When I had my 2 element 40 meter beam at 70 feet, I used to work a lot of
long path to Europe.  It was amazing how loud they got some mornings.  The
first time I worked long path on 40 meters was when I got a 40 meter
rotatable dipole and had it up about 60 feet.  The long path signals were
not as strong, but it worked.  Of course, if you have a half way decent
antenna, you can also work Europe on 40 meters direct at about sun down your
local time.  I had never been able to accomplish this with the various wire
loops and slopers I had on 40 but when I got the 40 meter rotatable dipole
and then later the 2 element beam, I did it every night the band was open at
sun down.  The earliest I have worked Europe on 40 meters from Denver is
2:30 PM in the afternoon and that was western Europe.  Long path, when the
bands are in good shape, is very common on 20 meters.  I had a 4 element 20
meter beam at only 40 feet once and worked long path for two or three
winters back in 80 to 82.  Some mornings the Europeans and Russians were
literally 40 and 50 over 9 and sounded as if they were local stations.  In
one year, back then, running that 4 element beam on 20 meters and 700 watts
output, I worked 295 countries just on that one band.  It is really fun
pointing your beam in the opposite direction and working the same countries
but all the way around the world.  One early morning, just before sunrise, I
faintly heard a guy at the south pole who was very active on 40 meter CW
back in about 91 and 92.  I had my beem pointed to Japan, northwest, and had
been working anything out of that beam heading that morning.  When I faintly
heard this Russian at the south pole, I rotated my beam straight south to
work him but he disappeared.  I thought my beam had blown off calibration.
Come to find out, he was coming in long path over the north pole.  I pointed
my beam straight north and worked him.  That evening, he was back on again
but I had to point the beam south to hear him.  I also worked CQ worldwide
on 40 CW one weekended and worked Japan long path about 4 PM in the
afternoon with my 40 meter beam pointed across South America.  A contest
friend of mine had told me to try it because sometimes Japan came in long
path beaming to the southeast in the late afternoon.  It was the only JA I
ever worked long path but he was about an s 6 and it was something to hear.
I have noticed over the years that long path is not as common on 15 and ten
meters but I have seen it there, too.  It is also done on 80 and 160 meters
but is a lot harder.  I have copied very weak Europeans long path on 80
meters but never worked any because I have never had a good enough DX
antenna on 80 and I have friends who work long path commonly on 80 and some
on 160 meters.  I take that back, I have worked a handful of Russians long
path on 80 meter CW but it sure would be fun to do on a regular bases when
the bands are good.

73,
Phil.
k0nx