Long Delayed Echoes                          

Revisit to Long Delayed Echoes – Summary –

By Mac Obara/ P.Eng. – Applied Science  TZ6JA, ex-JA8SLU,
　

This is a tape recorded LDEs by H. Kanamori/JA7SN:  ja7sn.wma 

He made QSO with NK8B and W8UVZ on 3504kHz CW around 21:10JST(LT) of Feb. 24, 1998. And around 22:00JST of the same day approximate 50 minutes later. He heard only echoes of his transmission. Both US signals were missing(left out). QRM from JA8DNV CQ call included. In his previous case of one day after LDEs on 3.5MHz CW of Dec. 26, 1993. Also he couldn't hear any party's echo such as N0ABA, W5AL, W7CQW, and JH1GNY on Dec. 26, 1998. From 21:41 to 22:40JST the same thing occurred one day after. All the while of the QSO with N5LU, W1FV, nothing heard their echoes but heard only his own echoes. And then echoes had been faded out. Quite similar to the case of W6WYW.
　

This is the summary of my contribution of the same title written in Japanese to the monthly DX magazine Five Nine, June, August, and September editions 2004, published in Tokyo.

 

The main points are as follows; it is considered that Long Delayed Echoes (LDEs) will exist actually, it is neither hoax nor mystery and it will be obvious that LDEs is one of physical phenomena whatever the time length of delaying will be unusual. And also it would be reasonable to consider hypothetical ionosphere in the space.

 

Various types of LDEs have been recognized. This study has focused on the very long LDEs occurred on the 1.8/3.5 MHz bands which was reported by several Japanese radio amateurs as a core during 1989~2004.The details are in the attached sheet.

Those who reported their own experience of LDEs are the following well known top banders and/or low banders for the last30 years; H.Kanamori JA7SN, S.Sakairi JA1HQT, H.Ogishima JA1CGM, Y.Saito JA8DNV, and Y.Nakanishi JA3ONB.

 

All of them except Y.Saito JA8DNV received LDEs several times. Y.Nakanishi JA3ONB received double echoes with very long interval of 48 hours for only one transmission, having QSB, distortion of the signal, and Doppler shift of +300 ~-200Hz on 1822.0 kHz!

H.Kanamori JA7SN made reproduction of LDEs twice on 3.5 MHz CW, and he succeeded to tape-record one of them. To make a reproduction is indispensable step to distinguish reality from human illusion.

 

These records except UL7GW indicates very long delayed time for 20 minutes up to 82 hours. Converting these time to the distance, it will be corresponding to the return trips of 1.8 ~ 297 Au (Astronomical Unit, 1AU=150 million Kms.). These delaying time suggest us hypothetical interplanetary ionosphere composed of numerous magnetic and plasma tails of small planets and debris would be located mainly at the minor planet belt and the Kuiper belt.

 

The season we can receive LDEs is limited from October to February, and suitable time of the transmission is also limited to the time from 20:00 to 22:00 Local Time (LT).

Time of the reception is from 16 to 06LT through the night. Signal strength of LDEs is stable but not so strong as swinging the needle of S- meter, indicating RST 559 in average. We can’t receive LDEs anytime. It is concentrated to some specified periods and time. Sometimes LDEs has shown signal distortion, Doppler shift, and double echoes. Duration of the receiving signal keeps up to 20 minutes at max.

 

LDEs has occurred during the period of one to two years after the sun spot peak till the bottom and one to two years before the peak. LDEs occurs, corresponding to the recurrent geomagnetic double peak, and also corresponds to one sixth of the coronal mass ejection (CME) of the sun. Even though the rest of five sixth does not influence to the earth, it contributes to the forming interplanetary ionosphere as a reflector.

 

It seems the locations of these reflectors are to be designated astronomically. Wherever it is, specified belt and specified planets are there. As shown on the table, the reflectors of the type Ⅱ and Ⅲ are located at specified belts called mean motion resonance belt where there are so many minor planets and fragments of planet called debris. These reflectors should be called interplanetary ionosphere, which are thought to be perpendicular to the ecliptic disc forming the wall. These small planets are prototypes of the comet, ice ball planet.

