Jim,

Thanks for the tip on DX Atlas! It looks like great software. Here's one of
the best-kept AM BCB DX secrets:

I use the SS/SR charts from the NRC/IRCA clubs available as reprints. Those
charts specifically show SR/SS times for each zone, determined by the FCC,
when a station can power up/power down. Times listed are the average times
for a particular month. These power up/power down times are calculated based
on the middle date (average) of the month. In some circumstances a station
may be powering up just before local SR or powering down after local SS.
This would happen mostly around the first and last dates of the month and
should affect northern stations slightly more than southern ones. Also, this
effect wouldn't be very pronounced around the equinox months (March and
Sept.). Using the NRC/IRCA charts, you can plot a really good target list
and when to listen. I'm guessing this is one of Rob Ross' strategies in
logging so many stations.

Sunset skip across the other pond (Gulf of Mexico) should be exciting from
your QTH! As the sun moves west, stations with day power and patterns should
be in for a few minutes at full strength before they power down. You should
be able to get some decent reception from TX, AR, LA, MO and points west
using this technique. As for sunrise, this technique won't play nearly as
well. Along the west coast, sunset skip won't play as well either. The best
you could hope for is getting some sign-ons and station power-ups from the
NE US at sunrise in the summer months April-August while FL is still in
darkness. I'm sure DXers on the west coast will argue they can do pretty
well with sunset skip around Nov. to Jan. This is all calculated and really
is what brings in some of the best greyline DX. I've seen 660-KTNN and
1580-KMIK both in AZ reported from FL using this sunset skip DXing
technique. I've used it to log some east coast stuff such as 660-WESC (now
WLFJ) in SC.

73,

Chris

Chris Knight (N0IJK)
Fort Lupton, Colorado
http://sites.google.com/site/ftluptonulrlogs/