An incredible E skip event occured on May 26-27, 2005 (times and dates UTC). I had only mobile equipment available--an IC-706 original with 100 watts on ten meters and six meters, and only a mobile whip for each band (base loaded whip for 10m and quarter wave whip for 6m). But even with limited equipment I was able to enjoy the rare propagation that took place. I logged six stations on 10m and seventeen stations on 6m. At one point I even logged the same beacon on each band (VE9BEA / B).

Normally, sporadic E propagation ("E skip") is known for opening up 800-1200 mile communication paths on the six meter band (50.0 - 54.0 MHz). But experienced VHF operators know that when path length falls to about 600 miles, it's time to start listening for distant stations on the two meter band also (144.0 - 148.0 MHz). Occasionally, the path length on ten meters also begins to shorten, especially right before and during a six meter band opening. During this particular E skip event, record short distances were noticed on both 10m and 6m, but no band enhancement was noted on 2m. Perhaps most amazing is that this event occured almost half way between sunspot peaks, when the ionosphere is less likely to become so densely energized.

This event brought some of the shortest skip I have ever seen on 10m

(175 miles)

and 6m

(185 miles)

.

It also facilitated communications on 6m with stations inside the usual "single hop" E skip distance, and outside the usual ground wave distance, providing states and gridsquares never before workable. The shortest skip distance for each band occured at the same time...each is highlighted below in both table and graph format:

TABLES

callsigns heard on 10 meters:

CALLSIGN	DISTANCE (miles)	NOTES
N1ME/B	379	gridsquare: FN54ot  Bangor, Maine  28.248  5x5  2250Z
VE1CBZ/B	511	Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick  28.235  3x0  2257Z
VE9BEA/B	477	Island View, New Brunswick  28.246  4x1  2258Z
KD1ZX/B	227	Central Falls, RI  gridsquare: FN41hv  28.295  5x8
WA2SUH	175	western Long Island  5x9  2300Z
AB8Z/B	320	gridsquare: EN91dj  Parma, OH  28.264  5x9  2347Z

callsigns heard / worked on 6 meters:

CALLSIGN	DISTANCE (miles)	NOTES
K0TVD	1037	EN21  Iowa
K0HA/B	1106	EN10  5x9
VO1BHK	904	GN08  Newfoundland/Labrador  50.135  5x7  2207Z
VY2JR	592	FN76
VE1YX	566	FN74  Nova Scotia  5x9+40  50.155  2216Z
VE9BEA/B	477	FN65  Island View, New Brunswick  50.024
VA3DWE	185	FN03mu  Whitby, Ontario  2300Z
KB8UBR	391	EM79  Fremont, Ohio
WZ8DX	484	EM79  Kettering, Ohio
K8DXR	303	Alliance, Ohio
W9IMS	578	EM69  Indianapolis, Indiana
K9MRI	510	EN70iu  Markle, Indiana
K9SH	520	EN70  Huntington, Indiana
W8MIL	494	EN74ic  Cadillac, Michigan  5x9+10  50.185  0037Z 27-May-2005
K8CCG	537	Muskegon, Michigan
N9IW	597	EN65  Sister Bay, Wisconsin  5x9  50.175  0109Z 27-May-2005
K8EB	513	EN73cb  Marne, Michigan

6 Meter Gridsquare Distribution
1)	EM69	1
2)	EM79	2
3)	EN10	1
4)	EN21	1
5)	EN65	1
6)	EN70	2
7)	EN73	1
8)	EN74	1
9)	FN03	1
10)	FN65	1
11)	FN74	1
12)	FN76	1
13)	GN08	1

LINE GRAPH