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TopBand: NL7Z ECHO

To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: TopBand: NL7Z ECHO
From: K3BU@aol.com (K3BU)
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 15:13:10 EST
In a message dated 98-03-21 11:18:48 EST, W4ZV writes:

<<    Here is my take on the echoes, skewed directions, etc.  Whenever
 I hear something like extreme (>90 degrees) skewing, I usually suspect
 some sort of high angle path. ......

 I would be curious to know if any hearing NL7Z tried switching to a high
 angle antenna.
          This is a case where a complete system of Beverages and also a high
 angle antenna would have helped us know what was really going on.  Remember
 that angle of arrival is just as important as azimuth angle on 160.
Sometimes
 the two can be confused if we listen only with low angle antennas like 
 Beverages, vertical arrays, etc. >>

de K3BU:  DITTO!
That was my first reaction to K1ZM's posting, I asked Jeff if he switched to
high angle or heard short duration type echo, his reply was:

"No, I did not listen on a high angle antenna.  I may have tried my bevs for a
second, but NL7Z was not good copy on them so I switched back quickly to the 4
sq."

"No, it was not echo - it was TRUE multipath echo. I heard two paths - one
delayed considerably from the other!  It wasn't just normal polar flutter
either - this was BIG TIME ECHO!"   
(Apology for quoting without permission!)

     I would be inclined to believe it was a long path (over sunlit, or
crooked path) signal. It could be restricted to small areas, we have seen
"spotty condx" on 160 and low bands. 
     I was recently questioned about validity of ducting on 160 and HF, and lo
and behold I see that Osler and Cohen "made it legitimate" mode in the April
'98 CQ. (No credit given to this "nut" or my June 1980 CQ Magazine "ducting"
article.) 
     Is it going to be another war between those with hands on radios vs.
those with books and software? I hope that we can rewrite another chapter in
"established wisdom"!  
Gloves off, headphones on!  Keep calling CQs on "dead band", you never know
what will pop up!
      
73  Yuri Blanarovich, K3BU, VE3BMV


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