Propagation conditions

[w8cbc]

The bands under 10 MC are open big time right now. This totally undesigned and unplanned apartment-balcony zigzag of mine has put solid signals into Texas (40m), North Carolina (60m), and, ah, Ohio (80m) tonight. The F layer is cookin'.

---edit---

Add New Hampshire on 40m to the above. A bit of a fade took his signal down into the horrendous local noise on this end after 20 min or so and then a broadcast station signed on a KC away just after we ended the QSO (7206 LSB) but the band got nice and strong again just afterward.

These are the kind of conditions I've been waiting for.

[KD7WHQ]

By report, 15 and 20 have been happening as well.

So much for "at the bottom of the sunspot cycle"

[w8cbc]

I heard an IK call working North America on 15 today but not much else. 20 seems rather quiet. But we'll get more solar activity in a couple of weeks. I've got 80m-40m going nicely but haven't yet made any contacts at shorter wavelengths. I should, in theory, radiate fairly well in 20m. I'm itching to prove that out.

I managed another contact in 80 last night (WVA and NC) before I went to bed. 100W into the zigzag but if I had over 10W ERP at 3895 KC I'd be surprised. The lower freqs are working nice.

[KJ3N]

Quote[/b] (KD7WHQ @ Sep. 25 2005,01:46)]By report, 15 and 20 have been happening as well.

So much for "at the bottom of the sunspot cycle"

CQ WW RTTY is the place to be today.

I spent about 2 hours this morning working all kinds of DX on 15m. The band was packed from 21.065 to 21.135 with signals.

Even after we came back from lunch, it was still going pretty strong. As of now (20:00 UTC) it seems to be winding down on 15m, but 20m is packed right now.

Hope I get a chance to work some of this on 40m before 23:59.

[WA2ZDY]

I started loading up the downspout and rian gutter yesterday. I have major RFI trouble in the shack that is keeping the power output low on 40m - about 25w out. I also have lots of noise here, S9 on 80, S5 on 40, and S5 on 20 where I didn't hear a soul except some RTTY.

Much work to be done here yet, but later tonight I'll try 40 CW again.

[w8cbc]

ZDY - you and I have similar noise problems. I'm mostly okay on 40, 60 and 80, but 20-up are pretty bad here, S5 or so right on up to 10 metres.

It could well be that people have tried to reply to my 20m and 15m CQs.

[AG3Y]

I had the darndest problem with noise on 20 and even more on 40, until I went tracing around with a little shirt-pocket transistor, and found the source to be one of those 12 inch flourescent under-counter lamps in our bathroom !

With the lamp off S-2 or less , but with the lamp on, 20 over 9 ! I would be looking for a similar thing, if I were you !

73, Jim

[w8cbc]

In my case it's neighbours with electronic yuppie gadgets. I've gone as far as killing my main breaker just to see. Practically no difference.

Anyway. I finally made a 20-metre contact today - the band suddenly got good and strong. I was loud and clear in Florida. So I'm radiatin' there all right.

---edit---

Also a couple more on 80, late. I'm told that what little RF makes it out of the zigzag down there sounds clear and clean. That's nice to know. I guess the compressor in this contraption is pretty good.

[N5TJD]

My HF stuff is still down from Hurricane Rita, but VHF is getting whacky. I am hearing stations over 200 miles away and a lot of the VHF TV stations are experiancing bad ghosting and in one case, a station in Lake Charles, LA, 235 miles away is overriding the normal station 40 miles away. I am also getting Houston.

Note to self, get out and put up the HF antenna again. It sounds like I missed a lot this weekend on HF. Figures.

[w8cbc]

I'm glad you got through it intact! Aerials can always be replaced.