[AMRadio] Active

[Geoff]

On 12/18/2016 12:31 PM, Jim Candela wrote:
> I was listening to the 75m AM window last night around 9 pm central. Not an AM signal heard over 30 minutes. My receiver on the CE or Gonset station was unable to overcome the impulse type QRN that has been plagging me for years, and is strong up through 20m. Both an Icom R75 and R8500 have effective noise blankers, but the NB threshold is preset, and drifts with shack temperature. Last night the NB's did nothing, whereas my Flex 3000 SDR receiver would take out the noise 100% without any notceabe artifacts on the received signal. Unfortunately I don't have an amplifier in line with the Flex at this time. Therefore I stayed off the air.
> 75m seemed wide open last night..
> JimWd5JKO
>

There's something up with the bands, too.  Three nights ago, I tuned 
across 40m and heard nary a signal.  It was so quiet, I thought the 
antenna had broke/fallen/came loose from the tuner... it was scarily 
quiet!  I tuned from 7.290 all the way down until I got to 7.164, and 
heard a signal.  Turned out to be ZS6CCY (google him - worth it!) just 
north of Johanasburg, South Africa.  He was the only signal on the band, 
working North America.  I moved off, tuned up quickly, and called and 
worked him.  I didn't realize all the people calling, because I couldn't 
hear a -thing- stateside... then started hearing 1's and 2's, then 7's 
in the PNW... but that's about as close as it got.

Right now, at 6:30pm, I'm listening to a Net where I know most all of 
the check-ins and where they are... I'm not hearing anyone in Texas or 
Louisiana (being in SE Texas).  Only thing I'm hearing is a relay 
station near Portales, New Mexico, somewhere around 600 air-miles from here.

I have no idea whats happening to the ionosphere.  Did the F-layer go 
away all together?

I listened on 7.160 AM as Paul/WA3VJB worked Darrell/WA5VGO for about a 
good 45 minutes.  Kingwood, TX is only 10 miles from here and I could 
barely hear Darrell on his Collins KW-1.  Paul's 300 was better, at my 
place, but not -that- strong.  There was a point where he poked up to 
20db/S-9, but that only lasted about half of a transmission.

www.bandconditions.com 'kinda' shows what shape the bands are in, but 
generally speaking, not well enough (in my Not so humble opinion).

Maybe someone who knows more and has kept up with the solar conditions, 
flux, A and K indicies could jump in and explain it better.

160m seems to be the way to go, but I don't have the room.

73 = Best Regards,
-Geoff/W5OMR