Topband: Re: 160 path

[Robert Brown]

Ron,

No, your contribution is not "useless information", by any means.  We
learn by compiling information and your observations are quite
significant.

I have checked with my mapping utilities and see that the distance between
the VK3's and your QTH is about 5,600 km closer than W5TW.  In short, the
path to you only goes across low latitudes, from 40S to 21N.  It is very 
hard to see how such a "banana belt" path could be influenced by any
modest auroral substorm activity, as shown by the HAARP magnetometer.

There have been HUGE magnetic storms that have perturbed conditions in
that area but they are very rare.  If you know Steve Barnes, KH6SB, you
might check with him; he used to run a NOAA magnetic observatory in
KH6-land.

My interest in all this is in seeing that accurate, detailed information
accompanies reports on skewed paths.  As I said, each one has a cause and
we should work to find it - ionospheric refraction, scattering by
irregularities in the ionosphere or auroral reflections.  If you observe
that sort of thing, it has to be due to one of the above.

Keep looking, keep reporting; every little bit helps.

73,

Bob, NM7M