Any merit for having propagation and contest info discreetly placed on the home page?
Propagation could be just an indicator of lift conditions VHF and above plus with sunspot or index info for HF.
It would also be very handy to have a reminder say a week ahead to warn of any major contests coming up.
I am assuming that this could be done automaticaly of course.
SW2 shaping up nicely!
73
Roger MW0IDX
In reply to MW0IDX:
Really being cheeky, and I don’t know if it is even possible, but is there also any chance of “grabbing” the current foF2 info and displaying it to indicate the possibility of NVIS propagation? A possible source is - http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/lists/iono_day/Fairford_iono.txt
73 de Les, G3VQO
In reply to G3VQO:
Yes to all this (given time!). Just need the sources. The Fairford_iono.txt should be fairly easy. Where would we find contest info and other propogation info.
In reply to GM4ZFZ:
Latest WWV info available at -
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/wwv.txt
I’ll look around for some other useful sources …
73 de Les
In reply to G3VQO:
Try G0ISW’s home page http://.qsl.net/g0isw.
He has a lot of info on there but not sure where he gets it from.
73 Graham
In reply to G4JZF:
Hi all. Where would this information be? I like the idea in principle but I am a little concerned that the screen could become a little cluttered. Just a thought.
Q
If it could be kept tidy, I like the idea of the propagation condx info. But I don’t see what a contest calendar has got to do with SOTA. We need to maintain the focus and not become generalist amateur radio coverage IMHO.
In reply to M1EYP:
I tend to agree that whatever information is displayed should be directly relevant to SOTA. The value of foF2, which varies throughout the day, is of direct relevance to SOTA operations as it determines the likelihood of near-NVIS propagation on 5 and 7 MHz. As SOTA goes world-wide there may be some use for an MUF display, but the A index and Solar Activity data is less relevant as it tends to be a forecast which will stay constant throughout the day - ie. check it on another website first thing if you need to know.
I agree that contest information is totally inappropriate. The dates and times are widely promulgated, often twelve months in advance, so it would be a self-inflicted injury if a SOTA activator climbs a summit without being aware of expected contest activity! In any case, there may be several contests on any weekend, and finding a way to display days/times/modes/bands for each, and for HF/VHF/UHF, would be extremely difficult without seriously impinging on the page space for “real” SOTA stuff.
73 de Les, G3VQO
In reply to G3VQO:
I tend to agree that whatever information is displayed should be
directly relevant to SOTA. The value of foF2, which varies throughout
the day, is of direct relevance to SOTA operations as it determines
the likelihood of near-NVIS propagation on 5 and 7 MHz.
Hi all
This seems like a step too far to me. FoF2 is available elsewhere as is only relevant over a relatively small area anyway. General propagation info is also widely available elsewhere as is contest infor and just about everything else. I like the relatively uncluttered look that we have at the moment and would not favour too much more info myself.
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to G3CWI:
FoF2 is available elsewhere
True, but I believe its availability on SOTAwatch would be extremely useful. If we assume that most serious chasers will be monitoring that page, they will have up-to-the-minute (well ten minutes) data to pass onto activators as to the likely success of band changes. For example, if I was told whilst on 5MHz that foF2 was 7.3 MHz, then I might seriously consider trying some 40m SSB, whereas, if I’m informed that foF2 is only 5.5 MHz then I wouldn’t bother.
It may also be of use to activators with cleverer mobile phones than mine who could perhaps access the data from their summit.
I don’t think it need look too cluttered. I envisage a small box displaying the current foF2, with a green background if it has risen since the last value, red if it has fallen, and yellow if there has been no change.
How does that sound?
73 de Les
In reply to G3VQO:
How does that sound?
Not good in as much as that F0F2 is a site-specific parameter. FoF2 at Chilton is not the same as the FoF2 in Germany (or indeed the F0F2 anywhere else). Thus the parameter is meaningless clutter for many chasers.
73
Richard
In reply to G3CWI:
Perhaps there are sources of foF2 in Germany (or France, etc). Maybe it could be a user-switchable parameter, and with an “off” option too?
73 de Les
In reply to G3VQO:
How does that sound?
Not good in as much as that F0F2 is a site-specific parameter. FoF2 at Chilton is not the same as the FoF2 in Germany (or indeed the F0F2 anywhere else). Thus the parameter is meaningless clutter for many chasers.
73
Richard
In reply to G3VQO:
In reply to G3CWI:
Perhaps there are sources of foF2 in Germany (or France, etc). Maybe
it could be a user-switchable parameter, and with an “off” option too?
It seems a lot of effort for something that is literally one click away anyway!
73
Richard
In reply to G3CWI:
I have found that the most up to date source of f0f2 info to be the maps published on http://www.spacew.com/www/f0f2.html A quick look at this map which is updated several times an hour, provides an indication of f2 critical data anywhere in the world. By following the isolines one quickly can establish that f0F2 can be about 1 MHz lower up here in GM-land than in GW-land etc. hi!
The same website provides near real-time details of other propagation related parameters as well e.g. MUF etc… I am not sure how one could extract, nor the legality of doing so, some of this info and present it within the SOTA-pages.
Maybe a link to the relevant pages would be sufficient?
73 de Ken
In reply to GM0AXY:
If Jon wanted to be really clever, it would be possible to calculate the minimum skip distance for each SOTA activation in real time using the frequency they have been spotted on, the local FoF2 and the relevant ionospheric model (the Secant Law would be quite adequate). The result would be data such as:
G3RMD SC-001 5.398MHz Min Skip 195km
You could click on the frequency and get a table:
Minium Skip Distances
3.5MHz 0km
5MHz 195km
7MHz 655km
10MHz 1030km
14MHz 1150km
etc.
Far too ambitious!