JANUARY 1974
Hank Holbrook, 7211 Chestnut St., Chevy Chase, MD 20015 QSLed, GMT
8-12: 2133, N977Z 129.55 vicinity DC (Ozark 908; DC-9)
9-2: 0212, NMK 2 157.05 Gloucester City, NJ (USCG;DE Mem Br.; 45 w)
9: 1523, N67NA 128.1 vic Robbinsville, NJ (National 144; DC-10-
10; 10,700 feet; 25 watts)
1846, N205RJ 119.7 ov Waldorf, MD (Radiation, Inc.; Lear Jet
2-engine, 8-seat; 4,000 feet; 25 watts)
1945, N5458Y 119.7 ov Swan Pt, MD (Jervis Langdon, Jr.; Piper
Aztec PA-23;2-eng, 6-seat; 1800 feet)
Richard T. Colgan, POB 18268 - Serna Station, San Antonio, TX 78218
Realistic PRO-2; Midland 13-920; Petersen HL-44; A/S Mon-8 @ 40 feet;
total of over 1700 VHF logged since February 1972; GMT used
8-18: 0009, KTZ 347 33.76 Wendell, CA (fire)
10-3: 1730, KDH 598 33.90 Cambridge, OH (fire)
1921, KOF 245 42.82 Gillette, WY (state police)
1934, KRK 984 39.90 Lyman, NE (local government)
2013, KAD 909 42.38 Bowman, ND (sheriff)
10: 0036, KRS 250 33.04 Martinez, CA (hospital)
0101, KJP 896 30.08 San Francisco, CA (business)
15: 0152, KQU 283 45.36 Ft. Lauderdale, FL (local government)
27: 2116, KCD 997 33.70 York Beach. ME (fire)
2114, - 35.26 Rosebud, OR (mobile phone)
2201, KCB 360 33.70 Leominster, MA (fire)
2223, KTZ 511 33.04 Avalon, CA (hospital)
2240, KOM 942 33.98 Chiloquin, OR (fire)
28: 1920, KBC 804 33.70 Oxford, CT (fire)
1923, KGL 521 33.86 Elmer, NJ (fire)
1939, KBQ 774 33.62 Whittinsville, MA (fire)
1949, KCF 375 33.78 Tolland, CT (fire)
2035, KCC 825 33.70 Kennebunk, ME (fire)
2104, KCC 532 33.58 Plainville, CT (fire)
11-3: 1745, - 35.42 Cleveland, OH (mobile phone)
15: 1751, KPB 65 33.66 Orange, CA (state fire)
1755, KPE 92 33.98 Los Angeles, CA (state fire)
21: 2300, KCD 354 33.94 Lebanon, NH (fire)
KBA 887 33.70 Bolton, MA (fire)
22: 1545, KAA 471 39.46 Horton, KS (state police)
1629, KRF 303 39.90 Nenzel, NE (sheriff)
1702, KQE 823 39.58 West Union, OH (sheriff)
1707, KAA 893 35 - St. Louis, MO (A2 pager)
1723, KGA 805 35 - Pittsburgh, PA (A2 pager)
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Now, my loggings. Hallicrafters SX-62 with 50' wire @ 12' nw-se run;
all F2 unless noted (* backscatter); daily maximum Latin American F2
MUF noted if 35 MHz or more; new underlined; CST used.
