50-100W. Noise was at least 10 over 9.  Still, even the low power stations were at 20 over 9.  160's a surprising band, and one of the reasons why I've always liked it.  One of my most enjoyable QSOs was on Xmas Eve in 1996 with an OF.  He used to be a B-29 pilot during WW2.  It was interesting hearing him reminisce on that time of his life.

73,
Ellen - AF9J