HFU HF Underground

Technical Topics => Propagation => Topic started by: OgreVorbis on January 13, 2020, 0402 UTC

Title: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: OgreVorbis on January 13, 2020, 0402 UTC
Hey,

I'm not a noob to radio, but propagation (other than the more obvious non-planetary/solar noise stuff) has not been something I really understand very well. I do understand the solar cycles to some extent, but I am curious about the more frequent changes in propagation that can be seen on a daily or weekly basis. What is the biggest determining factor in that?

I noticed the last couple days that the propagation has been some of the worst I've seen since I started listening about a year and a half ago. What is causing this and when is it likely to clear up?
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: BoomboxDX on January 13, 2020, 0427 UTC
Not an expert here, but the sun's output varies from day to day, even minute to minute. That's why the K and A indices change.

Why the effects of that difference in solar output varies from region to region, even in the same latitude, I wouldn't know.

The auroral radio zone can vary also, which is why northern latitudes have different prop than the more southerly latitudes.
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: Josh on January 13, 2020, 1854 UTC
The best part is when things are great, sigs are strong and steady, and then they're gone, like someone flipped a switch.
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: Matt285 on January 16, 2020, 0116 UTC
Unfortunately we are on the down side of things, but all you can do is receive or transceive as much as you can. I can remember the days like most people on the forum of amazing contacts, but hey it is what it is and there are still catches to be had here and there. I get a bit depressed personally if I think about it on a daily basis, so I try not to. With that being said I do respect those who follow on a regular basis. It's people like you that post updates for people like me with their head in the sand like an Ostrich.
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on January 16, 2020, 1158 UTC
Conditions have been wonderful on the lower bands, Lately I've been receiving pirates from Greece on MW. And it is nice to not have nearly continuous solar flares and CMEs, wrecking the geomagnetic field for days or weeks.

Solar minimum isn't a bug, it's a feature.  :)
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: Josh on January 16, 2020, 1931 UTC
The hell it is, 40 and 80 were dead last night. Must be my timing.
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: nickcarr3151 on January 31, 2020, 1324 UTC
HF conditions were super yesterday and seem to be really good this morning as well.
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: redhat on January 31, 2020, 1804 UTC
Conditions have been wonderful on the lower bands, Lately I've been receiving pirates from Greece on MW. And it is nice to not have nearly continuous solar flares and CMEs, wrecking the geomagnetic field for days or weeks.

Solar minimum isn't a bug, it's a feature.  :)

Agreed.  Poor conditions on higher frequencies doesn't mean that there isn't fun to be had elsewhere.  Take our operation for example; when conditions on 43M started taking a nose dive, we modified out operating practices.  We are using more power than before, but not by any large magnitude.  The real difference was made by going down to 4 MHz during the winter months, and 6.3 MHz during the summer, where the MUF was more usable, and with less interference.

I also remember a number of nights closer to the peak where I would be heading out, only to find out after I was setup that we had a CME and conditions were poor.  Mimimum is not a bad thing!

+-RH
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: Pigmeat on January 31, 2020, 2045 UTC
This is why I miss " '73 Magazine". Tomas Hood could set up a prop chart a month in advance that was nearly flawless.
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: Josh on January 31, 2020, 2324 UTC
The good news is we've not hit rock bottom yet.
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: Skipmuck on January 31, 2020, 2343 UTC
The good news is we've not hit rock bottom yet.

Depending on your respective perspective, that is also the bad news  ???
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: Josh on February 01, 2020, 0104 UTC
I suppose it makes for easier listening when everyone is forced to operate below 10MHz or so.
Title: Re: Poor conditions (noob)
Post by: deallyn on April 28, 2020, 1535 UTC
80 meters is horrible for using right now..what happened?