VK3ZL, no where near the GA antipode, skews from SW to NW. Signals from any
larger distance, even Europe, skew at large angles at times. The longer the
distance and tougher the path, the more likely the skew. The more disturbed
the ionosphere, the more likely the skew or freakish propagation. That
includes sunrise or sunset, when directivity can be almost totally lost.
Signals from all over the place, not just the antipode, can have
exceptionally strong peaks. So who knows what is actually at work at any
given moment?
At best we say all kinds of things that aren't necessarily proven by daily
observations, they are only possible answers. More commonly, we reach
conclusions based on how we want things to be. It always works this way when
we are grasping at straws, because it is only natural to find a reason that
doesn't place the shortcoming on ourselves. Like any accident, it's almost
always not our blame. Examples?
If someone can't hear DX station, they often report "spotlight propagation".
Can't be anything to do with the station, and never mind the spotlight is
2000 miles wide!
If the DX station is 5dB out of the noise, he is booming. If he is 5dB below
noise, he is workable 559 via the packet cluster but ESP with no possible
contacts without it.
If the DX can't hear someone, the DX station is "deaf" or there is "one way
propagation". Never mind the DX station has no receiving antennas and has
ten times the ERP or noise of the caller.
Eventually as we learn more about this, there will be an explanation for
everything. The only problem is we still won't know what **really** is
happening.
This is like arguing religion as we try to make or prove rules from
occasional things we observe. We have a lot of things that are absolute
fact, we just can't prove any of them (except during daylight the path gets
poor).
73 Tom
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