[50mhz] Re: Why does 6 meters suck in North America?

[Joe Reisert]

John,

I can't speak for the propagation Gods but some 6 meter Operators think 
that just because WWV is giving high solar flux that the band should be hot 
here. They are not taking into consideration that the solar flux, although 
a good indicator of high MUF, is not absolutely tied to the sunspot 
numbers. What they are missing is that lately, even when the solar flux was 
above 200, the sunspot number is very low. Likewise, an elevated K can be 
good and bad depending on the path!

You can see it in the R=103 report yesterday on the WWV numbers. This, I 
think, means that the sunspot number is only 103. A few weeks ago, it was 
over 200!

Don't give up yet. We were just at the low point in 28 day rotation and the 
numbers are now headed back up. Let's hope they keep climbing. We may still 
get an opening before the PW0T guys leave (and also to TI9M).

73,

Joe, W1JR

At 11:58 AM 2/20/2002 -0800, John Geiger wrote:
>It is happening again!  Seeing many spots on the
>reflector for EU working the PW0T Dxpedition, but no
>DX spots for NA.  If the EU path to SA is open, why
>isn't there a comparable path from NA to AFrica, or to
>the pacific.  Seeing no DX spots on 6 from North
>America.
>
>Today seeing spots from EU to PW0T, and from EU to
>Africa.  Again, no trans equator from North America to
>South America.
>
>I have recently seen spots from SA to pacific and ASIA
>at 10 PM at night, and this is during their summer!!
>When is the last time a North American station worked
>F2 during the summer?
>
>So what is going on?  Yes we have had some great F2
>openings this year form NA to EU, Pacific, and Asia.
>I know, I have been in on some of them, but still, all
>other areas of the world seem to have much better 6
>meter propogation than we do.  Are we getting these
>same openings, only to areas with no activity, or are
>we not getting the same types of propogation?  If not,
>why not?  What leads to the differences in 6 meter
>propogation between us and Europe
>
>I seem to recall somewhere that our propogation is
>worse here because of our proximity to the Northern
>Magnetic Pole, which messes things up like it does
>during solar flares.  Is this a reasonable explanation
>for 6 meters also?
>
>Not complaining, just curious.  (Well, maybe
>complaining a little, it would be great to work PW0T
>on 6, or any band for that matter, since it would be
>#292-no luck so far)
>
>73s John NE0P
>
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