During the report period of July 28 through August 4, W2MMD's 100 milliwatt signal demonstrated classic summer propagation behavior across North America, with 40 meters providing the dominant communication path accounting for 29 of 80 total spots to 29 unique receivers. The 40-meter band exhibited a bimodal distribution pattern with strong activity during the 06-09 EDT block (11 stations) and again during the 18-21 EDT block (12 stations), suggesting reliable NVIS (near-vertical incidence skywave) propagation supporting regional coverage during morning and evening transitions when the ionosphere transitions between day and night conditions. The higher frequency bands showed sporadic and limited activity, with 20 and 15 meters producing only scattered spots in the midday hours (09-12 EDT and 18-21 EDT blocks) when F2 layer ionization typically peaks, while 10 meters yielded no reportable propagation—a result consistent with reduced transmit power at 28 MHz due to Si5351A rolloff combined with marginally low ionospheric density for that frequency during summer months. The 30-meter band's minimal performance (only 2 spots during 21-24 EDT) correlates directly with its severely compromised effective radiated power of approximately 30 milliwatts due to the 8:1 SWR condition, effectively limiting its range and reception opportunities across the continent. Overall, these results align with expectations for summer propagation from a low-power New Jersey station, where 40 meters remains the reliable workhorse for regional skywave work while higher bands require either superior ionospheric conditions or enhanced transmit capabilities to produce consistent North American coverage.

During the reporting period of July 28 through August 4, 2026, W2MMD's propagation to Europe was remarkably limited, with all seven spots concentrated in a single 3-hour window on 15m during the 18-21 EDT block, representing six unique European receivers and suggesting transient F2 layer favorability rather than sustained skip conditions. The absence of activity on 40m, 30m, 20m, and 10m to European destinations indicates that either ionospheric conditions did not support efficient long-path propagation on these bands during the observation period, or multipath effects and band noise masked weaker signals; notably, the 30m antenna's 8:1 SWR limitation (reducing effective power to approximately 30mW) and 10m's Si5351A rolloff at 28 MHz likely contributed to diminished European reception on those respective bands. The singular spike on 15m during evening EDT hours aligns with expected F2 layer behavior during summer months, when the evening terminator can briefly optimize great-circle path propagation to Europe, though the complete absence of activity in other time blocks suggests this opening was neither sustained nor repeated during the week. Given that W2MMD has only recently become operational and the 40m band—which historically shows the most consistent long-distance propagation—produced zero European spots, a longer observation period will be needed to establish reliable patterns for European reception; operators monitoring this beacon should note that 15m evening windows (18-21 EDT) may warrant closer attention during future reporting intervals.

Propagation to South America during the reporting period of July 28 to August 4, 2026 proved extremely limited, with only a single spot recorded from one unique receiver on the 15m band during the 18-21 EDT window. This sparse result likely reflects a combination of unfavorable ionospheric conditions and the station's operational constraints rather than fundamental propagation failure to the region. The successful 15m spot in the early evening EDT block suggests that F2 layer refraction was marginally supporting trans-equatorial paths at that time, though the lack of any additional receptions across the seven-day period indicates this was an exceptional occurrence rather than a reliable propagation window. The complete absence of spots on 40m and 30m is notable given that 40m typically offers the most reliable long-distance propagation; however, the 30m antenna's elevated 8:1 SWR significantly reduces effective radiated power to approximately 30 mW, making distant reception substantially less likely on that band. Given the station's recent operational status and the generally weak propagation activity to South America during this week, further monitoring across multiple reporting periods will be necessary to establish statistically meaningful propagation patterns to the region. The isolated 15m success during the 18-21 EDT window may warrant closer attention in future weeks, as this evening period could represent an optimal window for F2 layer skip to equatorial and southern latitudes.