Couple of points re recent emails:
E-field probes:
If you have or make an e-field probe antenna you will find that sticking it
on top of a high mast makes an enormous difference to the signal strength.
I have one for Decca (70-127 kHz) and another for DGPS (300 KHz). Both are
sticks about a foot long with low-noise pre-amps built in. By putting them
on top of my 60 ft mast I added something like 30 dB to signal strengths
and they produced signals not far short of what I get from my Top Band
dipole strapped as a T-top. The reason is the concentration of the E-field
around the top of a grounded metal mast and thus a considerable increase in
effective height. It does not work with H-field (loop) antennas.
Northerly propagation:
The last few weeks reception of northerly DGPS stations (300 kHz) up to
2000 kms away has been excellent in the late evenings. Stations in Iceland;
Sweden and Finland have been very good from about 1700 up to 0200. On one
day I got continuous reception from Iceland (2000 kms) for almost 26 hours
including daylight. However, normally they fade out about 0200 and are
very patchy from then on until 0600 when they go completely. This is quite
different from last year when they came in at 2300 and lasted until 0900 or
even 1000 next morning. Propagation from the Meditteranean is nothing like
as good. How this reads across to 136 I'm not sure but there you are for
what it's worth!
Walter G3JKV.
Walter Blanchard
Phone and Fax 01306 884359
Dorking, Surrey
RH4 2AN
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