[Elecraft] OT: best source of latest propagation news?

[Shaun Oliver]

as far as I'm concerned, I agree with julien here. if I can hear it, 
chances are I can talk to it. it's not a rule of thumb by any means. 
there has been the odd occasion where I could hear them but they 
couldn't hear me, but that's the way of things. I don't hold much stock 
in any kind of propogation prediction software.
shaun


On 1/02/2008 8:53 PM, the old scribe known as G4ILO was able to impart 
this pearl of wisdom:
> 
> G3YMC wrote:
>> Having got the indices it is up to you to learn what to do with them and
>> how it relates to the dx you hear (or at the moment don't hear) on the
>> bands.
>>
> I think the best advice regarding all these propagation programs is not to
> place too much reliance on them. There is no substitute for turning the
> radio on and seeing what you can hear. I have often had to say to people who
> use VOAProp or HFProp that they do not predict propagation. All these
> programs will do is help you to see how propagation changes with the time of
> day, season of the year and solar cycle, and help you gain an understanding
> that would otherwise take years of experience to achieve. But they only show
> average conditions, not actual predictions. Real propagation changes a great
> deal that is not reflected in a smoothed sunspot number or a solar flux
> reading at one point on the globe.
> 
> A couple of days ago on the afternoon west coast Stateside stations were
> loud and clear here in Europe. Yet there was nothing remarkable in the WWV
> bulletin to lead anyone to expect that. If I hadn't turned on the K3, I
> wouldn't have known.
> 
> -----
> Julian, G4ILO  K3 s/n: 222 K2 s/n: 392
> G4ILO's Shack: www.g4ilo.com
> Zerobeat Ham Forums: www.zerobeat.net/smf