Topband: Interesting prop in the Stew Perry

[Steve Ireland]

G’day Bill

Just thought I would drop you a line for the 
reflector about the apparent propagation in the Stew Perry from VK6.

After the start of the contest, the band opened 
into western USA (north to NE from here), 
northern Asia and northern Europe virtually from 
the start of the contest at 1500Z.  The only time 
that this northern ‘funnel’ seems to happen in 
VK6 on 160m is right at the bottom of the solar 
cycle.  UA9CLB was worked at 1505Z and the first 
European heard was RD3A at 1539Z.

Usually Europeans are mainly worked from here in the hour before sunrise.

However, after working 22 stations from these 
areas in the first two hours of the contest, as 
the sun moved further west from here, conditions 
virtually died.  In the next four hours, I worked 
a total of 5 stations, - VK6HD, two JA plus YL8M 
and GM3POI.  In the actual hour before my 
sunrise, all I worked was Mike 6HD and Clive 
GM3POI.  GM3POI is roughly north west from here 
and the only ‘westerly’ stations heard were C4M 
and S50U – neither of which I could work.

When sunset came around, the DX conditions were 
non-existent in a easterly direction and I only 
worked three more stations – ZL2BSJ (to my 
SSE/SE), JE1SPY (NNE) and a very tough QSO with 
K9DX (NE).  Up to giving the contest away at 
1241Z, the only USA stations I could hear were 
N7UA (who was a steady 569 – 79 from sunset) and, 
very briefly and weakly at RST 339, K9DX.

In terms of overall prop, it seems that prop was 
mainly north/south – typical of HF conditions at 
the bottom of solar cycle.  I suspect that if I 
had stayed on, the northern funnel would have 
come back in the last few hours of the contest, 
judging from the observations of others who 
showed more intestinal fortitude than me.

After at least of nine years of operating in the 
SP, I have come to the conclusion that 160m 
conditions are very variable (!) near the solstice for everyone.

It would be really nice to do the SP right on one 
of the equinoxes for the next decade, which I 
think would push up the scores and interest in it dramatically.

HNY to you and the 160m gang.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VXZ