[600MRG] Will 630m N.Am. to VK/ZL start late Feb? Clock times. Get ready each way. Punch-thru Resources.

[James Hollander]

Clock times (Zulu) for investigating trans-Pacific TP paths between N. Americaand VK/ZL will probably lie between 0900-1330Z.  Early to mid-evening local time in Australia. Mid-evening to midnight in New Zealand.  Wee hours to dawn local time in much of N. America. 

Last fall during that 0900-1330Z window, VK2DDI, VK2XGJ, and ZL2AFPdecoded several N. American stations’ 630m WSPR transmissions.  May these and other VK/ZL stations do what they can to be ready soon--both for reception again on the path from N.America and also for possible successful 630m transmissions to N. America.  
 
No WSPR decode, not one, was achieved in N. America from VK/ZL last fallaccording to my records.  This failurechallenges both Part 5 and receive-only stations here in N. America to have receiving antennasand operations ready to maximize WSPR reception chances Feb-April from VK/ZL.  The next 10 weeks can be the time when the first VK or ZL station delivers a 630m wspr decode in N. America in at least the last year.  And maybe somebody can tell us whether or when that's ever happened in the past!
 
Transmitting operators at both ends investigating the 630m TP path may want to considerincreasing their statistical chances of a TP decode by advancing their WSPR transmit percentage (TxPct) toward 50%.  Of course, this TxPct strategyshould be balanced with desired reception availability at their stations to deliver decodes ofother WSPR stations transmitting in their same continent or region.  
 
Consider these further challenges based on last fall's experience: The next 10 weeks can be the time when the first Canadian station delivers a 630m wspr-decode in VK/ZL this fall-winter-spring season. The next 10 weeks can be the time this season when the first USA station east of the Mississippi River decodes into VK/ZL ditto. 
 
Merv, WH2XCR, in Molokai is just as important a resource for VK/ZL transmitting operators as for North American operators.   VK/ZL ops can get advance indications of favorable TP path conditions to N. America by checking the WSPR MF map for any XCR 630m decodes of their transmissions in the evenings. Set the map for last-one-hour capture (or your time-capture choice). The wspr map for 630m (MF) shows VK/ZL to XCR at a glance. 

160m decodes of 160m VK/ZL ops in N. America can offer heads-up predictive clues for VK/ZL 630m ops. For 160m comparison and choose the 160m map for VK/ZL with North America. As you know, both maps are at http://wsprnet.org/drupal/wsprnet/spots.  
 
I hope ops in both N. America and VK/ZL find helpful information and encouragement in this three-part post today on possible upcoming 630m TP opportunities.  Revisiting this topic helped me refresh after spending several months on other things.  Good hunting!
 
73,  Jim H  W5EST