[TowerTalk] Arrival angles and sunspot number

[Pete Smith]

At 06:52 AM 4/24/00 -0400, Tom Rauch wrote:
...
>I'm not sure that the transmitting antenna and receiving antenna 
>limitations that Dean assumed does not also affect the numbers.
>
>Maybe someone else knows, but didn't Dean assume low or 
>modest antenna heights?

Initially, yes, but in late 1998 he announced that he had recalculated his
arrival angle data, based on isotropic sources with moderate gain at both
ends of the circuit.  This was done specifically to remove any biases that
might be introduced either by antenna height or by a particular type of
antenna.  

The version of the angle files now available on the ARRL web site is the
revised one.  I haven't done a detailed comparison, so I don't know how
large the differences are, but assume they could be significant in cases
where a null in the elevation pattern of the original reference antennas
was at an elevation angle at which signals are often propagated.

73, Pete Smith N4ZR
n4zr@contesting.com 

Don't forget to update your entry on the World Contest Station Database,
now at http://www.contesting.com/stationdatabase.htm

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