SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ham-sporadic-e

What propagation often causes occasional strong signals on 10, 6 and 2 meters from beyond the horizon?

Sporadic E.

  1. Backscatter
  2. Gray-line propagation
  3. Sporadic E ✔

Why: Sporadic E happens when patches of the ionosphere's E region suddenly get dense enough to reflect higher frequencies. It can bring in surprise long-distance signals.

Huh, didn't know that: Sporadic E openings come and go, which is why the signals are called occasional.

The dad joke
Why is sporadic E so hard to plan for? It never sends a calendar invite.
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Sources

  1. NCVEC 2026-2030 Technician Question Pool (Element 2), errata Feb 19, 2026 https://www.ncvec.org/downloads/2026-2030%20Technician%20Pool%20and%20Syllabus%20Public%20Release%20Feb%2019%202026.pdf

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