Interesting Atmospherics

[Dave 71]

Been hearing some 'exotic' VHF traffic over the past couple of weeks. I've often heard comms in French, but distinctly heard "welcome to St Malo" on Saturday which is further than I would have expected.

Norwegian/Swedish, German and far north of Scotland have also featured.

 

[nortada]

Been hearing some 'exotic' VHF traffic over the past couple of weeks. I've often heard comms in French, but distinctly heard "welcome to St Malo" on Saturday which is further than I would have expected.

Norwegian/Swedish, German and far north of Scotland have also featured.

Down to ducting; here at Walton happens regularly in summer with with a high pressure weather system.

Where are you located

 

[Dave 71]

Crouch. Yes, I thought it would be the high pressure. Ducting, thanks, something to google when I get a few spare minutes

 

[westhinder]

Less spectacular, but today, sailing between Le Havre and Cherbourg, I heard Dover, Solent and Falmouth Coastguards within minutes of each other, as well as Cross Corsen, Jobourg and Cap Gris Nez. Off Le Havre I also heard the Belgian and Dutch Coast Guards.

 

[johnalison]

I recall once sailing off Boulogne and hearing Jersey radio and Great Yarmouth.

 

[starfire]

Tropospheric ducting, makes the average VHF radio ham go nuts

 

[johnalison]

I had a dear sailing friend who was a ham radio user, having been a 'sparks' in the merchant navy. He came with us to see the '99 total eclipse from St Valery en Caux. We had to go out to sea to get clear skies and I have a photo of him with his portable SW set trying to get reception from somewhere in Spain during some hole or whatever that was due to appear. He seemed very pleased with the result, though it sounded more like bacon frying to me.

 

[oilybilge]

I was on my boat on the River Alde today, I booted up my AIS system to make sure it still worked ... and saw ships most of the way over to Holland. So I guess it still works.

 

[johnalison]

I was on my boat on the River Alde today, I booted up my AIS system to make sure it still worked ... and saw ships most of the way over to Holland. So I guess it still works.

It’s probably just about OK. I can normally get AIS returns from about N Foreland from Titchmarsh but sometimes all the way across the NSea, even with a dreaded splitter.

 

[Slowboat35]

Ducting can be quite extraordinary in its effects. Tales are legion of UK CB radio dorks (range c.30-40 miles max) hearing E Coast USA traffic perfectly clearly.
Equally there was an article in The Times within the last ten days of a couple of Victorian explorers in the alps (was it?) who saw a mirage of ships at sea hundreds of Km towards the N Sea coast and way way beyond the horizon, with masts and rigging clearly identifiable.
Nature can pull some surprisng tricks.

 

[justanothersailboat]

The chap who taught my VHF certificate course flat out denied the existence of ducting! I've experienced it too; quite reassuring to hear that lots of people do.

It strikes me as simultaneously amazing (as an impressive natural phenomenon) and mildly irritating (I already find the VHF messages-I-need-to-hear:messages-I-would-never-care-about ratio a problem for concentrating on the ones that matter)

 

[nortada]

The chap who taught my VHF certificate course flat out denied the existence of ducting! I've experienced it too; quite reassuring to hear that lots of people do.

It strikes me as simultaneously amazing (as an impressive natural phenomenon) and mildly irritating (I already find the VHF messages-I-need-to-hear:messages-I-would-never-care-about ratio a problem for concentrating on the ones that matter)

Well they are wrong

As a retired professional communicator, I frequently encountered ducting, my longest range case was when in Northern Scotland and trying to ‘speak’ to High Wycombe, a hook up with Hong Kong, who relayed my message back to the UK.

 

[justanothersailboat]

wow Nortada... that is really impressive. What sort of frequency was that though?