Rate

• Running ``rate'' refers to a unique situation when your number of contacts is limited only by your ability to select calls, send and receive exchanges, and manage the callers (pile-up.)

• From central Texas, ``rate periods'' are when the band opens to EU and JA and you can run average stations running 100 W and modest antennas (wires and small yagis.) Don't ever miss these periods! Don't confuse these rate times with the times when the major DX stations are pounding in running US stations, but the ``average'' stations are a layer or more below runnable strength. Summer and winter conditions are different, as are solar minimum and maximum portions of the cycle. General times for running EU are W5 mornings (daylight path) on 10-15 and late afternoon (DX evenings) on 20 before the MUF drops in their darkness. EU on 40 is a darkness path (our night and DX morning before the SRT). For JA, these rate times are W5 afternoons and early evenings on 10-15 (JA daylight mornings) and a dark path (JA night and W5 early morning up to our sunrise) on 40. In the summer, with lengthy daylight in the Northern hemisphere, the rate time will be the W5 overnight to EU-Asia morning on 15 and specially 20 meters. The propagation analyses done by N5TW are excellent guidelines and references.