[Elecraft] Recent band conditions

Thu Aug 7 09:28:00 2003

Well, I am no expert by any means, but since we are in Summer that means we are slightly closer to the sun.  Summer seems to always have ups and downs.  Summer is a good time for the VHF guys because a lot of their type of propagation occures.  This is all due to the amount of emission we get from the sun as North America is point that way.

Also, this is my 4-th sun spot cycle, and it will get worse.  20 meters will shut down very early.  The MUF will go very low.  40 meter will be good, but you will hear a lot of BC stations too.  As the sun quiets, the low bands get pretty good.  They will get very quiet.  160 and 80 will be very long by around 4 pm in the afternoon.  The absorption layer will be very thin.  Fifteen and 10 meters will be like VHF.  A lot of people leave the hobby at the low end of the cycle, but I find that 160-80-40 are very exciting.  160 can be amazing too.  PSK31 might be a great mode to be used because of poort propagation.

Again, I am no expert....just living by my wits and experience....dull and mundane

Lee - K0WA

Rod N0RC <[email protected]> wrote:
Folks,

Over the past few months I've read on QRP-L, the Elecraft list, and
elsewhere, comments about poor band conditions. What accounts for these
poor condition?

I know from monitoring the various space weather sites, that several
Coronal holes have appeared during the past few months. And there has
been a number of Geomagnetic storms. (A result of the particle streams
from the holes, and the odd CME).

Is it common to have such activity shortly after a Sunspot Cycle Peak?
How long will it last? How does this post Sunspot period compare to
previous post-peak periods?

I haven't found anything on the web that answers these questions, nor do
I know of any printed literature. Does anybody have a list of references
I can review?

73, Rod N0RC

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