[WSWSS] Great sporadic E!

[kr7o@vhfdx.com]

I can't believe what an incredible week has passed for Es=20
propagation.  Numerous extensive, long lived openings on 6m produced four=20
new DXCC, 4U1UN (6/10), V25, HI8, and VP9 6/14-15).  Luckily I worked all=20
the Caribbean stations on Friday before the contest so I didn't have to=20
focus on trying to find them and break massive pileups.  Three 2m Es=20
openings (four total this year)!  2m highlights below:


14/06/2003 00:41=20
KC=D8HFL            EM17IO   KS  59                SSB              1993km
14/06/2003 00:43=20
W=D8EKZ             EM17IJ   KS  59                SSB              1995km
14/06/2003 00:43=20
N=D8LIE               EM27ED  KS  59                SSB              2145km=
=20
OH, SOOO close to MO!
I was late on this opening as I was engrossed in running a big pileup on 6m=
=20
and not watching the loggers carefully.

15/06/2003 03:49=20
N0KQY              DM98GK  KS  59                SSB                 1624km =
 Es
15/06/2003 03:52=20
WB0ULX               EN04VI  SD  59                SSB               1992km =
 Es
2m was open for at least 30 minutes during the contest over a wide arc, but=
=20
unfortunately everyone was busy racking up 6m contacts.  I suspect I lost=20
50-100 contacts on 6m when I dropped my run and focused on 2m.  I see W7MEM=
=20
had a good number of contacts to AZ during this period.


17/06/2003 02:30=20
K7QXA              CN80TN  CA  53a              SSB                 449km=20
Aurora.  not worked, heard earlier than this.
17/06/2003 02:52=20
W7MEM           DN17NT  ID  51                SSB               1224km  Es.=
=20
  heard
17/06/2003 02:54=20
W7MEM           DN17NT  ID  51                SSB               1224km  Es
17/06/2003 03:25=20
N7LT                DN45JS  MT  519               CW               1210km =
 Es
17/06/2003 03:49=20
K6AAW             CN8=D8UE  CA  55a              CW                  410km=
=20
Aurora. heard
17/06/2003 03:55=20
K6AAW             CN8=D8UE  CA  55a              CW                  410km=
=20
Aurora.  Peaking 30 degrees
17/06/2003 04:19=20
KC=D8COU          DN7=D8LQ  CO  59                SSB              1345km =
 Es
17/06/2003 04:24=20
N=D8VSB             DM79RJ  CO  59                SSB              1363km =
 Es
17/06/2003 04:32 N=D8LX               DM79      CO  59                SSB=20
1329km+-  Es
17/06/2003 05:54=20
AA7A                DM43BO  AZ  51a               CW                819km=20
FAI.  75 degrees

Big KL7 opening on 6m, then saw VE7SKA spot 107.9 FM to AZ at=20
0222z.  Calculated the path and saw that 2m should have been open to=20
VE6/VE5 from me.  Shortly thereafter the PNW to AZ path opened on=20
2m.  Around this time I heard K7QXA on what I believe was Aurora peaking 30=
=20
degrees.  He was in/out for 30 minutes.  W7MEM popped in at 0252z on Es,=20
but it took a couple minutes before I could work him.  He was the only one=
=20
on, but the opening was going strong according to Prop Logger.  I started=20
tuning 6m looking for stations with 2m to try and work, but most were=20
either ragchewing or in the wrong direction.  I tried with KI6CG (DN28) who=
=20
only had a vertical with no luck, then moved N7LT to 2m SSB with only a=20
small burst.  He was 519 after switching to CW and I worked him again after=
=20
the contact on SSB at 59.  Tried KI6CG again with no luck.

I could not find any other stations to work.

I started hearing K6AAW on Aurora at 55a-57a on SSB then finally got his=20
attention on CW a while later.  Larry was in for over an hour with heavy=20
auroral tones.  Stations further south had pure tone and were tropo.  I saw=
=20
a couple spots for CA to CO paths, so turned over that way and worked a few=
=20
stations in CO.  The midpoint either moved closer to me, or the path went=20
long (with nobody around) as I could hear stations to the west of me still=
=20
working CO until after 0530z.  Worked N6ENU (DM04) on 6m FAI and then=20
started hearing AA7A on 2m FAI.

Reasons I believe the CN80 path was aurora and not FAI:
The Es opening geometry was not optimum for me so the stations that I did=20
hear/work were atypically weak.  I suspect that the path geometry was=20
putting my prime endpoint somewhere in VE6.
Stations in the upper midwest were experiencing aurora around the same time.
W3DHJ (DM68) reported hearing me with auroral tone during the same=20
period.  I have never heard of (or experienced) FAI to the north of me and=
=20
definitely not to two widely divergent target areas.
I suspect during this period the geometry was just right and put a common=20
endpoint for CN80 and DM07ba in the auroral zone.

I am interested in comments from those whom aurora is more common.

73, Robert KR7O/YB2ARO, DM07ba/OI52ee  (ex.  N7STU)
kr7o@vhfdx.com

www.vhfdx.com (Norcal WSWSS activities & KR7O/YB2ARO homepages)