Is 20 metres now somewhat better?

Grey line for sure.

But 20m has been more fruitful of late past week or so, picking up more east European Sotas that,s for sure makes change from 80 and 20m.
Hopefully soon pick up some nice Asian ones and North america and any where else i can hear them let alone work.

Karl

Anyone ever tried this tool? HF Prediction

1 Like

The Australian Space Weather Services web site is a wonderful resource Compton. I’ve been using it for the last 11 years to check what has happened and what might be about to happen in the ionosphere.

1 Like

30 watts to a doublet 30m long and 10m high.

Conditions were about the same this morning. At 07:45 - 08:00 UTC I worked 3 VK stations. Between 08:00 and 08:45 UTC I worked 7 JA’s.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

Ed,

could you let me know where to get the shown graph?
I’d like to monitor the variations in rising of the MUF over the next two weeks (on weekdays I’m in the office at that time :frowning: thus no monitoring of the band is possible)
I’m going to adapt my schedule for the 21st in order to make sure I’m QRV before the band opens.

thanks and 73, Roman - DL3TU

The VK’s on 20m were coming in half an hour earlier this morning. Between 07:15 and 08:00 UTC I worked VK3XN, VK3OT, VK2AKB, VK6AS and VK1MA.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

2 Likes

Hi Roman,
here is the great site that gives MUF information for various parts of the World - this is the link for Europe - go up a level to get other areas:

http://af7ti.com/Europe.html The site is dependant on data from organisations, so sometimes, some countries data is missing (the straight lines) or the site is actually down - but generally it’s there and useful.

I also find this UK propagation site very useful: http://www.predtest.uk/area.html

73 Ed.

1 Like

Hi Walt,
have you worked any VK or ZL portable stations in the last few days please? If you have that would be very good news for the upcoming S2S attempt on the 21st.

Ed.

No, Ed, I’m afraid I have not heard any VK or ZL portables. All the stations I have worked have been fixed. I do not know what power they were running.

This morning between 08:10 UTC and 08:55 UTC I worked VK2NRB, VK2HFP and also heard several other VK1 and VK2 stations that I had already worked on previous mornings. There were also JA’s and PY’s coming in.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

Sorry I forgot to ask Walt - CW or SSB? And I presume 20m not 40m? I’ve been hearing what I think is basically an ex-pats net on 40m - 7.138MHz around 0700 UTC which includes some VK & ZL stations with France and Germany based Brits for the last two weeks. All high powered fixed stations though.

73 Ed.

All 20m FT8. I use 30 watts o/p.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

Yes a LOT is possible with FT-8 - I’m just getting used to using it. I have even tried three calls from a summit but with no reply - which was lucky as I could hardly read the screen in the sunlight!

73 Ed.

Ed, I’ve not done much on 20m recently too many other things going on. But today, after I worked Jack GM4COX on 13cms and broke the 13cms antenna, I went onto 20m and worked the usual Europeans I’d expect to work around 1200Z from up here. In addition to Europe, George N1GB was a good signal for the time of day (Vermont 4800km) and Sergei RV9DC (Asiatic Russia 3600km) was QSBing but came up at times to more than the 339 report I sent. Nothing earth shattering in the way of DX but I was hearing and being heard using a very compromised antenna and just about 5W. I’m sure I could have worked more had I stayed but the mist turned into drizzle and the wind picked up which is the signal to pack up and run away.

I’d have said 20m seemed well above “OK” regarding propagation and activity.

Yes I found 20m and 40m more “back to normal” that they have been for some time. QSB was a problem but I “bagged” more contacts today than I have done in a day for a couple of months.

73 Ed.