160/80 have been improving over the last few days. I think the recent  solar event blew things up pretty bad.   I actually worked into Japan on 160 as early as October 21 this year but things went downhill in late October.  Conditions on 160 into Europe were better last night too.    
Not sure if it’s related to the sunspot cycle or just randomness, but some years are certainly better than others on  160.  
Joel, do you think atmospheric conditions have much effect on 160?   Seems like when it gets really chilly out things improve.
EJ



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From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2025 7:19:02 AM
To: 'ADXA' <[email protected]>
Subject: [ADXA] JA's on 160 This Morning
 

GM ADXA Folks,

 

This morning was the first time this “season” that we had prop to JA on 160-meters. There were a couple on CW and a few on FT8. Sigs were very good.

 

160-meter conditions have been bad so far however for me it never seems to open up until around the end of the year once winter finally sets in. It is a long standing theory that 160-meter propagation works opposite of the sunspot cycle, that is when sunspot activity is high and the higher bands are alive the low bands are dead. There is some data to support such a conclusion but not sufficient to stake a factual claim on. Some of the old 160-meter guys that hang out on the ON4KST Low Band Chat page are already claiming this is the absolute worst 160-meter conditions ever……..those same folks said the exact same thing last year, the year before, and ten years ago. ADXA folks are smart enough to reach a conclusion on that series of statements!

 

The bottom line on 160-meters is it is really somewhat similar to 6-meters. The propagation methods are much different but they are unpredictable. If you’re interested in “upping” your totals on 160-meters the only way to do so is to GET IN THERE and LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN.

 

73 Joel W5ZN / ZF2ZN