Topband: condx - more

[ve6wz_steve]

>         My guess is that you are seeing the very dynamic effects of
> Auroral absorption.  If you've seen an Aurora or a dynamic photo of
> one, they can change VERY rapidly.  Here is a NOAA page with plots of
> the Northern Auroral Zone with measurements of power:

Finding this recent thread regarding geographical variations in propagation
very interesting. At my Lat: 51 deg N.  I have had ZERO copi so far this
season on TB (possibly had esp on IT9ZGY last night for a few seconds). The
last two seasons I've had maybe two or three openings a year. This season,
even N-S paths have been poor.
I sometime wonder how many top banders actually realize how totally DEAD
160m is at these northern latitudes?  (OC and JA are often easier of
coarse). My point is, aurora absorption is a VERY real thing.......what
other phenomena could explain the almost constant 160m blackout punctuated
by only brief flashes of propagation?  Whatever it is, it seems related to
signals traversing close to the pole EU to.....KL7, W6, W7, VE6, VE7....same
with east coast to JA. I would tend to conclude that the polar effect is the
"Low Band Killer".  I realize this appears to be re-stating the common
knowledge of many, but why is there a need for other, more complex
explanations??  Maybe the aurora is the "low band killer" ...period !!  As
Bill points out above, we KNOW the Aurora is dynamic (I've watched it move
and dance) so it seems likely that its effects could vary both spatially and
temporally.

BTW....regarding skewed paths....In the last three years I have noticed that
every 80m EU contact from VE6 has been skewed...peaking to the E-SE (not the
direct path NW).

I have added some new sound files of low band DX recorded at VE6WZ at :
http://www.qsl.net/ve6wz/sound_files.html

73 de Steve VE6WZ.