[CQ-Contest] NAQP CW Propagation "spotlighting"

[Steve London]

Scott Robbins wrote:
> N2IC wrote (on 3830 NAQPCW posting):
> 
> 
>>> Down here in SW New Mexico, 160 just wasn't open to the east
>>> coast. The few
> 
> that we heard couldn't hear us. Very disappointing way to end the
> contest.<<
> 
> Strange propagation on 15 and 20 meters this time as well.
> 
> I asked N2IC "15M?" and was told 21.041 - only to hear nothing, which
> is way unusual.  Never did work NM on 15.

The skip length on 15 from SW NM was never that short. We had, what I 
nickname "Hudson River propagation", because it used to happen so often 
on 10 meters from Colorado.  It means that not much was worked west of 
the Hudson River.

> Texas signals also weak on
> 15 and 20. Tried for a couple of minutes to work W7SW in AZ at ESP
> level and finally heard NIL NIL . . . signals from So Calif, AZ, NM,
> TX way down this time on 15 and 20 - K6LL, K6LA, W6YI are usually
> banging in here and weren't this weekend.
> 
> By contrast, the Pacific Northwest had large signals everywhere, led
> by NK7U being about S9+40 on 15 meters and well over S9 on 80 as
> well.  K7ZSD - loud. N6TR - loud.  N0AX - very loud on 20 and 40.
> West coast very early in the day on 40 - was working W6's at 2100Z
> without difficulty.
> 
> 160 was great out here this time - W6 and W7 worked without any
> problem. K7ZSD, NK7U, N6TR, N6IP and a number of others.

All those guys are way north, compared to us in the SW USA.


>  N2IC, too,
> I must have been one of the few east coast to work you (whether I'm
> really "east coast" is debatable as I'm due south of Indianapolis at
> K4JNY...)

No, TN is definitely not "east coast", but you were hearing well. 
Plenty of W1's, 2's, 3's, 4's and 8's could not hear us.  Based on all 
the juicy EU I have worked in the past month, I thought I was doing well 
on 160 until the NAQP.

> 
> You never know...but that Texas and the southwest were weak all
> weekend is unusual out here...usually parity with the W7's.

There was sporadic E on Saturday evening, as several people have noted 
on 3830. In my experience, there is a strong correlation between 6 meter 
Es and high absorption on 160 down here.

73,
Steve, N2IC/5