[CQ-Contest] Overdue research on equatorial propagation

[Pete Smith N4ZR]

Well, one major tool in such research could be the RBN.  Currently, it 
is an overwhelmingly northern hemisphere resource.  We have Skimmers in 
VU, 9V, and southwestern China, but nothing to speak of in equatorial 
Africa and South America.  Our efforts to fill the gap in Africa were 
focused, unfortunately, in an area that has other things on its mind, 
and we have not found much interest in Latin America. If anyone out 
there would be interested in establishing RBN nodes in East Africa or 
South America, we'd love to hear from them.  It doesn't have to be an 
expensive undertaking - we can show you how.

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
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blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
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On 8/28/2014 10:38 PM, Bob Kupps via CQ-Contest wrote:
> Hi Charly I would be very interested in how these observations were made. I am not a smart doctoral candidate but as 'other people' my theory for this observation is the large increase in propagated noise floor we experience due to our proximity to the ITCZ.
>
> 73 Bob HS0ZIA
>
>
> On Friday, August 29, 2014 8:07 AM, Charles Harpole <hs0zcw at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>
>
> There is over twenty years of observation of the absorption (?) of
> incoming HF signals in a latitude band of about 25 degrees width
> and seemingly along the MAGNETIC equator.
>
> Consistently, signals coming in to this area are attenuated or lower than
> reported outgoing far-field (2 to 4+ hops) signals.  IN the geographical
> area, stations hear worse than they are heard.
>
> Could some smart doctoral candidate or other people get on this phenomena
> with measured research and scientific explanation.
>
> The area I know about stretches from VU4, over HS/XU/3W, and includes
> Manila.   Help?  73,