[600MRG] 630m and Solar Eclipse: PA0A into GM3YXM and G3XKR

[James Hollander]

      Today’s triple play of springequinox, new moon and solar eclipse features some suggestive 630m activity inUK/N.EU on the WSPR database.  Netherlands’PA0A 2w sent every other 2 minute time slots 705km into Scotland-based GM3YXM, whodecoded a W-shaped PA0A SNR sequence of [-2, -2, -2, -2, -4, -4, +1, -4, -1,-1, -2, -2] in the time interval 0918-1002Z. Solar eclipse maximum occurred inGlasgow 0934Z and Amsterdam 0938Z. http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/uk/glasgow 
       0936Z was about the time of solar eclipse maximum at the single-hop midpath center point over the NorthSea. The midpath would also be midway between points on either side of it wheresingle-hop PA0A signal would have penetrated the D-layer on ascent and descent.The SNR peak +1dB of PA0A WSPR SNR at GM3YXM occurred in the 0942Z time slot,about 6 minutes later than 0936.   Nochange in PA0A frequency 475.718 registered at GM3YXM. 
      G3XKR at 763km in north Devon in SWEngland also decoded a W-shaped PA0A SNR sequence of [-12, -12, -11, -13, -13, -15,-9, -14, -14, -13, -11, -12, -11,-15, -19, -11, -10] between 0914-0946 in thelisting time interval 0906-1010Z. Solar eclipse maximum occurred in Plymouth 0925Zand Amsterdam 0938Z. http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/uk/plymouth
       0932Z was about the time ofthe solar eclipse maximum at the PA0A/G3XKR single-hop midpath center point overthe North Sea near the English Channel. The SNR peak -9dB of PA0A WSPR SNR at G3XKRoccurred in the 0930Z time slot.   No change in PA0A frequency 475.715 registered at G3XKR. 
       Compare today's info with 2-6dB-high W-shapesobserved during a 1999 solar eclipse involving 5-minute moving average signal at75KHz and 183KHz LF reported for 1 TX and 4 RX stations at 470-762kmdistances away. See PA3BSH (2001) http://misan.home.xs4all.nl/eclipse.htm (scroll 20% for observations, scroll half-wayfor simulation). 
     A possibly contrary observation:G3YXM 555km decodes of PA0A 0906-0950Z were steady at -3dB WSPR SNR through the 0930Zeclipse maximum at Worcester, except for -2dB at 0918Z.
      Not-pertinent:  The 630m WSPR database today shows 3/20/150850-1138Z mid-morning reception of the distinct Netherlands station 0.5 watt PA0Ointo GM3YXM 723km and G3XKR 787km today. No peak around the solar eclipse showsup on the database for that reception mostly because the TxPct duty cycle was low andthe solar eclipse occurred in a 20 minute gap between 0934Z to 0956Z.  G8AGN’s decodes of PA0A ended 0934 prior to theeclipse max there. 
       PE1RKT receptionaround the solar eclipse shows nothing unusual.  Receptions by F1AFJ and PA3ABK/2 ended before,or show no spots, on the database around the solar eclipse.
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