Topband: Propagation to Conway Reef

[Tom W8JI]

> schedule. The problem with many DX-peditions today rather than in the past 
> is they rely on SR/SS charts for the East Coast before they even check the 
> band for a few test CQ's prior to what the charts or the computer tells 
> them what to do.

It is a HUGE mistake for anyone to assume propagation only peaks at sunrise 
or sunset, or that the sunrise or sunset peak is always the optimum or best 
time. It really is terrible planning.

There are many days working ZL/VK, and working Europe from here, when there 
was no propagation at sunrise or sunset and great propagation well away from 
the two. Sometimes sunset at one end is the peak, sometimes sunrise at one 
end is the peak, and very often the only opening or best peak is not near 
either.

During noise season operating at sunrise/sunset can produce a great 
reduction in noise at the end near daylight, and the lower noise makes 
things better, and many times there is a signal strength peak, but there are 
many times the best or only peak is not remotely close to dawn/dusk at 
either end of the path.

People familiar with 160 listen at all times there is darkness in the path, 
and people unfamiliar listen only at sunrise/sunset.

73 Tom