Stefan/Alan - As Alan quite rightly states I bemoan the fact that Proton events occur (well at least at LF/MF) - It knocks the paths right off for days, nay weeks sometimes and thats why I have to enjoy the not-so-often-openings-over-the-pole. One thing is for sure Ive seen your signal on more days this year than any previous years and the AK dusk opening was a new mode Ive not seen before - ERP and relative stable conditions help but ALans statement on a little activity helping is certainly a proven fact - just not tooooo much!
Ive not seen any positive or added benefits on any modal paths I can detect (on this path) with Proton events, save a splendid free light show - When stationed up in the far North (between 80 and 90N) I cant think of any clear night when there wasnt either a pale electric Blue/Green arc or banded blob visible at some time in the evening - some of which Im sure was Auroral in origin - even on the quietest of Geo/Sol days
I was surprised to still being seeing HGA22 weakly on the 23rd but since then its completely off my radar and no detectable and any meaningful speed. The weather has been bad even for Alaska and by the looks of it my VLF array is laying sidewards under a large snow drift, though the K9AY and probe appear still to be in the air - Ive also lost my HF Tx antennae and that will have to wait till I go home in March. Loads of Moose being killed as they seek an easier walking route along 6 lane highways between Wasilla and Anchorage :-((
> Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:46 +0100
> From:
[email protected]> To:
[email protected]> Subject: Re: LF: Re: Very special condx over the pole?
>
> Hello Alan,
>
> Thanks for your comments. Most probably you are right but you know i'm a
> Dreamer and dreams can sometimes be unrealistic (not like transmissions
> below 9 kHz ;-) ).
> DCF39 is also transmitting all the time so probably Scott or those who
> watch his DCF plot would already know about "magic" propagation.
>
> Have a nice day.
>
> 73, Stefan
>
> Am 24.01.2012 01:08, schrieb Alan Melia:
> > Hi Stefan increases auroral activity leads to a big increase in noise at
> > high latitudes, what may be more difficult is that there has been a proton
> > event which have was active from about Thursday last week and was just dying
> > away yesterday. The M9 flare this morning produced a huge proton event one
> > of the biggest I have seen for ages. These proton events are assocated with
> > Polar Cap Absorbtion (PCA) and as Laurence knows (and bemoans) this will
> > wipe out LF polar routes for some time.
> >
> > The auoral curtain is always there (somewhere) and it is possible we believe
> > to bounce under it. So if the path is such that the ground reflection is
> > under the curtain rather than in the ionosphere, signals may get through.
> > This means if you are inside the curtain then you need to be about 2000km
> > from the opposite side for the signal to get out.
> >
> > The so called "large" geomagnetic event isnt that large (!) it was a Kp=5
> > minor storm rating and only just. Most of the activity was Kp=4. The Dst was
> > depressed to -55nT but the Ring Current was quite depleted anyway and the
> > Dst has already risen to -28nT (above -20nT is "good" ) This is a diffusion
> > process so is exponential. I guess propagation tonight and tomorrow will be
> > depressed but I think we then have to wait to see the effect of a CME that
> > was associated with this morning's M9 flare this could be much bigger and my
> > be more Earthward pointing. At present the Amination suggests again we will
> > miss and direct hit and see a glancing blow from the shock front. This may
> > give a major storm (Kp =6 or 7) which would depress LF propagation for a
> > further week or 10 days.
> >
> > Not all activity is bad because very long very quiet periods lead to
> > depressed signal levels too. I tend to think of this as an increased "leak"
> > from an under-ionised E-layer but I could be very wrong in my
> > hypothesis.....no one has taken me to task on it yet so I keep sticking my
> > neck out :-))
> >
> > Alan G3NYK
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Stefan Schäfer"<
[email protected]>
> > To:<
[email protected]>
> > Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 8:50 PM
> > Subject: LF: Very special condx over the pole?
> >
> >
> >
> >> Laurence, Alan, Scott, Jack, Steve, LF-experts... :-)
> >>
> >> Yesterday the K indes rised to above 5 so i think we hardly can expect
> >> "usual" propagation over the pole to AK or VE7.
> >>
> >> My question is if there have ever been unusual propagation effects been
> >> observed, during very strong geomagnectic activity. Things like Aurora
> >> on VHF or a duct for LF?
> >>
> >> The pole and what happens there in the auroral oval is an interesting
> >> imagination. I think (not being a propagation expert) it is always worth
> >> watching and transmitting.
> >>
> >>
> >> 73, Stefan/DK7FC
> >>
> >>
> >
>
