[CQ-Contest] Strange 10m. L-paths

[Gary Sutcliffe]

We have long path to SE Asia on 10M in the morning during high sunspot
periods.  Not many from the Midwest USA notice it since they are usually
concentrating on Europe at that time of the day.  We had it both Saturday
and Sunday of CQWW CW as well as a bit Sunday during the 10M test. I have
not experienced it with such low solar flux levels before.

Another opening of interest that happens fairly regularly from here is an
afternoon over the pole path to northern SM/LA/OH.  The signals are weak
and have flutter.  You won't hear them unless you point the beam that way.
Unfortunately we didn't get any this year. I have see it happen even at the
bottom of the sunspot cycle.  This happens around 19-21Z, before the band
would open to JA if conditions are good enough.  This also happens on 15.

I studied the geometry of this opening.  A similar configuration happens
with W9 at the eastern end around 0500Z.  The other end would be zone
23/24.  I have listened for opening on this path a couple of times during
DX contests during high sunspot years.  One time I heard a BY, a couple of
hours after the band had otherwise closed.  It is probably open fairly
often, but with little activity goes unnoticed.

I have worked VU at around 0700Z on 15.  I don't know if that ever happens
on 10.

Different propagation modes are what make 10M so neat. This weekend alone
we had F & E layer propagation, plus some meteor scatter and ground wave.
About the only thing missing was aurora!

73 - Gary



------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Sutcliffe,  W9XT          Unified Microsystems
ppvvpp at mixcom.com              PO Box 133 Slinger, WI 53086
http://www.qth.com/w9xt        414-644-9036

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