The prophets of doom are still about - claiming all sorts about a repeat of the Maunder Minimum or else another repeat of massive solar disruption. However for those interested in HF ionospheric propagation things have become somewhat more interesting.
This was going to be a live blog from GB6VMR's piece of a field, but my 3G dongle wouldn't work, one of the problems about being out in the sticks it seems. It was windy and wet on Friday night, but we got the VHF mast up before the sun set and it was still up in the morning.
We've got Sun Spots, we've a solar flux up about 84, and no doubt we're happier. I'd set out to try and get some DX into the log, and to this end I've been happy.
We've now got action on 15m at long last, and some of it pretty strange, that is going on long past sunset at the DX end. Hearing YB2 at 1500UTC in the UK means that the sun will have long set in Bali, and the pileup trying to get him was impressive. Still, getting PY2 with 100W and a vertical second shout was nice.
It was CQWW RTTY contest weekend, which no doubt provided a distraction to many, but as the Scandinavian Activity Contest wasn't on this weekend my chance to fill the log and give away a few points was missed. RTTY isn't really a mode to demonstrate radio to the public, they seem to like hearing voices out of the air and seem surprised when that nice clear voice coming out of the speaker is in the US.
However, letting a seasoned DX chaser loose (not me) on the Special Event Station and Mauritius and Afganistan were soon landed in the log, just a vertical antenna and barefoot (100W), but being in a nice flat field away from buildings helps I suppose. On sideband by the way, he'd left his vibroplex (a semi-automatic morse keyer) at home.
For a very long time it's been quiet on 12m but then the one station heard, a CT3, was soon landed in the log. 17m landed me Conneticut and Texas contacts from the bit of wire strung on the VHF mast, very nice contacts, little band noise. This is despite some rather old cars in the arena nearby, most of which made the noise blanker earn its living, and the noise of the PA and other noisy bits of machinery passing.
Last week 40m was rather strange, yielding very short skips, so finally I worked Kevin M0XLT a mere 35 miles/50km away. Quite what he was doing on 40m is another matter, he's a 6m afficianado. Normally it's about 150miles/250km before the first hop fits the ground, so NVIS seems to be evident in this.
So to conclude, it's nicely warming up on the higher bands and barring a few periods of interruption due to the odd flare, I should think we're into definitely better territory.
73, Andy
