[MAMS] Light Pilar effects

[Lloyd Ellsworth]

Fellow Microwave enthusiests 

Looking today 1/28/11, at Space Weather web site, they cover the topic of light pillars. Searchlights, aimed up, under the correct atmospheric conditions, form, what looks like a support pillar. At first narrow, then broadining out near the clouds. Like a roof support pillar. 

What this reminds me of. Don WW8M and I, running our 24 GHz and 47 GHz contacts, and experiments. Turn this pillar effect, to the horizon, and this is what we saw many times. Close in contacts, move the dish back and forth, up and down. Tight focus. Narrow beam. On our most distant contacts, the aim, the "target", widened. It spread out in a similar fashion. At times, it seemed to form a distance barrier. Just cannot make a longer contact. Hit a wall. We did not do enough to make a proper conclusion about weather conditions. Much more to try learning, and run more experiments.  

Just passing along some observations. For thought, comment. 

73, Lloyd NE8I/r
EN74 etc