Ch A2 F2 event: Wednesday, November 25, 1981
CST used
0810, during an intense 50-MHz opening into Latin America
(mostly Ecuador and Colombia areas) a strong slanting CCI
pattern began to cover the 190-mi tropo signal from Ch 2
in Houston (which was above normal level itself).
-after several minutes of just CCI it became evident that
there was a test pattern of grids and squares in there; at
this time the fading and multi-path ghosting was too rapid
to attempt a 1/8-sec photo exposure.
0830? Sometime later programming commenced with two seated men
conversing (interview?).
By this time, though up to a half-dozen unevenly spaced
and variously polarized ghosts were present, the fading
was slow enough (and the sync stable enough) that several
photos would have probably been possible (which to my
chagrin I did not attempt!)
0845, video much the same - never any audio; I would guess that
the MUF was in the 56 to 57 MHz area at best
0900, rapid fall down in strength (almost a dissolve effect
as the MUF fell)
0905, only the Ch 2 Houston tropo signal left (now much weaker
due to the daytime heating)
I have only had 2 previous Ch A2 F2 events.
One was on March 8, 1970 (the day after the total solar eclipse;
and the largest magnetic storm of Cycle 20) around 1730 cst wherein
Ch 2 was crammed full of CCI (even audio) like the wildest of Es
events, while Ch 3 was serene with a Corpus Christi tropo signal.
The other, in April of 1979 (also in the afternoon period), was
much like this event. I'm fairly sure that they were from the
same station, probably in Colombia.
Like the 1979 event, I tried to spread word on the 6-meter 28.885 MHz
info net. But as before, it seemed to leave little impression on most
of those there.
During the fall of 1979, when intense 50-MHz Alaskan openings were
often noted, I had kept the TV that way with Ch 2 on to no avail.
This was also done this season during many of the Latin American
6-m events, again without even a hint of signal until this date.
Mr. Pat Dyer, WA5IYX
5315 Silvertip Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78228
Page created: December 3, 1998
Last modified: January 25, 2002