[600MRG] Midday skywave on MF

[rfoxwor1 at tampabay.rr.com]

Many in the broadcast band DX community have experience with daytime skip.
I did a lot of this in the 70's when living on Long Island, NY.

A benefit was the fact that signals were available on a known timetable
and with known conditions. What I learned was that there would be many
days when there was no skip, and a few days with skip. Listening was done
always in the noon - 1300 local time time period. There was often a lot
of QSB and sometimes signals would 'rotate' from one station to another.

We DXers believed it was a combination of "holes" in the D layer at
the reflection point, combined with E layer enhancement. Midwest
DXers have reported 800 to perhaps 1000 mile paths involving 50 kW
"clear channel" stations. In the northeast with more crowding of
stations, such paths are less often found. One of my most common
signals back then was WTOP 1500 from Washington  DC overriding small local
signals from Milford CT and Pompton Lakes NJ. It always seemed that the
high end of the BC band was the most productive, and the time to listen
was always around the middle to end of December, as a rule. One signal
I recall hearing was from Mocksville NC on 1520 with 500 watts, more
frequently Buffalo NY with 50 kw would be heard, from Long Island. They
might show up when the weaker signals did not.

Antenna was (car radio) a simple whip, or indoor air-core wooden frame
loops, if at home, and a HQ150 receiver. Nothing elaborate.

73 Bob K2EUH


---- sbjohnston at aol.com wrote: 
> 
> Midday skywave on MF is a real phenomenon.  The sun overhead or above the path between the transmitter and receiver seems to be the trigger.  I've had DX reception reports of my AM broadcast stations in midday, and have listened to distant stations myself at that time.  I've also noted skywave interference on 160m around noon when talking groundwave
>  
> 
> Steve WD8DAS
> 
> sbjohnston at aol.com
> http://www.wd8das.net/
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