[Lowfer] Wet ground - low radiated output

[Paul Daulton]

Garry
We have had the wettest summer on record. Friday we had flash flooding 
all over the state, roads were closed all around me. My yard is 
saturated. Normally we have a burning ban in my county from July to 
October. This year we have not had a single ban. I have noted when the 
ground is saturated my signal reports diminish. I dont have an accurate 
way to measure field strength. During the monsoon rains WEB dissapears. 
He did come back in last night. Farmers say they need 10 days of dry 
weather to harvest, estimates of crop losses are 15% or more for rice 
and soy beans. 

My ground is clay down about 30- 36 inches then hard shale. Water has 
to run off horizontally or evaporate. Bill (WEB) is setting on sandy 
soil which may dispell water faster. I am getting day time copies on 
WEB last few weeks when storms not present. No luck with CV. 

I dont have much of a top hat, CV doesnt have a ground system, yet we 
both seem to get out for DX. Yet we cant copy each other. I wonder if 
that has to do with the angle of radiation. I used to copy MO at about 
the same distance as CV. 

Ive only had partial copies of CV,XR, and MP. Its time I got busy on a 
loop for this winter. 
Paul

Quoting Garry Hess <k3siw at sbcglobal.net>:
> Andy,
>
> I've only been listening to lowfers a bit over a year, but last year XR,
> CV, and WMS were copied regularly by December. So far this winter season
> the best I've been able to do is occasional traces. Only WEB has been
> copied regularly, but it seems relatively down in strength and sometimes
> fades into the noise. MP and EAR are good daytime copy, but I used to
> see MP well at night listening to the watering hole and so far this
> season it hasn't been in there, or has been weak. As at your QTH,
> October has been a very rainy month here, but the lightning activity has
> subsided nicely compared to the middle of summer. 
>
> In contrast to lowfers, NDB reception has been fine. I picked up new
> stations this month at a rate of about 1 per night. Since about 1350
> have already been logged, those new ones aren't in the back yard. 
> Stations in South America are coming in as well as last year. 
>
> Hopefully by the end of December lowfers will be coming in like last
> year too. Time will tell. 
>
> 73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
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Paul Daulton K5WMS
beacon WMS 187.492 khz qrss30/slow 24/7
Jacksonville,Ar 72076
em34wu