DX Commander – Page 11 – The YouTubers Bunch

Please listen to this and let me know your thoughts. Thank you to Tamitha for listening and responding to this amazing issue. @TamithaSkov – Tamitha’s channel is here

https://www.youtube.com/@TamithaSkov

(Edited( My chat with ChatGPT:

Theories About LDEs

Ionospheric Reflection
Signals might reflect between layers of the ionosphere under rare atmospheric conditions.
This could trap and delay the signal before it eventually escapes back to Earth.

Magnetospheric Propagation
Signals could bounce around within Earth’s magnetosphere, possibly traveling vast distances before returning.
The timing fits with the larger dimensions of this region.

Lunar or Planetary Reflection
Though unlikely, a signal could reflect off the Moon, planets, or debris in space. The timing is usually inconsistent with known distances, though.

Artificial Causes
A signal might reflect off a satellite or even space junk. This doesn’t explain delays of many seconds but fits shorter LDE reports.

Waveguide Effects in Plasma
Plasma waves in the ionosphere or magnetosphere might form a kind of "waveguide," trapping the signal and delaying its return.

Extraterrestrial Influence
Some speculative theories involve signals reflecting off unidentified objects or phenomena in deep space.

Psychological or Equipment Issues
Sometimes LDEs are mistaken for receiver artifacts or operator error, though this doesn’t explain all cases.
Characteristics of LDEs
They are often reported on HF bands but can occur at other frequencies.
The delay doesn’t usually correspond to a simple round-the-world trip (which takes ~0.13 seconds for HF signals).

They tend to occur during geomagnetic storms or unusual ionospheric conditions.

LDEs remain an exciting mystery, so if you’ve encountered one, you’re part of a rare group of hams!

Callum said:
The calculations suggest the moon it had altitude of 8.81 degrees and directly behind me – and since I have a 2 element yagi, I have quite a strong rear lobe.

ChatGPT
That changes things significantly, Callum! If the Moon had an altitude of 8.81 degrees and was directly behind you, your Yagi’s rear lobe could indeed have picked up the signal and sent it moonward for an Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) bounce. Two-element Yagis typically have a rear lobe that’s strong enough for this to be plausible, especially with the Moon positioned in a favorable low-altitude arc.

If this was indeed an unintended EME bounce, it’s a remarkable example of how even a rear lobe can open up fascinating propagation paths!

I asked ChatGPT for a bullet point script for this video:

Suggest it could be a re-stream or retransmission.
Exploring the Options
Discuss the Possible Causes:
Introduce the counterarguments: others heard it live over the air.
Long-Path and Short-Path Propagation:
Dive deeper into the rarity and intrigue of LDEs.
Offer evidence from reports of other listeners, the wide skip zone, and the global nature of the anomaly.
Presenting the Evidence

Briefly recap why most other explanations (re-broadcast, EME, short-path/long-path) are unlikely.
Conclusion and Engagement

Conclude by suggesting the LDE as the most likely explanation, while acknowledging its mystery.
Emphasize the need for collaboration and further reports.
“This is more than just a re-broadcast—this is a genuine anomaly.”

“Did you hear this too? What are your thoughts on what caused it?”
Encourage viewers to share their experiences and ideas in the comments.