MYSTEROUS LDE on 160m !
LDE : Long Delayed Echoes

Today, January 11 2010 I had very strange experience. Yesterday East Coast was
opening well from my QTH. ( I worked 33 NA stations, including VE1ZZ, VY2ZM,
four W1s and NP4A) So tonight I expected good opening again and started to watch
from about 1020z.
I heard Jeff VY2ZM signals though it was still weaker than yesterday, Worked him at
1030z with 579/579.
I dialed 1819.4 KHz as same frequency as yesterday and began calling CQ DX.
I called again and again for about 30 minutes but in vain so I gave up and left my shack.
I returned about 1140z and restarted to watch. A weak station called CQ DX on 1819.4 KHz
where I was being a little while ago. It seemed that I was taken teat frequency.
The next moment I was so surprised ! The station who called CQ DX was me, myself.
The signal was pretty weak but no QSB and to be recognized clearly and regularly.
It was exactly what I put into the memory-key. No doubt. I was sure that what was
occurring now was LDE because I had some knowledge about it by some articles of
Tok JA7AO or Mac Obara TZ6JA/ex JA8SLU.

The question was that when the signal was transmitted?

The signal heard on 1819.4 KHz was a sequence of CQ DX so I thought it was certainly CQs
about 50 to 60 minutes ago after I worked with Jeff VY2ZM tonight and I recorded them.
Then suddenly after the CQ DX, I unexpectedly started to QSO with Jack VE1ZZ and sending
a 589 report to him. The clock showed 1152z.
I checked my log to find a QSO with VE1ZZ yesterday at 1023z with 589/589. So I was sure
the signal I was listening was what I had transmitted 25 hours 29 minutes ago without doubt.
Also I made sure of it by changing the receiving antenna's direction. I only heard Beverages
to N.A.. I could not hear any other directions . Also no signals of Jack.
If you could hear this signal at other places or not? I looked for Kaz JA8ISU on 1814KHz
a while ago to ask if he could hear this signal but I could not find him. Instantly I telephoned
Kuni JA7NI, explained the situation and asked to watch 1819.4 KHz in Akita, Northern Japan.
He tried and made sure he did not hear any signals.

Many years ago (maybe nearly 40 years), I had heard myself CQing on 80m but I had ignored it
thinking it as somebody's mischief. It could not be helped because I had got no idea of LDE
these days. But this time I got delayed time, direction and recorded.
The phenomenon I expienced today might be difficult to believe for majority but this is a fact.

I wonder where my signal traveled as long as 25 hours and 29 minutes ?

mp3 sound files here. LDE CQ-1, LDE CQ-2, LDE CQ-3, LDE QSO with VE1ZZ then QRZ......

also you can visit JA7AO's site, articles about LDEs

73, Aki JA5DQH