= NOW 15 WPM = TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2021 QST PAGE 56 = HIGHLY IONIZED BULGES LOCATED ABOUT 15 DEGREES NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE GEOMAGNETIC EQUATOR. THIS ALLOWS HF AND VHF RADIO SIGNALS TO CROSS THE GEOMAGNETIC EQUATOR WITH LOW LOSS. ITLL BE A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE PEOPLE CAN START EXPECTING ANY F LAYER PROPAGATION ON 50 MHZ. IN THE MEANTIME, RARE PROPAGATION IS OCCURRING NOW ON 6 METERS. SPORADIC E/TEP OCCURS WHEN SPORADIC E HOPS CAN LINK TO TEP, POTENTIALLY COVERING THOUSANDS OF MILES. THE HIGH MAXIMUM USABLE FREQUENCY MUF IN THE F2 LAYER CRITICAL FOR 6 METER = END OF 15 WPM TEXT >