G?day Bill
Just thought I would drop you a line for the
reflector about the apparent propagation in the Stew Perry from VK6.
After the start of the contest, the band opened
into western USA (north to NE from here),
northern Asia and northern Europe virtually from
the start of the contest at 1500Z. The only time
that this northern ?funnel? seems to happen in
VK6 on 160m is right at the bottom of the solar
cycle. UA9CLB was worked at 1505Z and the first
European heard was RD3A at 1539Z.
Usually Europeans are mainly worked from here in the hour before sunrise.
However, after working 22 stations from these
areas in the first two hours of the contest, as
the sun moved further west from here, conditions
virtually died. In the next four hours, I worked
a total of 5 stations, - VK6HD, two JA plus YL8M
and GM3POI. In the actual hour before my
sunrise, all I worked was Mike 6HD and Clive
GM3POI. GM3POI is roughly north west from here
and the only ?westerly? stations heard were C4M
and S50U ? neither of which I could work.
When sunset came around, the DX conditions were
non-existent in a easterly direction and I only
worked three more stations ? ZL2BSJ (to my
SSE/SE), JE1SPY (NNE) and a very tough QSO with
K9DX (NE). Up to giving the contest away at
1241Z, the only USA stations I could hear were
N7UA (who was a steady 569 ? 79 from sunset) and,
very briefly and weakly at RST 339, K9DX.
In terms of overall prop, it seems that prop was
mainly north/south ? typical of HF conditions at
the bottom of solar cycle. I suspect that if I
had stayed on, the northern funnel would have
come back in the last few hours of the contest,
judging from the observations of others who
showed more intestinal fortitude than me.
After at least of nine years of operating in the
SP, I have come to the conclusion that 160m
conditions are very variable (!) near the solstice for everyone.
It would be really nice to do the SP right on one
of the equinoxes for the next decade, which I
think would push up the scores and interest in it dramatically.
HNY to you and the 160m gang.
Vy 73
Steve, VK6VXZ
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