At what time of day is transequatorial propagation most likely to occur?

Transequatorial propagation (TEP) relies heavily on the Sun ionizing the F-layer of the Earth's atmosphere to create the dense equatorial anomaly necessary for this mode. It takes time for solar radiation to build up this intense level of ionization. Because the ionization must accumulate throughout the daylight hours, the conditions for TEP peak later in the day. The bands of maximum electron density are strongest during the afternoon and persist into the early evening, making this the best time to attempt transequatorial contacts.