[MRCA] Propagation conditions

Fri Oct 25 15:39:27 EDT 2024

Following-up on M&S Net discussion on conditions:   
As the solar activity climbs I expected the lower bands could be expected to be more challenging for regional work.  But I also expect the higher bands to be popping (based on experience in past solar cycles).  But I am just not hearing the 20-meter and higher openings I expected - it is discouraging.

Part of the difference might be that for the past year I've been living on an island in the middle of the Pacific (Kauai) but an interesting location usually helps make contacts, doesn't it?   The openings I do hear on the higher bands seem always limited to this hemisphere - not hearing anything beyond the rim of the Pacific really.  I've had some fun contacts but many days the bands are silent.  

To prove whether the problem is me, my location, my station, etc, I set up a low-power WSPR beacon at my house.  That way I can consult the wsprnet.org website to check conditions at the moment (or over up to the past 24 hours).
The WSPR beacon is the QRP Labs Ultimate 3S and I've got it running about a half-watt or so output on ten meters.  It feeds a vertical made of two Hustler masts and 10m resonators on my deck at about 700 ft AMSL.

Checking the website right now, no stations are reporting my 10m beacon, so for me the band is closed.  Over the past 24 hours there have been openings (do not know the times) - here's the map showing:

The database shows all these reports were scattered throughout the daylight period in Hawaii.  

Not bad, but not as good as I would expect with the solar activity as it is.   Interesting... there must be other variables that I am not considering.

Steve WD8DAS   

sbjohnston at aol.com   
http://www.wd8das.net/   http://af4k-crystals.com/   
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Mein Ohr ganz nah am Weltempfänger...

    On Friday, October 25, 2024 at 05:39:09 AM HST, mrca-request at mailman.qth.net <mrca-request at mailman.qth.net> wrote:   

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Today's Topics:

  1. Re: M&S Today (mstangelo at comcast.net)
  2. Re: M&S Today (Ray Fantini)
  3. MRCA Fall meet up 2024 video (KD2GIY)
  4. Re: M&S Today (mstangelo at comcast.net)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2024 17:59:50 -0400 (EDT)
From: mstangelo at comcast.net
To: Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>,    Ray Fantini via MRCA
    <mrca at mailman.qth.net>,    MilComm Guy <m38inmaine at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [MRCA] M&S Today
Message-ID: <1050191114.1134403.1729807190260 at connect.xfinity.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Last summer I could work the net with 20 watts and people could hear me. This year I need 80-100 watts to be readable. Recently I am having issues hearing stations in northern New England - VT NH and ME even when operating at low noise locations.

We are nearing or at the sunspot peak. Could the increased solar activity increase signal absorption in the D layer? 

I also particpate in a net at 5:30 PM local time and the conditions are much better as the sun sets.

Mike N2MS

> On 10/24/2024 1:41 PM EDT Ray Fantini via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> Don?t know what?s happened to sixty the last couple years, can do communications within one hundred miles or so but not much beyond that. Often I hear stations like N2MS or K3TZJ a couple states over but almost never hear WB2JWU down here in MD. Couple years back he was always booming in down here. The 7296 Saturday USB net has had reduced coverage too but still works for most stations, at least it works if we don?t have issues from the AM community.
> 
> Ray F/KA3EKH
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Easy one today, not a single copy, just noise here in Maine.
> 
> 73
> K1HF
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------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2024 12:38:51 +0000
From: Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>
To: "mstangelo at comcast.net" <mstangelo at comcast.net>, Ray Fantini via
    MRCA    <mrca at mailman.qth.net>, MilComm Guy <m38inmaine at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [MRCA] M&S Today
Message-ID:
    <DM8P220MB0472B45BDEF58C5CFE1BAD31B84F2 at DM8P220MB0472.NAMP220.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Maybe the net can consider trying something like 1800 EST and see what happens? Think the issue then may be all the digital crap?

Ray F/KA3EKH

-----Original Message-----
From: mstangelo at comcast.net <mstangelo at comcast.net> 
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2024 6:00 PM
To: Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>; Ray Fantini via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>; MilComm Guy <m38inmaine at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [MRCA] M&S Today

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of Salisbury University. Please exercise caution when clicking links or opening attachments from external sources.

Last summer I could work the net with 20 watts and people could hear me. This year I need 80-100 watts to be readable. Recently I am having issues hearing stations in northern New England - VT NH and ME even when operating at low noise locations.