11-13: 1420, WYFR 21: 1623, Portland 21: 1654, KLF 527
1450, 35.2-Sp. 1628, Eugene 1658, KCY 582
15: 1017, KFL 936 (Es) 1630, KCF 389 1700, KCA 627
1042, KFL 943 (Es) 1631, KDE 245 KCD 574
1049, Los Ang.(Es) 1634, KOP 303 KCD 244
17: 1312, KDN 407 (Es) 1635, KOK 418 KBA 887
1344, KAI 927 (Es) 1637, KCF 314 1702, KLR 503
1506, WYFR 1639, KCD 492 22: 0935, KSC 645 (Es)
21: 1608, WYFR 1642, KCE 816 1019, KAI 927 (Es)
1613, KCD 697 1645, KCA 303 1034, KFJ 891 (Es)
VHF UTILITY DX JANUARY 1974 22: 1053, KSJ 815 (Es) 24: 1300, KGD 942 27: 1930, KMA 829 (Es) 1129, KAA 893 (Es) 1306, KKV 690 * 12-1: 1126, KFL 943 (Es) 1134, KQC 877 (Es) 1310, KLF 527 2: 1055, KFL 936 (Es) 1135, KQD 313 (Es) 1347, 37.8-Sp. 4: 1235, KQD 313 (Es) 23: 1045, solar noise 25: 1406, WYFR 1736, Los Ang.(Es) 24: 1150, WYFR 26: 1535, 35.2-Sp. 1817, KMA 829 (Es) 1235, KFS 1946, KFL 943 (Es) 5: 1835, KSC 645 (Es) 1240, KOK 418 2006, KMA 829 (Es) 6: 1848, KSC 645 (Es) 1252, OK City * 2044, KFL 936 (Es) 12: 1549, L Beach (Es) 1256, KCA 410 27: 0040, KAQ 606 (Es) 1259, KCA 695 1917, KFL 943 (Es) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ KAI 927 35.34 Denver, CO KFS 34.05 Palo Alto, CA-hac KAQ 606 35.58 Denver, CO KGD 942 33.78 Seaford, DE-f KCA 303 33.50 Dover, MA-f KKV 690 35.62 Houston, TX KCA 410 33.9 Wareham, MA-f KLF 527 35.22 Honolulu, HI ** KCA 627 33.50 Easton, MA-f KLR 503 33.02 Boston, MA-h KCA 695 33.78 Manchester, NH-f KMA 829 35.58 San Diego, CA KCD 244 33.70 Falmouth, MA-f KOK 418 35 + (west)-mpa KCD 492 33.70 Dennis, MA-f KOP 303 35.46 Langley, WA-mpa KCD 574 33.70 Eastham, MA-f KQC 877 35 + Cincinnati, OH KCD 697 33.70 Provincetown, MA-f KQD 313 35.50 Dayton, OH KCE 816 33.94 Southington, CT-f KSC 645 35.58 Chicago, IL KCF 314 33.66 Tyngsborough, MA-f KSJ 815 35.22 Fort Wayne, IN KCF 389 33.5 Westwood, MA-f WYFR 30.26 Scituate, MA-ha KCY 582 33.54 Franklin, MA-f - 35.26 Eugene, OR-mp KDE 245 33.5 Millis, MA-f - 35.58 Long Beach, CA * KDN 407 35.22 Col. Springs, CO - 35.58 OK City, OK * KFJ 891 35 + Columbus, OH - 35.26 Portland, OR-mp KFL 936 35 + (west) - 35.38 Los Angeles, CA-mp KFL 943 35.58 Las Vegas, NM ** f-fire; h-hospital; ha-h.f. harmonic (c-c.w.); mp-mobile phone (a-A2 tone ID); rest are A2 tone pagers, except * voice and ** tones with voice ID ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -continuing the discussion of the F2 layer from previous columns Seasonal variations of VHF F2 are very pronounced. In the mid-northern hemisphere the season (in high solar level years) may run from August well thru May when MUF's of over 30 MHz are possible. In leaner years, this is shortened to September thru April. The US F2 season (i.e., over 30 MHz possible on east-west US paths) is somewhat shorter, by about a month on each end. In the period overlapping with the Es season(s), it is very likely that linkage with F2 openings will extend them to many unexpected areas (see Feb 1973 VUD, p. 11). Geomagnetic storm conditions affect the F2 layer in two main ways. (1) if storm onset occurs in the afternoon period, MUF's will often be driven to values many % above 'normal' for the time of day, year, etc. (2) the 'normal' MUF's the following day will likely be depressed by up to 50% or more (this may take several days to recover). Each storm does have its own details. Often in the recovery stage the north-south MUF's will build again to unexpectedly high levels for a time. The disturbed geomagnetic field acts in such a way as to lessen electron densities in some places while compressing the existing Ne's (thus MUF's) in others. (Geomagnetic storms are the result of the interaction of streams of ion particles from the active solar regions with the earth's magnetic field.) In low solar active years, these rare storms may be the only chance for any VHF F2 DX openings (e.g., late October and around Thanksgiving just past) as the MUF's are pushed up. This will likely be the case for the next few years, so reports of F2 DX will be most welcomed for the column. Next time, the usefullness (or lack of) of WWV geoalerts and propaga- tion forecast will be covered. 73,
WA5IYX