Topband: More Skew

[Robert Brown]

On Sat, 15 Sep 2001, Tom Rauch wrote:

> VK3ZL was skewed NW path today with 589 signals. He was 
> inaudible SW and barely readable west on my receiving arrays.
> 
> I did a blind 1,2,3 test on transmit, and Bob reported 1 (589-599), 2 
> (449), 3 (569). 1 was northwest, 2 southwest, and 3 was due west.
> 
> Bob was loudest on his 45 foot vertical (as usual), and reported my 
> omni vertical better than my dipoles (as usual). Bob's normal path 
> is just south of due west.
> 73, Tom W8JI
> W8JI@contesting.com> 

Friends in Radio Land -

Given my previous remarks about the causes of skewed paths, I just made a
quick check of the HAARP magnetometer record for today and find what
appears to be the signature of the sudden commencement of a magnetic storm
at 0900 UTC, followed by a 250 nT negative excursion in the horizontal 
component of the earth's field in Alaska starting at 1230 UTC.  Those
disturbances typically occur simultaneously along the auroral zone so 
similar magnetic activity was in effect to the east, at longitudes closer
to W8JI.

At this point a detailed discussion of the magnetic activity is not
available but it should be forthcoming in the daily RSGA report.  But on
what I know at this point, the skewing that W8JI reports probably was of
auroral/magnetic origin (although he did not give the time of his QSO with
VK3ZL which would have helped by placing it relative to the magnetic
event).  

Check the RSGA Report later today.  It should give details of the times
and latitudes of the disturbance, thus pointing to the location of the
possible source of the skewing by auroral reflection.  

73,

Bob, NM7M