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Re: [CQ-Contest] Scandanvian propagation question

To: cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Scandanvian propagation question
From: K9MA <k9ma@sdellington.us>
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 12:59:34 -0600
List-post: <mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
That makes sense. The key is that the path must pass through the auroral zone, but there's no F2 at the eastern end, because it's dark, so the path doesn't extend far south of the auroral zone.

73,
Scott K9MA

On 1/31/2022 7:45 AM, Steve London wrote:
 From the western USA, on 10 meters, in the 20Z-23Z time, the path to
Scandinavia is well understood. Single hop F layer from western USA to
northern Quebec, then auroral Es to Scandinavia.

73,
Steve, N2IC

On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 6:02 AM Timo Klimoff<timo.klimoff@dnainternet.net>
wrote:

Nowadays in Scandinavia we are able to monitor 10/15m FT8 frequencies to
see
if the path is open. So having your WSJT-X on is handy.
Path also varies: it is more frequently the northern thing - SM2/OH8/OH9
the
path is usually more often open and in the south OH1/OH2 openings are often
shorter. Usually Baltic countries are already too much in the south.
On stateside end path also varies: the most common is probably West Coast
propagation but sometimes we are able to work only EastCoast! When
propagation during the sunspot max. is sweet, we are able work both NA and
JA over the pole at 21-23Z, even on 10m!
Mechanism is unknown to me but clearly aurora usually "gives a boost" to
this path.

73 Timo OH1NOA OH1NA (one of OH1F gang)

-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest <cq-contest-
bounces+timo.klimoff=dnainternet.net@contesting.com> On Behalf Of K9MA
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2022 4:03 AM
To:cq-contest@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Scandanvian propagation question

I don't know the exact propagation mechanism, but this path from far
northern EU to the northern US is very often open. We may experience it
more often here in the north-central US, because our geomagnetic latitude
is
close to that of southern Scandinavia, and at least 10 degrees higher
than
our
geographic latitude. The openings happen in the winter, long after the
band
has gone dead to the rest of EU. It even happens on 10 meters in high
sunspot
years.

I don't know how much further south it extends in NA. May Jukka can tell
us.
73,
Scott K9MA



On 1/30/2022 2:43 PM, Jukka Klemola wrote:
John,
You ask for wisdom "does anyone know of the propagation mechanism to
explain this"

Simple answer is, living here in Scandivnavia, been on the bands from
1982, all I can tell is the Queen Aurora shakes her skirt so every now
and then there is some dust or glitter that opens up the path.

It is 'rather typical' the path is there, but it is more typical the
areas at each end are small.
That is, the opening must be from an area to an area there are
stations and then the stations must be on.

Then the most difficult part:
At least one of the stations must call CQ so the other has the rare
opportunity to answer the CQing station.

The enigma in this is how often there are stations calling CQ to a
completely empty band?
Well .. sometimes the rag-chewers reveal the opening.

Against many possible odds, we do encounter these openings every now
and then.
Typical Old Timer answer at local clubs here is that this propagation
happens only during contests. This propagation does not exist outside
countest hours.

Reckon that is not the whole truth. There is more to it.

We can analyze SFI, solar wind parameters, K or A figures ...
Yeap. You guessed right.


73,
Jukka OH6LI


su 30. tammik. 2022 klo 22.28 John Geiger (af5cc2@gmail.com)
kirjoitti:
Something I have noticed during the ARRL DX contest, and other winter
contests, as well as during casual DXing, maybe a LA/SM/OH contester
will have a better explanation for this:

This past Friday I worked a SM3 on 15m FT8 at 5:15pm local time (2315
UTC), well past the time that the path to Europe on 15 had closed.
This isn't the first time I have had this occur.  Over the past few
years I have witnessed this before, stations from LA/SM/OH coming
through on 15 and 17 meters mid to late afternoon, several hours
after the path to Europe had closed for that band.  They haven't been
coming in the whole time since the disappearance of the rest of
Europe, it is like a new path opens up several hours later, but only
to these regions.  These areas in Europe will have been in darkness
for several hours as well, dropping the MUF below 15 and
17 meters, but there they are.

This is a winter phenomena I am discussing.  I am very familiar with
Europe coming in later at night on 15 and 17 during the summer
months, especially during higher sunspot numbers.

So does anyone know of the propagation mechanism to explain this-why
this one part of Europe comes in several hours after the path to the
rest of Europe has closed-and when it is well into darkness at their
QTH?  I am guessing it might have something to do with their location
in the Auroral Zone and some sort of Aurora to F2 hookup, but that is
just a
guess.

--
Scott  K9MA

k9ma@sdellington.us
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