 

There is no such term as interplanetary ionosphere, because no such concept or necessity has been required. Without this term and the concept, nobody can explain this type of LDEs. I believe this type of ionosphere would be existed in the space. There are so many circumstantial evidences and a plasma tail of the comet has the key for these.

 

As I mentioned before, LDEs does not occur anytime. When it occurs, LDEs has certain pattern concentrating to specified period and time. The key to be generated LDEs will belong probably to CME and the solar flare.

 

The fact that the best time of the transmission is around 21 LT means at this time, at these season, the ecliptic line, the center of radio window, and also a center of geomagnetic tail altogether concentrates at the zenith high above the sky. Be aware that sometimes LDEs can not be received on the frequency because of a Doppler shift.

 

In case of transmission and reception of LDEs, the following dependencies has been recognized through the experience.

*       Local time dependence(d)

*       Radio window d.

*       Seasonal d.

*       Solar cycle d.

 

Those who have experience of LDEs know there are little distance loss of the propagation. In the report of Y.Nakanishi JA3ONB, we can find some evidence to be justified as physical phenomena, which should be formed only in the space, neither hoax nor mystery, also being imposed on his receiving signal. It is his own keying habit, Doppler shift shown +300~-200Hz, that is to say, fluttering at apparent speed to the earth will be +25~-17Km/s occurring only in the space.

 I found that the frame of the theory of 1.8/3.5 type LDEs is in a radar equation. I deemed the both LDEs and EME (moon bounce communication) are in the same category and studied theoretically the both comparing each other.

As a consequence of this study, I have seen that LDEs will be realistic to occur and the LDEs of 45 billion Kms has a priority to propagate compared with EME of 380 thousand Kms in spite of remarkable difference of the both.

The main reason for the distance loss of propagation is in the case of EME, which distance loss is proportional to the fourth power of the distance (r4 ), on the other hand, LDEs has different distance loss proportional to only square of the distance ( r2 ).

 

In conclusion, the long delayed echoes (LDEs) is neither hoax nor mystery, it is physical phenomenon. The LDEs shows us it is enable to present new concept and device to observe and to study the deeper place of this planet system at real time.

　

TABLE             1.8/3.5 TYPE LDEs RECORDS                       2004 AUG

TYPE

MODE

STATION

DATE

TIME(LOCAL TIME)

DELAY TIME

DISTANCE AU

POSSIBLE

REFLECTOR
D・M・Y TRANSMISSION RECEPTION

EARTH

SUN

Ⅰ

3・5CW

UL7GW

14・12・72

20:05

20:05

10-15 sec

-

-

PLASMOID-GEOTAIL

Ⅱ

W6WYW

11・10・01

20:00

20:30

30 min

1・8

2・8

MINOR PLANET

JA7SN(1)

24・2・98

21:10

22:00

50

3.0

4.0

Ⅲ

3・5CW

JA7SN(2)

26・12・93

22:05

16:02*

17h:57min

65

66

EKBO N 3/10

JA7SN(3)

16・1・98

21:50

21:40*

20:50

86

87

EKBO N 1/5

JA1HQT

10・89～2・93

19:30

～

21:30

19:30*

～

21:30*

24H～25

86

87

JA1CGM

JA8DNV

27・12・02

21:00

23:10*

26:00

94

95

EKBO N 2/11

1・8CW

JA3ONB(1)

18・1・04

19:54

06:13**

34:19

124

125

EKBO

JA3ONB(2)

-

-

06:25***

82:32

297

298

* NEXT DAY
** 2DAYS AFTER
*** 4DAYS AFTER
EKBO: EDGE-WORTH KUIPER BELT OBJECT

N 3/10: MEAN MOTION RESONANCE BELT AFTER NEPTUNE

An additional details and back ground information in part. 
With regard to my previous articles of the summary of LDEs, the following is an 
additional details and back ground information in part.

・The original text.
The summary is derived from the original text of 59 magazine, composed of six is
sues, 24 pages in total from January 2003 ed. to October 2004 ed. written in Jap
anese.

