[TowerTalk] Skewed Path to BQ9P

[JAMES MOLLICA]

This same skewed path to BQ9P happened on 20
a few hours later.  Jim N2NRD.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dick Green <dick.green@valley.net>
To: Tower <towertalk@contesting.com>
Date: Friday, November 13, 1998 6:09 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Skewed Path to BQ9P


>
>While we're on the subject of compass directions, here's a question that
>might be bit more relevant to the subject of directional antennas:
>
>This morning I was listening to BQ9P from Pratas Island on my 40M 4-square
>(he was working JAs, unfortunately.) The bearing from here to Pratas is
>about 350 degrees, but I was surprised to find that BQ9P was noticably
>stronger on the Southwest element (190-280 degrees) than on the Northwest
>element (280-10 degrees). Neither signal moved the S-meter, but the signal
>from the SW was definitely louder. This phenomenon lasted throughout the
>brief opening from about 1000z to 1130z. Just as I was about to hit 'SEND'
>on this message, a W8 posted a spot on the PacketCluster calling out BQ9P
at
>220 degress. Nice to know I wasn't just imagining this and that nothing is
>wrong with my 4-square!
>
>I've certainly experience the famed "long path" opening, but this was quite
>different. I've  heard about "skewed paths", but really haven't experienced
>one as dramatic as this (then again, I've had decent directional antennas
>for only a year -- after 15 years with mostly verticals and wires.) Is this
>sort of thing common on over-the-pole paths? Is it more of a 40M phenomenon
>or does it happen on the other bands, too? I had expected that a skewed
path
>would  be no more than 90 degrees off, but this one was about 130 degrees
>from where it was supposed to be. One of my propagation programs predicts a
>long-path opening simultaneous with the short-path opening, but at very
very
>low signal levels (i.e., less than noise level.) Is that what causes the
>skewed path?
>
>
>73, Dick, WC1M
>
>
>
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>


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