[Scan-DC] skip and Aero HF

[Mike Agner]

   Yesterday, Sim.B wrote:
===================
Are there any HF air traffic control freuqncies that I can hear during the 
day?  1700 - 2400 UTC?  I can hear airplanes on 17946, but not the New York 
center.
===================
   Yes, you can expect that during the daytime.  We are so close to NY that 
at times, the first hop a 17 mhz freq will skip 'over' us, and leave us in 
the shadow.
It depends a great deal on propagation and how that band is acting at any 
given time.
   Sometimes it's actually better to go lower in frequency during the 
daytime - you might be able to take advantage of the shorter hop distances 
that happen at lower freqs during the daytime in the summer season.  That 
will change as we get closer to fall, of course.
   Also keep in mind NY might not be using lower freqs at that time; it's 
all part of the game to try to find out exactly which freqs are being 
used.  A good control program makes checking these frequencies for activity 
a breeze.

   73s  Mike