We are nearing or at the sunspot peak. Could the increased solar activity increase signal absorption in the D layer?

I also particpate in a net at 5:30 PM local time and the conditions are much better as the sun sets.

Mike N2MS

> On 10/24/2024 1:41 PM EDT Ray Fantini via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>
>
> Don't know what's happened to sixty the last couple years, can do communications within one hundred miles or so but not much beyond that. Often I hear stations like N2MS or K3TZJ a couple states over but almost never hear WB2JWU down here in MD. Couple years back he was always booming in down here. The 7296 Saturday USB net has had reduced coverage too but still works for most stations, at least it works if we don't have issues from the AM community.
>
> Ray F/KA3EKH
>
>
>
>
> Easy one today, not a single copy, just noise here in Maine.
>
> 73
> K1HF

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2024 09:11:30 -0400
From: KD2GIY <kd2giy at gmail.com>
To: mrca at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [MRCA] MRCA Fall meet up 2024 video
Message-ID:
    <CAJ_9PqeAOYvkOdWGGnDtJ8_n5V8Sr2QYtg1JJW+b-X4Sp5W=dw at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Hello gentlemen,
I finally got to the video from the meet up last month..
I definitely had a great time and looking forward to next year..
Here's a link to the YouTube video
https://youtu.be/8Xa-QcEL644?si=6v3aukHF4TMeRH4J

Best regards
Dave
KD2GIY
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2024 11:38:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: mstangelo at comcast.net
To: Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>,    "mrca at mailman.qth.net"
    <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [MRCA] M&S Today
Message-ID: <560114011.623079.1729870690337 at connect.xfinity.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Since 60 meter channel 3 frequency of 5357 is in the worldwide 60 meter band allocation the FT8 opeation takes over in the evening and is a poor choice.

You could use another 60 meter channel but the radios have to tune in a step of 500Hz and I thought channel 3 was chosen because many legacy mil radio tune in steps of 1kHz. If this is not an issue you can choose another channel. You mentioned 1800 EST; we're still on EDT. 

There is another 60 meter net on channel 2 5346.5, the Short & Sweet Net, pre net checking starts at 5PM Eastern time. The net starts at 5:30PM Eastern time. It is not a military radio net but they discuss the various radio, antenna, mechanical or house projects they have been working on. I join to this net when I have the time.

Personally, I like a noontime net. Even though I am retired my day is filled with chores, appointments and activities with the wife. I find I am free around noon between the morning and afternoon activities. People who work also have a lunch break at this time.

We also forget this was started as a "on-patrol and reconnaisance" net so I use it to practice my goal of setting up a portable station within 15 minutes. I also enjoy portable operation because the QRM is much lower. I find I have to use a radio with effective Noise Reduction to operate 60 at home during the day.

Mike N2MS

> On 10/25/2024 8:38 AM EDT Ray Fantini <rafantini at salisbury.edu> wrote:
> 
>  
> Maybe the net can consider trying something like 1800 EST and see what happens? Think the issue then may be all the digital crap?
> 
> Ray F/KA3EKH
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mstangelo at comcast.net <mstangelo at comcast.net> 
> Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2024 6:00 PM
> To: Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>; Ray Fantini via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>; MilComm Guy <m38inmaine at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [MRCA] M&S Today
> 
> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of Salisbury University. Please exercise caution when clicking links or opening attachments from external sources.
> 
> 
> Last summer I could work the net with 20 watts and people could hear me. This year I need 80-100 watts to be readable. Recently I am having issues hearing stations in northern New England - VT NH and ME even when operating at low noise locations.
> 
> We are nearing or at the sunspot peak. Could the increased solar activity increase signal absorption in the D layer?
> 
> I also particpate in a net at 5:30 PM local time and the conditions are much better as the sun sets.
> 
> Mike N2MS
> 
> 
> > On 10/24/2024 1:41 PM EDT Ray Fantini via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Don't know what's happened to sixty the last couple years, can do communications within one hundred miles or so but not much beyond that. Often I hear stations like N2MS or K3TZJ a couple states over but almost never hear WB2JWU down here in MD. Couple years back he was always booming in down here. The 7296 Saturday USB net has had reduced coverage too but still works for most stations, at least it works if we don't have issues from the AM community.
> >
> > Ray F/KA3EKH
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Easy one today, not a single copy, just noise here in Maine.
> >
> > 73
> > K1HF

------------------------------

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End of MRCA Digest, Vol 246, Issue 43
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