Topband: 160 Meter Propagation

[Larry Molitor]

At 12:17 PM 1/7/01 +0000, Bill Tippett wrote:

>         DXAID is a very useful program...it calculates a great circle map
>for any QTH and will superimpose the solar greyline for any time or date.
>You can also superimpose the auroral zone for any value of the K-index.

Interesting. I wonder how it calculates the zone. If I can believe the 
satellite data at all, the auroral zone is usually oval shape and 
frequently irregular at that. Also, seldom centered on the pole. Tough 
thing to calculate. I already have a number of tools which do everything 
except the auroral zone. Would be a nice thing to add to the collection.

For those same K numbers, what does DXAID show for the Phoenix to JA path 
and the JA to EU path?

As an aside, last night, five minutes after I posted my prediction that I 
would not hear any EU because of the auroral data I saw on the satellite 
image, I started hearing DF2PY. I was never able to copy well enough to 
attempt a QSO, but N7DD, about 100 miles south of me, was able to make it. 
Later I could almost copy HA5JI. This was the best EU "opening" this year.

Of note was the quick QSB and the meteor scatter like peaks which 
occasionally rolled through.

This morning the JA's were rolling in very strong. I could detect 9V1PC, 
but because of the feeding frenzy on the JA's, my blanker was useless. With 
a S5 power line noise to my west, it's a challenge. Didn't need the blanker 
for the JA's!

73,

Larry - W7IUV


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