This time around it was the turn of a seasoned and popular radio amateur to take the "bull by the horns". If you do not know Thys ZS1TBP then you have not met this very popular radio amateur. His callsign already tells you that TBP stand for "Thys Baie Praat". Need I explain further. Thys is a heavy vehicle trucker by trade and this provides many benefits. One such benefit is that he moves around from one area to the other in the Western- and Eastern Cape. His mobility makes for a great real time and live test platform for the ZS1I 145.550 Mhz Simplex Link operational in the Mossel Bay area. One cannot ask for a better method to test the coverage area of this Simplex Link. Another benefit to Thys is the fact that he can use his VHF/UHF Mobile and Handheld radio when in reach of the simplex link, saving on using data for Echolink. His mobile antenna height is also far higher than the normal height of a motor vehicle antenna.
On the 11 April 2022 Thys was on his way from Mossel Bay to Oudshoorn whereafter he would leave for the Jeffreys Bay area in the Eastern Cape. He started traveling on the R328 in the direction of Oudshoorn. Past experience relating to VHF coverage between Mossel Bay and Oudshoorn came in very handy as this was used as an indication of where coverage was good or bad. Agree not the best of methods but it was a real good guideline if nothing more. In the past it was possible to communicate from Mosselbay (QTH of ZS1I) to just before De Rust in the Little Karoo. This contact was made between ZS1I and ZS4N several years ago. Antennas used were a homebrew J-Pole (ZS1I mast mounted) and a 5/8 Mobile whip mounted on a magnet base on the roof of a vehicle (ZS4N).
I expected that the signal will be lost in several areas especially areas where the mountain block total coverage like in the Robertson Pass and also the area where you exit the pass towards Oudtshoorn. As can be seen from the APRS images there were several areas where there were no cellphone coverage possibly also attributed to the "mountain block" phenomena. Be as it may reports from no reception to very good were received from Thys ZS1TBP while he was on his way to Oudshoorn. He started loosing the signal between the exit of the back of the Robinson Pass and the Ostrich Farms (Volmoed) just before Oudshoorn. This was expected as the Radio Mobile coverage indicated that this would be the case. The signal was once again heard at the T-Junction before Oudtshoorn/Calitzdorp/Mossel Bay turnoff before it faded. As can be seen from the Radio Mobile charts this area is covered in yello indicating marginal reception areas. The red circle indicates poor to no coverage and the blue circle indicated the final reception heard by Thys ZS1TBP.
Radio Mobile Coverage Images. Click on images for larger view.
APRS Tacking Images. (Click on images for larger view.) Note: Green lines indicate no cell reception.
On the same day Thys ZS1TBP left for Oudshoorn to Jeffreys Bay via the Langkloof Road (N12, N9, R62 and N2)
Radio Mobile Coverage was rather poor but Thys Z1TBP indicated that he received the 145.550 Mhz Simplex Link the last time in the vicinity of the N9/R62 turnoff close to Uniondale.
Here are some images of the antennas and radios used during the tests:
Finally: From the tests conducted it is clear that the coverage of the 145.550 Mhz Simplex Link is satisfactorily towards the northern and north eastern parts of Mossel Bay. Taken into account that Mossel Bay is right at sea level and that there are various mountains, mountain passes, ridges and valleys that has an effect on VHF/UHF coverage to the North and North East of Mossel Bay.
I would like to thank Thys ZS1TBP for his willingness to test, experiment and using APRS to plot the routes that he travels. Highly appreciated!! I am sure that there will in future be more coverage tests as Thys is moving around the Western- and Eastern Cape.
