Super weather forecast for the weekend in most of the UK. Going to be a hot one though!
Anyone planning to be out? Could be a busy S2S day.
Haven’t made my mind up finally, will alert later.
Expect to be on something “high” in N. Wales tomorrow (Saturday). Probably Cadair Idris. Might go and do some one pointers around there as well later. I’ll try 2M FM, but may be on HF too.
73
Gerald
MW0WML
In reply to MW0WML:
Note that it’s VHF NFD this weekend, lots of SSB activity
In reply to G8TMV:
A good opportunity to air the GV prefix!
73
Brian GV8ADD
In reply to G8TMV:
The Hepburn Tropo forecast looks quite good for Saturday as weel
In reply to G3XQE:
In reply to G8TMV:
The Hepburn Tropo forecast looks quite good for Saturday as weel
Considering that I gave up on Hepburn because he was VERY rarely right, this might just put the kibosh on the weekend!
73
Brian GV8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
I have found your own HF predictions to be very reliable Brian. Whenever you predict an upturn, there is a huge solar flare and conditions plummet. I would be grateful if you could predict exceptionally poor HF conditions this weekend.
73 Richard G3CWI
In reply to G3CWI:
MWIS is yet to predict great weather for GM/WS. Forecast for GM/ES is a bit better.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Sadly that is why I put “most” of the UK… I could see Western Scotland getting caught a bit.
I might even try 5Mhz for the first time since my recent upgrade to my Full licence and getting my 5MHz NoV.
73
Gerald
MW0WML
In reply to G3CWI:
Pleased to be of assistance, Richard! Despite an SFI currently at 138 and rising, sunspot AR1785 has a beta/gamma/delta magnetic field and AR1787 has a beta/gamma field, both capable of producing major flares, also there should be a minor CME affecting us tomorrow. I recommend 2 metres SSB - or semaphore!
73
Brian GV8ADD
In reply to MW0WML:
In reply to MM0FMF:
Sadly that is why I put “most” of the UK… I could see Western
Scotland getting caught a bit.
The fronts might lie over WS tomorrow but the predicted surface pressure is ~1024 mB and it will be higher on Sunday, so that may well take some of the sting out of the fronts!
I’ll monitor 5 for much of the day, Gerald, so I’m hopeful I can get you in the log!
73
Brian GV8ADD
In reply to MW0WML:
I might even try 5Mhz for the first time
You may be sadly disappointed as 5MHz is quite reliably rubbish during the daytime in summer. It comes into its own when the clocks go back till they go forwards again.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G8ADD:
SFI up and a V NoV.
Think I’ll chuck a few watts up the clubs tri-bander and see what happens, Brian.
73 Mike
2V0YYY/MV6MMM
In reply to MM0FMF:
You may be sadly disappointed as 5MHz is quite reliably rubbish during
the daytime in summer. It comes into its own when the clocks go back
till they go forwards again.
I don’t think it is quite that bad, Andy, I got about the same number of successful chases in the last month as I was getting in the spring, though admittedly there were a few days when I couldn’t hear the usual suspects! In fact I would say that 40 has been more unreliable for me in the last month!
73
Brian GV8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
I don’t think it is quite that bad
Well I do. It’s such a regular disappointment in the summer that after using it in 2007,08,09,10,11 & 12 I can’t be bothered even trying it when it’s BST unless I happen to be on summit where I have lots of time. Even then I’d rather leave the keyer running on HF. I’d rather be disappointed on 20-12m instead!
Winter, however, is a different story indeed. That’s when it’s normally excellent and I wouldn’t like to not try it at those times.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G8ADD:
Hepburn didn’t do a bad job yesterday, I worked Bob GW6ODU/P on GW/NW-049 on 2m fm.
Working North Wales on 2m is a rare occurence due to a ridge between me and NW which 300 ft higher and only a couple of miles away.
73 de G3(NotV)XQE
In reply to G3XQE:
The thing is, when the pressure is high you hardly need Hepburn. Given access to a decent weather map - a proper one with fronts and isobars, not the BBC pictograms - an experienced V/UHF operator can see at a glance when there are chances of good propagation and what the best beam headings are. Where Hepburn held out the promise of usefulness was in marginal conditions or when there was a chance of frontal propagation. However, after I had found on several occasions that he was predicting enhanced propagation right in the centre of vigorous Atlantic depressions, a situation where years of experience told me that no such propagation was to be expected, I came to the conclusion that his charts were untrustworthy and went back to the old methods. This was several years ago and perhaps his methodology has improved since then, but the fact is that old V/UHF DX-ers don’t need any help from Hepburn!
73
Brian GV8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
Hi Brian;
Having established my 2m station with the primary purpose of emulating what we used to do in the old top band AM ground wave days (± 30m range)and before my involvement with SOTA, I have no great interest in chasing VHF/UHF DX.
If a station from Holland appears on the calling channel at 59+ (as happened about a month ago) then I will give him a call as the temptation is just too great.
Hepburn gives me an idea if any tropo is likely at a glance without having to get involved in interpreting wx charts and as such is useful to me and no doubt many others. I have only been looking at Hepburn for a couple of years and in that time haven’t seen openings predicted in the middle of low pressure event.
I guess if I had full legal power (or higher) to stacked and bayed yagi’s and was located away from the electronic fog of the city then I would probably take the time to do as you suggest but for me and probably most people without a serious Troposcatter capability, Hepburn is quick and gives a reasonable indication.
73 de Ken G3XQE
In reply to MW0WML:
Quote “I might even try 5Mhz for the first time since my recent upgrade to my Full licence and getting my 5MHz NoV.”
Feel free to give 5MHz a try Gerald, but as Andy mentioned, in the summer it can be a little poor. The worst time will be in the middle of the day, but if you catch the band right, in mid-late morning or mid-late afternoon you shouldn’t have too many problems. As a general rule, if 40m is working very well for NVIS, 5MHz will be a little poor. If 40m is not working for NVIS, 5MHz should be a much better bet.
When I am in the shack chasing, I do spend most of my time monitoring 5.3985 USB if the band is open, so if you have alerted for 5MHz over the weekend, chances are I will be listening for you. Whilst not in a brilliant location for HF, I am not plagued with the extremely high noise levels a lot of chasers suffer on the band so if there is any propagation at all I can generally pull something out of the noise.
It is a very useful part of the spectrum & I am very glad we have access to it.
Thanks & 73,
Mark G0VOF
Chris 2E0RGE and I will be bagging a couple in Mid Wales on Sunday and Monday. Definitely up for some S2S.
Speak soon. 73
Simon
M0TTE
In reply to MW0WML:
Alastair M0TYM, his daughter Sarah M6HBT and me [with my youngest son Peter M6EMP who is terminally mic shy] are going out. G/WB-024 Aconbury hill will be first. I’ll open the score on 60m phone. I’m taking my new delta loop for 6m even though it’s 6 foot long [GW7AAV website recipe] and hope to bag the first 6m QSO’s for this summit. VHF NFD and high pressure should help. Al and Sarah will probably do 2m FM and SSB.
We’ll do a 10 paces from the car on G/WB-023 Hegdon Hill after. Road in the AZ. 2m and 6m SSB ought to feature. Too close to midday for 60m.
2m fm / ssb and 70cm fm / ssb on Worcestershire Beacon G/WB-009 later from the team if time permits - certainly no HF cos it’ll be crowded.
Lots of Factor 50, remember your locator squares for the Field day stations and a good day out to all. Pray the A index stays low too.
73
David M0YDH