Topband: Long Path Direction!

[Tom Rauch]

On occasions I hear hams talking about the direction of the long path.  It
seems that many hams think that the "long path" is the inverse of the "short
path.  In reality it is the direction of the gray line.>>

Hi Don,

When I work XQ6ET or ZP6CW south down the terminator, is that longpath? What
if I work Michigan at sunset during the equinox? It fits the description of
a path in the direction of gray line, doesn't it?

When I work VK3ZL in the morning ( he is normally WSW on great circle  path)
and the signal appears NW, is that longpath? When he is SW is that longpath?
What about west?

VK3ZL is actually WSW of me. When his signal is west, is that longpath? NW?
SW?

What about LA3XI? Svein comes in via the east every summer all summer long.

I think it is less confusing if we call directions opposite expected
longpath. We can call everything else by what it really is, a skewed path of
unknown length.

73 Tom