Topband: Re: Topband Digest, Vol 21, Issue 15

[Richard Zwirko]

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 >  "Ford Peterson" <ford at cmgate.com> wrote:

> Subject: Re: Topband: AstroAlert: Middle Latitude Auroral 
               Activity Watch  -  14-16Sept
> I live in Central Minnesota and note Visible Aurora very frequently--mostly 
> because there are no outside lights within 1/2 mile of me (very little
> light pollution).  I've seen aurora that shimmers from the northern
> horizon to well south of my Zenith.  I've seen aurora that stays north
> of me, and aurora on either side of me (E or W).  A common event makes
> the N-S magnetic  field lines visible with waves of light intensity
> shooting from the western horizon to the eastern horizon in just under a
> second.  Very spectacular!  I find very little correlation between
> visible aurora and any sort of 'enhancement' of topband propagation.  In
> fact, just the opposite is true.  If I can see it, there is little, if
> any, topband propagation to anywhere.  If it is a major auroral event,
> the dummy load works just as well as the antenna.  Attenuation on
> Topband has been known to be higher during a visible event, but the
> ionosphere can become similarly choked off without any visible evidence.
> A similar physical mechanism is in play, but is often not visible.
> 
> Ford-N0FP
> ford at cmgate.com
> 

Ford,
  Although it is very difficult to see visible auroras at the K1HTV
Maryland QTH (in the Washington,DC suburbs) when I have been fortunate
enough to see them, the 'K' index is usually above 5. Often while the
aurora is at its peak there has been enhanced Topband DX to the south.
Some of my best 160M DX QSOs to South America have occurred during such
auroras. While operating at the 160M position at W3LPL during DX contest
during auroras we have experienced some great DX to the south, including
skewed path QSOs with ZL. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experiencd
these enhanced Topband conditions during auroras. I envy you being having
such low light polution conditions so you can enjoy even the smaller
auroras.

  73 de Rich - K1HTV

ps - I'm recovering from a 10 ft. fall off a roof which resulted in a
fractured left hip & a triple break of the left heel bone. Three nasty
wasps were the cause of me loosing my footing on the ladder. Will be home
from work, left to work DX,  until later this year.