Hi Don,
Here's the 160 propagation info I promised you for 9M0C. I
am copying the reflector since others may find the info and/or approach
useful. I am not commenting much on propagation outside North America
since paths will be much easier to other major population areas (Japan and
Europe). 9M0C's antipode is in Western Brazil so South America may be a
more difficult path, but I'll let the Topbanders there contact you
directly for suggestions. First a few facts:
9M0C Latitude 7.37 degrees N, 113.925 deg E.
9M0C Sunrise: 2241 Sunset 1035 (only varies +/- a minute for both
over your stay from 12 February through 24 February)
Short path bearings Sunrise (16 Feb) Sunset LP overlap
(@ 9M0C sunrise)
Magnetic North 8
Halifax VE1 358 1114 2143 58 min
Boston W1 5 1140 2217 24 min
New York W2 8 1148 2232 9 min
Atlanta W4 22 1221 2322 nil
Chicago W9 20 1245 2324
Dallas W5 34 1310 0013
Denver W0 34 1351 0037
Los Angeles W6 40 1437 0137
Seattle W7 32 1514 0133
From the above, you can see the following general points:
1. Short path propagation to the Northeast USA after your sunset
will be very difficult due to the path's proximity to Magnetic North,
however there is some darkness overlap with VE1/W1/W2 before your
sunrise which will permit skewed and/or long path modes at this time.
2. The remainder of NA will only have a path after your sunset and
before our sunrise (from 1035 until our local sunrise). I expect that
stations in the Western half of NA will experience some very good
openings at their sunrise. Those of us in Eastern NA will have much
less probability of openings but nothing is impossible on 160!
I would recommend directional RX antennas on the following headings
(from 9M0C) if you have the chance to put them up. If you can only put
up 3 RX antennas, use 30, 185 and 315 degrees (the 185 can replace both the
165 and 200 for sunset and sunrise long paths)
30 degrees - JA and short path NA
165 degrees - sunset long path NA (more about this below)
200 degrees - sunrise long path NA (ditto)
315 degrees - Europe, Middle & Western Asia, NA sunrise skew path
Oceania, VK, etc. should be strong enough to work easily on your TX antenna.
South America may be any of the above since it is at your antipode!
160 operating plan:
Sunset 1030 until 1530 - Listen on the 30 degree antenna and alternate
between JA and USA QSX frequencies. PLEASE BE DILIGENT in starting at your
sunset each day. In 1985, VU4GDG (Andamans) worked across the USA from W4
to W7 during an opening which began at his sunset and continued for only
about 30 minutes after his sunset. This was the ONLY such opening so please
don't miss the one day it might occur. As you listen, also check your 165
degree antenna. SOMETIMES there is a long path opening to Midwestern and
Eastern NA which occurs about 30 minutes before our local sunrise. This is
quite common on 80 but I know that it also exists on 160. The 165 degree
antenna would also be very useful to your 80 meter op for the same opening
so you may want to arrange a way to split or share this RX antenna.
1530 until 2145 - Listen on the 315 degree antenna for Central/Western
Asia and Europe. Also alternate working JA's on the 30 degree antenna
and Oceania on your TX antenna. You should have very good luck with EU
especially with your good TX and RX antennas.
2145 until 2300 - Continue with Europe but try an occasional "QRZ NA".
Since VE1 sunset is at 2143, you might begin to hear VE1ZZ either on a
skewed path over Europe (on your 315 degree antenna) or on true long
path (using your 200 degree antenna). There is no way to predict whether
this path will be skew over Europe or long path. Your operator will
just have to listen and be alert. It would help if Europeans would tell
you "QSX NA" to alert you if they hear NA calling. This opening is brief,
completely unpredictable and difficult, but it IS possible and more common
than we previously believed, so make the best of it. BTW, this path is also
very common on 80 and your 80 meter op should be able to work deeper into
NA than W1/W2 which will probably be the limit on 160. Again, you may want
to arrange to split or share the 200 and 315 degree RX antennas with the 80
meter operator.
2300 until 1030 - 160 operator sleeps while the sun shines.
Good luck, have fun and we'll all be looking for you on Topband!
73, Bill W4ZV
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