Topband: More 3W5FM, Reflector, etc.

[Bill Tippett]

K5AQ wrote:

Hi Don!

>I've been following the discussion of your QSO and that of W4DR with 3W5FM
>and possible mechanisms.
>
>I took a look at the rectangular map in the MiniProp program for the time
>you both worked Coly.  I appears that the signals might have propagated
>along a path roughly parallel to the terminator going at about your observed
>210 launch then along the terminator to 3w.
>
>The ON4UN grey line program indicates the classic evening long path along
>the terminator but no morning path.
>
>Wonder if this "inverse grey line" might have any physical validity.

Hi Don!

        I'm not familiar with the ON4UN program, but there is no reason
the path should not exist at both morning and evening paths.  I do think
the signals are roughly following the terminator at both ends of the
path.  However it is hard to call this a "greyline" path when both ends
are in almost 1 hour of darkness.  My guess is that the signals are
following the direction you describe toward the eastern (at our sunset)
or western (at our sunrise) boundary of perpetual "greyline" that exists
over the south polar area during our winter.  To me this is the only
thing that can explain the consistency of the direction of this path
since the direction correlates with what I observe with my Beverages.
I have seen cases of this path on 80 even when one end of the path is
over 2 hours in darkness!  My guess is that signals propagate normally
toward the perpetual greyline area, are refracted along the boundary of
south polar sunlight, and then follow a normal path back to the other
end.  There is no way we can really tell but to me this could explain the
consistency of the signal directions when their Great Circle directions
are so different.  As I noted before, from Colorado I observed morning LP
signals from points as geographically diverse as XW8 (330 degrees) to OZ
(35 degrees) all focused on the same direction (~210 degrees).

        Interesting stuff...but nobody has explained it yet IMHO!

                                                73,  Bill  W4ZV
 


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