The CQ World-Wide SSB 160 Meter DX Contest

http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com/160C...s122705NEW.pdf

The objective of these contests is for Amateur Radio (Ham) operators around
the world to contact other amateurs in as many U.S. states, Canadian
provinces, and countries as possible on the 160 meter band.

Started: 0000Z February 25 ( 7 p.m. EST Friday Feb. 24 )
Ends at: 2359Z February 26 ( 7 p.m. EST Sunday Feb. 26 )

Mode: LSB (voice)

Frequency: 1.8kHz to about 1.9kHz
That is just above the MW (AM) broadcast band! So expect propagation
characteristics to be best during night time hours with possible interesting
propagation occurring within the half hours before and after your local
sunset and sunrise times.

Contestants exchange "RS" signal report (typically "59") and state for U.S.,
province for Canada, and either prefix or country abbreviation for DX.

A typical exchange might be "Five Nine Oscar Hotel" = 59 OH (Ohio).

For SWL's it give you the opportunity to quickly identify the location of
each station, learn the propagation characteristics of the 180 meter band
and learn how to tune in SSB stations.

--
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SeeingEyeD0g wrote:

Frequency: 1.8kHz to about 1.9kHz
That is just above the MW (AM) broadcast band! So expect propagation
characteristics to be best during night time hours with possible interesting
propagation occurring within the half hours before and after your local
sunset and sunrise times.

Also known as "gray line propagation", when the terminator passes over
your location. And yes, it really does work. I qso'ed Hawaii from
Michigan on 160 a few times via gray line...

After the sun comes up, the D-layer absorption goes waaay up and 160
(and the BC band) is basically good for ground wave only.

"Carter, K8VT" wrote:

SeeingEyeD0g wrote:

Frequency: 1.8kHz to about 1.9kHz
That is just above the MW (AM) broadcast band! So expect propagation
characteristics to be best during night time hours with possible interesting
propagation occurring within the half hours before and after your local
sunset and sunrise times.

Also known as "gray line propagation", when the terminator passes over
your location. And yes, it really does work. I qso'ed Hawaii from
Michigan on 160 a few times via gray line...

At what time would both Hawaii and Michigan be on the grey line?

dxAce
Michigan
USA

helmsman wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 16:24:56 -0500, dxAce
wrote:


At what time would both Hawaii and Michigan be on the grey line?

dxAce
Michigan
USA

No cigar. Only 3854 nautical miles apart.

That's right! So no grey line propagation. Sunrise enhancement perhaps, but not
true grey line.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

dxAce wrote:

"Carter, K8VT" wrote:

SeeingEyeD0g wrote:

Frequency: 1.8kHz to about 1.9kHz That is just above the MW (AM)
broadcast band! So expect propagation characteristics to be best
during night time hours with possible interesting propagation
occurring within the half hours before and after your local
sunset and sunrise times.
Also known as "gray line propagation", when the terminator passes
over your location. And yes, it really does work. I qso'ed Hawaii
from Michigan on 160 a few times via gray line...

At what time would both Hawaii and Michigan be on the grey line?

And your point is???

They both don't have to be. Please see the real propagation experts
quoted below (not some humbug from a blathering, self-appointed "ace"
poseur). Especially take note of the final sentence of the second quote.

The gray line is not a simple north/south line running around the
globe from pole to pole across the equator; rather, it presents
numerous east/west possibilities.

and from another big gun low band propagation expert:

Some authors have stated that gray line propagation always occurs
along the terminator. On the low bands, there has been only
occasional proof of such propagation. Rather, propagation is through
the dark zone, on a path that (in most cases) is nearly
perpendicular to the terminator. Gray line propagation on the low
bands is a different affair from what is often called gray line
propagation on the (higher) HF bands, where the propagation path does
follow the direction of the gray line.

Also, your mileage figure is about 700 miles short (not that it makes
any difference, mechanism-wise; it just shows a further lack of research
on your part).

So, two items were discussed: mileage and mechanism--and you struck out
on both. Some "ace" you are... :-(

Now be a good boggle boy and finish your homework...

All this yammering and no one caught the obvious error:

Frequency: 1.8kHz to about 1.9kHz

Should read 1.8 Mhz to about 1.9 MHz or 1800 kHz to about 1900 kHz - D'oh!

SeeingEyeD0g wrote:

All this yammering and no one caught the obvious error:

Frequency: 1.8kHz to about 1.9kHz

Should read 1.8 Mhz to about 1.9 MHz or 1800 kHz to about 1900 kHz - D'oh!

Oh it was caught, but I didn't want to confuse ol' Carter even more. He has his
hands full trying to understand that a signal that doesn't follow the grey line
shouldn't be called grey line propagation.

What he actually has is sunrise enhancement or what may be an even better name
for it might be 'terminator enhancement'.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 22:29:48 -0500, dxAce
wrote:



SeeingEyeD0g wrote:

All this yammering and no one caught the obvious error:

Frequency: 1.8kHz to about 1.9kHz

Should read 1.8 Mhz to about 1.9 MHz or 1800 kHz to about 1900 kHz - D'oh!

Oh it was caught, but I didn't want to confuse ol' Carter even more. He has his
hands full trying to understand that a signal that doesn't follow the grey line
shouldn't be called grey line propagation.

What he actually has is sunrise enhancement or what may be an even better name
for it might be 'terminator enhancement'.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

As long as we're all catching errors ......... should not the title be
160 meter SSB contest??

In article ,
dxAce wrote:

"Carter, K8VT" wrote:

SeeingEyeD0g wrote:

Frequency: 1.8kHz to about 1.9kHz
That is just above the MW (AM) broadcast band! So expect propagation
characteristics to be best during night time hours with possible
interesting
propagation occurring within the half hours before and after your local
sunset and sunrise times.

Also known as "gray line propagation", when the terminator passes over
your location. And yes, it really does work. I qso'ed Hawaii from
Michigan on 160 a few times via gray line...

At what time would both Hawaii and Michigan be on the grey line?

During the next pole shift!

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

dxAce wrote:


What you had was sunrise enhancement, not grey line. I've already done my
homework (in other words, I don't believe that, 'big gun' or not).

Well, you sure do like to like to eat dust. I gave you a clue and a
chance to do a little bit of research to prove your "ace-hood", but you
couldn't figure it out. Yet another failure for you.

The quote from the "big gun" you don't believe is John Devoldere, author
of "ON4UN's Low-Band DXing", a classic text that has gone through
numerous printings and two editions. He is regarded world-wide as THE
low band propagation expert.

He calls the mechanism described as gray-line, not enhancement. I have
no doubt that this is *exactly* what I experienced with my 160 meter
Hawaii qso's. Although I realize you have that pesky reading
comprehension problem, try going over his quote once more.

If you expect us to take the word of a blathering, self-appointed poseur
against the word of an internationally renowned propagation expert,
you're more delusional than we think.

Pardon me, but my money's on Mr. Devoldere, at least until you reach his
level of world acclaim for something other than being a poseur and
boggle boy extraordinaire.