On Friday, August 16, radio amateurs Richard G0RPH, Monica G0VCS and Barry G8AGN are believed to have set a new DX record for daylight communications using Red LEDS.

On the UK Nanowaves Yahoo Group Richard Hanes G0RPH writes:

To complete the week, we have set a further record for daylight communication using red LEDs today, 16 Aug 2013 at 14.52 BST. The details are:

G8AGN/P located at High Bradfield SK281935
GØRPH/P located at Normanby Road (Claxby) TF117960

The DX is 83.4 km (51.8 miles), beating yesterday's path by some 17.7 km.

Both stations used Phlatlight transmitters, running AM baseband modulation, with A4 size Fresnel lenses.

Barry's receiver was a KA7OEI version 3 type, while I used a new circuit which I am developing for daylight use. A4 size Fresnel lenses were used on both receivers.

The test started at midday, having been delayed by an hour by heavy rain at the Lincolnshire end. At first the conditions were overcast and there was some mist between us, but this cleared slowly, to return intermittently making visibility frustratingly marginal. It took over an hour of our favoured panning and viewing, before we had located each other, on this occasion Barry saw us first.

Once locked on, I was able to receive the necessary information by voice from Barry G8AGN/P and his signal was noted as 4/1 at 13.30BST.

As the clouds cleared, the mist re-appeared and conditions quickly deteriorated again, so that the Pennines were no longer visible to the naked eye. When we tried the opposite direction we found that voice signals had become impossible for Barry to copy, though he could just detect the signal. We tried repeatedly, but conditions remained stable (at poor!).

Undeterred, and knowing we each had the correct aim, we resorted to CW to pass all the information the other way, which resulted in a signal report of 3/1 from Barry's end (also in CW by this time) at 14.52BST

We believe this is a World record for daylight communication using red LEDs as the light source. If anyone knows differently, please let us know.

73 all,

Richard G0RPH assisted by Monica G0VCS