[CW] Fwd: Unusual Propagation and "LDE" or Long Delayed Echoes.

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

A discussion elsewhere proved to be very interesting.

I post my response here:

Notably around the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes there is a very unusual
propagation of radio signals from the extreme North or South to other
trans-equatorial destinations. During the 1970s I noticed that KC4USA
and other Antarctic stations would come in with very strong signals
around midday local time.

I discussed this with Fr. Daniel Lenihan, W1HWK, noted geologist from
Weston, MA where he ran the Weston Geophysical Observatory.  He told me
he had noticed the same thing and had on several occasions made radio
contracts on 7 MHz CW from W1HWK at the South Pole and another
exposition to the North Pole, during the International Geophysical Year
(IGY), No other signals were heard, just the station at the poles!

During the early 1980s when I was on the various Brooklyn class VLCC
Very Large Crude Carriers traveling around Cape Horn (South America's
southernmost tip,), during the Summer in early January I noticed I could
repeatedly contact stations from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia,
Northern New York, Massachusetts,  No signals from West of the
Mississippi were ever heard, but occasionally stations from Quebec and
Ontario were heard.  No Maine, or Maritime Provinces, were ever heard.

Some think that the signals enter the magnetosphere and are circulated.

Also at this season I was able to detect echoes of small duration by
observing radiotelegraph stations,, KPH (North peninsula of San
Francisco Harbor Entrance ), and KFS (South peninsula of San Francisco
Harbor Entrance),  both stations had call signs ending with a series of
dots and often the stronger of the two stations, KFS, I could hear KFH
and sometimes I would hear KP5 instead of KPH.  Both stations had
excellent operators, but some time around 1975, Charles Darlapelian
(???), KPH manager made what many of the KPH RCA operators thought was a
misstep, the removal of many directive arrays and replacing them with
dipoles.  A broadside array aimed at the middle of the distant shipping
channel to the Far East as was reportedly used during the Vietnam War
was what was needed once you were a week West bound out of Honolulu as
by Honolulu, WCC just faded from reception as did the amateur stations
with less than 4 element yagis, it always surprised me 1 dB of gain at
that distance resulted in 1 to 1.5 S Units, while my beloved KPH was not
there in 16 and 22 MHz  while KFS  could hear better than AT&T's KMI
radiotelephone station and I had to resort to a telegram to KMI via KFS
to get KMI to come up on 16 or 22 MHz and put one of their rhombics on
me.  (KMI had transmitter rhombics spaced every 30 degrees around the
compass as well as a separate set of rhombics at receiver site right
near KPH and USCG San Francisco station, NMC as all three were neighbors.

I attach an interesting story about another polar anomaly written by a
radio amateur and former maritime section director, Hugh Clark, VE9HC of
his experience with 500 kHz from a station in Canada's Northern Labrador
coast.  HC writes a nice  story.  Enjoy.

73

DR
N1EA
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