[CQ-Contest] LR vs LPL

[Tom Frenaye]

The discussion about K3LR and W3LPL on 40m is interesting.  K3LR said,
"There IS quite a distance difference between W3LPL and K3LR, with LPL
being much closer to Europe than LR."  Don't assume that LPL is much closer
to Eu  than LR...   LR is actually closer to Moscow/UA3 than LPL is.   LPL
is closer to western Europe by less than you might think.

                                  W3LPL           K3LR
                                  39.28n77.02w    41.18n80.5w

CT      38.7n  9.2w             3555mi          3674mi
CU      37.7n  25.7w            2742            2888
DL      50.7n  7.0e             3959            4009
EI      53.3n  6.3w             3366            3418
UA3     55.8n  37.6e            4839            4827
UT      50.4n  30.5e            4852            4869

Calculations done using a tool here:

           http://www.wfu.edu/albatross/gcircle/calcfull.html

Even KC1XX and K1AR(@K1EA) differ on which is closer to Eu.  XX is closer
to northern and eastern EU...

                                  K1AR at K1EA       KC1XX
                                  42.4n71.57w     42.73n71.77w

CT      38.7n  9.2w             3211mi          3216mi
CU      37.7n  25.7w            2419            2427
DL      50.7n  7.0e             3598            3596
EI      53.3n  6.3w             3004            3003
UA3     55.8n  37.6e            4495            4488
UT      50.4n  30.5e            4497            4492

My thinking is that some of the advantage LPL has over LR has to do with
sunset times on 40m.  LPL's sunset is 11 minutes earlier than LR's (5:47pm
vs 5:58pm) - enough for 15-20 QSOs each night perhaps (and LR gets to deal
with more QRM as the band is open for more USA stations).   But XX and AR
(5:21pm/5:20pm) get a 17 minute advantage over LPL, along with even less
QRM.  And VE1ZZ has a sunset 45 minutes earlier than that...

Another way to look at it.   Say that 40m is open to Europe from 60 minutes
before sunset local time until 06Z (average sunrise time in Eu).  That
means LPL has 9:13 of Eu openings vs 9:02 for LR, each night.   At the 1700
QSO level, that difference (about 2%) might amount to 35 QSOs (sure, lots
more variables than I'm describing but I hope I made general sense - LPL's
path is over water more of the way also).

These are fairly small differences, but they add up over the course of 48
hours, assuming the operator(s) are able to capitalize.

                          -- Tom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
e-mail: frenaye at pcnet.com    YCCC --> http://www.yccc.org/
Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444


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