[ADXA] 160 Meter Propagation

[w5znjoel at gmail.com]

It is well known among the ADXA folks that I am passionate about 160 meters
in my quest to reach the 300 DXCC country mark on the band. I'm currently at
292. Actually, passionate is not the right word, addiction is more
appropriate.

 

In the past 20 years I have spent countless days perfecting and tweaking
multiple receive antenna systems to the point that now I'm happy if I can
make just one-tenth of a dB improvement either in the forward lobe or noise
reduction. I spent weeks building a TX antenna system that provided gain in
switchable directions. This has all been time well spent but there is one
thing that I still cannot conquer, understand, or control and that is
160-meter propagation - at times it makes me pee like a puppy! If I want to
attempt to learn and understand something about low band propagation I go to
the master Carl, K9LA or "The Godfather" Frank W3LPL but even they will tell
you predictions are just that, a prediction of what might occur. Prior to
their knowledge and experience being published Bob Brown, NM7M (SK),
published several articles on 160-meter propagation and is regarded by all
as THE subject matter expert on this topic. Bob was a Physicist at Cal
Berkley and professionally considered an expert in the upper atmosphere and
geomagnetosphere. Thankfully K9LA has retained a lot of Bob's work on his
website at k9la.us in the 160-meter section. One paper is NM7M The Big Gun's
Guide to Low-Band Propagation
<https://k9la.us/NM7M_The_Big_Gun_s_Guide_to_Low-Band_Propagation.pdf>  Its
a 120 page document but if you're serious about 160 meter DX, turn off the
TV and read this paper!

 

Simple math tells us if 80 meters is open to a particular area there is a
good possibility 160 meters may be also. If 160 meters is open to a specific
area then you can bet the ranch that 80 meters will be bursting wide open
with DX. 

 

To quote Lee Corso "NOT SO FAST!" and the past two mornings have been
excellent examples. Yesterday morning, and this morning as well, the
160-meter band was wide open to JA, they were "wall to wall" and the band
stayed open until 25 minutes past our sunrise. I monitor 80 meters on my
second radio in the morning and 80 meters was grave yard DEAD! There were a
bunch of USA stations on but nothing whatsoever beyond our borders. I don't
understand it and I can't explain it, but it was very interesting to observe
and document.

 

The lesson here is not about my station or my 160-meter pursuit to 300, but
about propagation and regardless of what predictions you hear it is simply
just like predicting the weather. You MUST be ready to get in there at any
time because any band may open unpredictably and one band's opening does not
guarantee another will be. And that opening may only last a minute or two!

 

In the BIG DOG game of DX, you must have your station ready and be able to
jump into action at any one moment so you can "GET IN THERE!"

 

73 Joel W5ZN

 

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