‰ NOW 30 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2014 QST PAGE 88‰ OCCURRED APRIL 4 WITH TWO LZ STATIONS GOING IN FREDS LOG. THE LZ STATIONS HAD S 9 SIGNALS AND MANY STATIONS FROM THE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES WERE LISTENING FOR ME WHEN THE OPENING QUIT AT 1035Z HAVING ONLY BEEN OPEN FOR 5 MINUTES. THESE ARE PERHAPS THE FIRST TRANSPOLAR LONG PATH TPL CONTACTS GOING WEST FROM HAWAII TO EUROPE SINCE 2002, IN SOLAR CYCLE 23. LAST MONTHS COLUMN DISCUSSED KH7Y AND KH6SXS TPL CONTACTS TO THE MIDDLE EAST, WHICH TOOK PLACE THE LAST WEEK OF FEBRUARY. THE LONG PATH WENT SOUTHEAST OF HAWAII AND THE CONTACTS TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 1800 2100Z. KH7Y ALSO WORKED COSTAS, SV1DH, ON FEBRUARY 28 AT 1841Z FOR THE FIRST EUROPE HAWAII TPL CONTACT OF SOLAR CYCLE 24 GOING EAST. THE MARCH EUROPEAN LONG PATH WENT SOUTH AND WEST FROM HAWAII AND USUALLY TOOK PLACE AROUND 1030 1200Z. JIM, K6MIO/KH6, NOTED THE TYPICAL HAWAIIAN TO EUROPE TPL OPENING OCCURS NEAR THE SOLAR CYCLE MAXIMUM ON AN EVENING TEP IS ALREADY IN EVIDENCE OVER THE USUAL PATHS KH6 VK4, BUT THE TEP IS GENERALLY SPORADIC AND NOT PARTICULARLY INTENSE OR WIDESPREAD. QUITE STRONG BACKSCATTER COMING FROM HEADINGS OF ABOUT 195 IS VERY COMMON, SUGGESTING LOTS OF IONIZATION AND TILTED LAYERS. ‰ END OF 30 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