The late John Branegan, GM4IHJ (CDR, Royal Navy) did a lot of good research on Mode K using the RS birds. ... an effective way of... satellite DX despite today's low orbits.
Thanks! Ill research it. The over the horizon DX aspect is what everyone remembers.
And that is what I want to study. My theory is that with the variability of the ionosphere, that just as much as there is enhanced beyond-the-horizon relay some times, there is also times of no-path because the ionosphere at low elevations is bending the path away from the bird.
My theory is that hams like DX and remember the GOOD DX, but then conveniently forget all the times when the link was dead. So I think what I hear from "the good ole days" has to be taken with a grain of salt since the dead band days are not as memorable as that rare double bounce hop to timbuktoo.
So far, no one has described how often they could not even hear the bird or get into it even though it was in range. I think that is the data that is missing?
Bob, WB4APR HFSAT in 2018?