Working T32C from the UK

Update: Presentation download now includes comparison of predictions v actual as at 9th October.

The Five Star DXers Association are off to Christmas Island (Kiritimati) T32C in late September. If you want to work T32C it will pay to do a little bit of planning. In terms of the propagation to that part of the world there are a few factors we need to take into account.

The first question is �where is it?�. Kiritimati, or Christmas Island, is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands - it should not be confused with an island of the same name in the Indian Ocean (VK9/X)!

The island lies 144 miles north of the the Equator and 8,400 miles from the UK

This highlights the first propagation problem � Kiritimati lies on a beam heading of about 335 degrees from the UK which puts our signals slap bang through the auroral oval around the north pole. Conversely, the long path heading of 156 degrees (and 16,400 miles) goes through the south auroral oval.

I have written a feature on propagation to T32C from the UK, which will appear in RadCom. I am also giving a talk on the subject at the RSGB Convention in early October.

In the meantime feel free to download a copy of the presentation, complete with notes, to get a feel for how hard (or easy) it is going to be.

Download the presentation in PDF format (1.4Mb)