Re: [IRCA] TP seasonality
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Re: [IRCA] TP seasonality



Hi Saul and Walt,
 
Walt and Nick are certainly far more experienced at TP-DXing than me,  and 
Walt's ocean beach Haida Gwaii (BC) DXpedition site is phenomenal in  
comparison to my mediocre (Puyallup, WA) location. But maybe a few  comments from 
the perspective of an Ultralight radio TP-chaser might be  interesting.
 
Depending upon the solar conditions, Asiatic TP signals generally  hit 
their peak here from September through mid-November, although this  year both 
the strength and duration of the peak TP season was seriously  down from last 
year. Guy Atkins and I both live in an inland location about 100  air miles 
from the ocean, so we don't enjoy the salt water  propagation that Walt, 
Nick and Colin experience in Victoria. When the TP  season drops off seriously 
(like it did about a month ago), it's far more  productive to use limited 
hobby time designing and creating modified Ultralight  radios, rather than 
repeatedly listening for mediocre signals from  594-JOAK and 747-JOIB every 
morning. Ultralight radio DXing success depends on  excellent propagation, and 
when the propagation collapses,  it's best to use rare free time to prepare 
for the next peak  season.
 
DU-chasing with Ultralight radios was a "sport" pioneered by John Bryant,  
who would set up at Grayland, WA with his Wellbrook arrays inductively  
coupled to modified E100's every summer. He logged quite a few DU's every  year 
in June, July or August this way, amazing the other ULR enthusiasts  with 
his success. My own efforts were focused on creating the modified ULR  "travel 
portables," and coupling them with portable tuned passive loops to chase  
DU's during the peak summer months of July and August. The latest twist in  
Ultralight DU-chasing DXpeditions is the idea of setting up on ocean side  
cliffs, which apparently give a huge signal boost to the South Pacific 
stations  (similar to what Allen Willie experiences in Newfoundland with European 
and  African signals, when he takes his SRF-M37V Ultralight up on Signal 
Hill). The  Ultralight DU-chasing results on Oregon cliffs last summer were in a 
different  league than the Grayland sea-level results, and Dennis Vroom 
also proved  the concept with amazing Asiatic TP-DXing results using a simple 
E100  and Space Magnet loop, on an Oregon ocean side cliff in  September.
 
73, Gary  DeBock            
 
 
In a message dated 12/25/2010 12:42:11 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
canswl@xxxxxxxxx writes:

Hi,  Saul!  I guess it depends on where you are.  Out here on the  Pacific
coast, TP reception begins nicely in mid-August.  However,  good TP
(especially DU) reception is available throughout the summer.   A number of
years ago, there was a record setting DXpedition to Grayland,  WA with
attendance from all over North America during the last weekend in  
June/early
July.  Australian and NZ reception during that time was  very good.  I
remember some of the organizers (including John Bryant)  wondering whether 
TP
DX was even possible during the shortest days of the  year in the northern
hemisphere.  Very good DU DX was attained in  Oregon this summer by Gary
DeBoeck, et al using simple ULR and loop  antennae.  Best of the season to
you!  .....Walt

On Sat,  Dec 25, 2010 at 7:46 PM, Saul DX <sauldx@xxxxxxxxxxxx>  wrote:

> Thanks. My point was intended at something I raised earlier  ... is there 
a
> general, relatively defined season for TPacific  reception to, say, more
> northerly latitudes? Or, for that matter, for  trans-polar DX? I don't 
have
> any experience with TPacific, and my only  experience with trans-polar is
> from being in Newfoundland for only a  week at a time in Nov-early Dec.
>
> I would say that I see little  point in paying attention to AM from about
> April through August, but  that's primarily because I can't stand the 
static
> of thunderstorm  crashes, and I am busy then with FM. I also generally 
find
> AM  unproductive during these months. With a few notable exceptions, like 
 one
> time when I had some very strong summertime Mexicans, perhaps  among my 
top
> few sessions that way.
>
>
>
>  ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nick Hall-Patch"  <nhp@xxxxxxxx>
> To: "Mailing list for the International Radio  Club of America" <
> irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent:  Saturday, December 25, 2010 12:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] All the best  of the Season and great DX to all!
>
>
>  Saul's point  is well taken...there's DX coming from somewhere, even if 
it
>> isn't  from the usual catches; I suspect though that for here it would be
>>  coming from a patch of the Pacific Ocean if only there was someone
>>  transmitting from there, hi.
>>
>> Merry Christmas to  all.
>>
>> Nick
>>
>>
>> At 22:42  24-12-10, you wrote:
>>
>>> Fer cryin out loud, winter  just started a few days ago. DX is simply
>>> DIFFERENT. I even  notice the pattern of TAs has changed - lot of days 
when
>>> not  even a het at sunset, followed by a slow rise and enough IDable 
audio  on
>>> some channels that were not so good when the "DX Season"  was in full 
swing.
>>>
>>> I agree that cx to the west  at sunset and sunrise are nowhere what they
>>> were in October.  But I am - up until a few days ago when I returned to
>>> Toronto  - getting stuff I wasn't getting in October.
>>>
>>>  My best opening domestically was last March, when I had Alberta at  
five
>>> or six places on the dial...plus more form out  west.
>>>
>>> Saul
>>>
>>>  ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patrick Martin"  <mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx>
>>> To: "Mailing list for the  International Radio Club ofAmerica" <
>>>  irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> Cc: "Mailing list for the  International Radio Club ofAmerica" <
>>>  irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 2:43  PM
>>> Subject: Re: [IRCA] All the best of the Season and great DX  to all!
>>>
>>>
>>>   Colin,
>>>>
>>>> DX last night was nothing  exciting even though the A&K is low. 
Hopefully
>>>> things  will improve, but we are in the mid Winter period when often  
DX
>>>> conditions are poor.
>>>> Merry  Christmas and the best to you in the New  Year.
>>>>
>>>>  73,
>>>>
>>>>  Patrick
>>>>
>>>> Patrick  Martin
>>>> Seaside OR
>>>> KGED QSL  Manager
>>>>
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>>
>>
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