Just when it seemed as though the band would never open up to dx from
Florida again (probably caused cheifly by the "mid winter anomoly"), Mike
VK6HD came through with an excellent signal - 599 at peak. Once again
Mike proved "Joe there is a Santa Claus"! Condix before this time have
been absolutely horrible. I have not been able to hear anything dx wise
on the band. I've been able to hear the rest of the country work the dx
but not here. Things should begin to turn around. Last nite I was able
to work OM3PA without much difficulty with 100 watts.
Changing the subject a bit I have a question. All this talk of "long
path" propagation on this band to the SW in the morning and to the SE in
the evening. Is it not a fact the there is no true 180 degree back
azmuth path on the 160 meter band because of the daylight ionization of
the E layer of the atmosphere which absorbs the radio waves? Is it not
also true that this path that everyone is talking about is a "skewed
path" more closely associated along the day/nite grayline "ducts" which
happen to be in the SW and SE direction during this time of year. I do
agree that this direction of travel is a very long distance and in most
cases further than a "long path" back azmuth. Is it just a poor choice
of phrasology because of the lack of a better word or have I been
getting "too much RF on the higher bands" lately. Come on guys help me
out here!!!!
Joe KK4TR
P.S. Joe, everything you say also holds for 80 & 40 also where it has
been called "long path" for at least 40 years. IMHO nobody EVER has
claimed long path is only the 180 degree "longest" path. That would be
an extremely narrow definiton. Let's stop wasting our time discussing
semantics on the reflector...it reminds me too much of Clinton defining
what the definition of "is" is. de W4ZV <ggg>
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