TopBand: K1ZM - NL7Z no long path?

[K3BU]

In a message dated 98-03-21 07:44:38 EST, NM7M writes:

<< Now Kevin revives the long-path idea and let me shoot that in the head, 
 once and for all.  All you have to do is look at all the sunlight on that 
 path with your mapping program and you will know there is just NO WAY 
 that a 160 meter signal could survive.  

       So let's just leave that idea  lie where it is.   It will get us
nowhere. >>

Woooow!!!  (Here we go again: "Books and programs are right!")
This kind of statement was heard many times before, like when they kicked hams
up to "useless" HF frequencies - "It will get them nowhere."
I think we have a situation, when we observed very unusual propagation,
(remember grey line?) and rather than being curious and exploring it, we are
shutting it down and "blaming" K1ZM's excellent antenna. When you can "rotate"
at least 20 dB pattern and finding that signals ARE coming from different
direction, then IMHO we should question the direction of signals and how and
why and when it happens and not the "manhood" of Jeff's antennas. 
    I bring up again my article on ducting and recommend reading it, thinking
about it, keeping it in mind and trying to fit various propagation modes to
either ducting/refraction vs. bouncing/reflection. Lot of things can be
explained by the first case. 
    BTW I am going back to VE1ZZ for WPX SSB (160m  SB) and I will drive my
radiomobile (leaving NJ abt 4 am Thursday, coming back Monday) and be QRV
during the dark hours on 160 with my ugly antenna and abt 400W. Also during
the contest, I will try to be a "beacon" and keep CQing even during the
daylight when not dead tired. I will use 4 square (various directions) and low
inverted Vee for transmit. Would appreciate signal reports and observations.
And please log what you hear and not what logging program suggests! (Had too
many N people logging me anything but VE3BMV/1) Hope condx will be half decent
and good luck to everyone!
    Kepp your mind open!

73, Yuri Blanarovich, VE3BMV/1, K3BU/m.

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