[TowerTalk] Arrival angles and sunspot number

[Pete Smith]

At 08:05 AM 4/25/00 -0600, k6ll@juno.com wrote:
...
>If you tend to operate on the highest frequency band that is open,
>as single-op contesters frequently do, then it may be better to
>use the older files, except for ten meters. I think the new ones
>include some high angle statistics that occur only when you are
>operating far below the MUF.

Actually, I kind of doubt it.  If I recall the e-mail exchanges I had with
Dean back then correctly, his stats used the "best mode" output of IONCAP.
Hence even if there were high-angle propagation modes available, they are
unlikely to appear in the stats because other modes will be stronger.  

As an aside, VOACAP is tremendous fun, much easier to use than IONCAP, and
it's free for the downloading.  Lots of configurability to your particular
situation, and as long as we all remember that it's indicative of smoothed
conditions rather than day-to-day, it can be very enlightening.  Modeling
some times of day with high sunspots I've seen as many as 7 propagation
modes listed for a single path.

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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