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Topband: 160m experiment

To: topband <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: 160m experiment
From: Carl K9LA <k9la@gte.net>
Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2006 08:26:28 -0400
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>
  Don K4KYV said

>Does anyone know exactly what time the signal was supposedly received?
>
Marconi reported reception at 12:30, 1:10, and 2:20 local time. Adding 3 
and 1/2 hours gives 1600 UTC, 1640 UTC, and 1750 UTC.

>Given the saltwater path and low sunspot number, I would suspect propagation 
>would be indeed possible on 160m later in the afternoon.
>
I would kind of be surprised if the beacon receiver guy DOESN'T hear the 
160m Poldhu transmitter (power level and antenna unknown - I think it's 
at least 100W into a decent antenna) around the time of the Marconi 
receptions based on 160m contests reports. For example, VY2ZM (PEI) 
reported hearing EU as early as 1500 UTC in the 2005 CQWW CW contest.

I applaud what they're trying to do, but there's one heck of an 
extrapolation from Marconi's receiver, Marconi's receive antenna, and 
the frequency of operation to this experiment with a modern-day 
receiver, a Beverage, and a frequency that theoretically has four times 
less absorption (absorption varies inversely as the square of the 
frequency).

For the record, lest anyone thinks I'm a naysayer, I believe Marconi did 
recieve the Poldhu transmissions, but I don't think it had much to do 
with low sunspot numbers. This is based on medium wave SWL reception 
reports from WA1ION's numerous Newfoundland trips. One notable trip was 
receiving Morocco on 1044 KHz at 1708 UTC on November 9, 1991 - when the 
smoothed sunspot number was 138.

Carl K9LA
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