・What does mean double echoes?
This means at least two reflectors. Multiple echoes would be common in the plane
tary space compared with a single echo.  Mr. Nakanish, JA3ONB, could not hear an
y echoes of the party (FO/OH6NK).  He could hear only his own echoes very later.
  This nature is very common in this type of LDEs.

・The Doppler shift.
It is considered that these frequency shifts of Mr. Nakanishi, JA3ONB were deriv
ed from Doppler shift, not from the failure of the receiver.  Due to the round t
rip equation, it seems that these corresponds to the apparent velocity of the re
flector to the earth, such as + 25km/s., +8km/s., and -17km/s., respectively.  I
t could be unrealistic to occur on the MW and HF bands on the earth because of v
ery low velocity of a medium (plasma).  It is only possible in the space under s
uch high velocity circumstances as high speed Solar wind (1200km/s.), plasmaid i
n a geomagnetic tail (850km/s.), average solar wind (420km/s.), and EKBO flutter
ing(?) (25km/s.).  Therefore such Doppler shift will be one of the strong eviden
ce what is happening outside of the earth.

・Un-detectable LDEs.
It could be possible to exist undetectable or unheard echoes due to high discrep
ancy of sending and returning signals in the space.  Being not detectable and th
e nothing are the different things.

・Circumstantial evidences to occur LDEs in the space.
As I mentioned above, severe signal distortion which reflects severe environment
al conditions in the space, will be strong supporting evidences of LDEs coming b
ack faraway from the space.

・Signal distortion.
In the polar ionosphere of the earth, radio wave of VHF and UHF suffer some dist
ortion due to plasma convection up to 1.0km/s. and fluttering of plasma curtains
 (Auroral curtain).  Radio aurora and auroral E propagation will be responsible 
to the distortion.  In the space, even radio wave of MW. and LF suffer severe di
stortion of high speed plasma up to 1200km/s..  Grade and Doppler shift amount w
ill be proportional to both radio frequency and the speed of a medium (plasma, i
onosphere, reflector etc.).  The both are good indicators to know the circumstan
ces of plasma in the space.

・Various types of LDEs.
Since Dellinger's paper of LDEs on "QST" in 1930 until now, so many reports expr
essed that there were various types of LDEs coming out, shorter or longer the de
laying time, lower or higher the radio frequency from the MW up to 2.2GHz ("The 
Nature", OZ9CR Moon bounes signal, 1975), and wherever it is in Europe, North an
d South America and Asia as well, LDEs occur everywhere.

・Radio window.
Ionosphere which has low plasma frequency has sometimes an open window high abov
e the sky penetrating radio wave freely.  In northern hemisphere, Temperate zone
 of mid latitude ranging 45-60 digrees, from fall to winter, large window of F l
ayer come out in the night.

・Radar equation.
The radar equation indicates that when the target is wide-spread plasma or could,
 the distance loss of return signal will be only proportional to r2 (r=distance 
to/from the target).  On the other hand when the target is a conductive metallic
 ball, return signal from the ball will have the distance loss which proportiona
l to r4 (r2 multiple once again r2=r4).  Simple comparison on r2 and r4 introduc
es astronomical difference.  Conclusively these suggest us the existence of hypo
thetical huge interplanetary ionosphere in the space.

* r2 means the second power of r.
* r4 means the fourth power of r.

  ●LDEs Special meeting

On June 25,26,2005,The following Japanese DXers gathered at Akita City Northern Japan for attending to a regional annual meeting.

All of them are those who experienced before Long Delay Echoes at least once some of them are of the multiones, and also who are eager to research and look for another LDEs on 160m, 80m, 40m, and 20m bands.
　

JA7SN Kanamori(Iwate),
JA7AO Matsumoto (Akita),
JA7AGO Togashi (Akita),
JA7KAC/JA1ADT Sasaki (Kanagawa),
JA7HMZ Igawa (Akita),
JA8DNV Saito(Sapporo),
JA0DAI Watanabe (Niigata),
JH0BBE Yamamoto (Niigata),
TZ6JA(ex-JA8SLU) Mac Obara also joined to this meeting.

　

We had a special meeting and the technical discussion how to manage effective reception of LDEs refering several comments and suggestions of US amateur radios as well on the latest articles of US CQ Magazin led by Rick,W2VU on June 2005.