38LSB

[2op258]

This years skip

I also am in Central Fl,skip is very different this summer from last,also very rare for me to get Europe this time of year but made contact with CI 001 David in Sw England Friday July 3, much less Cali this year,although Hawaii and South Pacific, most evenings...73 s I go by 010 in Fl on 38lsb Also Sat morn, 7 am 1sd227 Giancarlo Italy

 

[222DBFL]

What area you in 2op258? I am around Daytona Beach, FL. 222 mobile. I travel the I-4 corridor almost daily. Conditions have been weird lately around here as well. Lots of in and out conditions. This morning isn't bad!! East coast is coming alive! I am hearing a lot of Philly, MI, IL, Missouri, and a bunch of others. Australia has been coming in some and even heard UK this morning.

 

[medic18d]

I can hear just about every one but apparently no one can hear me. Guess I'll have to get one of those amps to get out there.

what kind of amp and what is your current antenna situation ?

 

[Rick330man]

Here in So. Fla., I'm hearing California stations almost daily - especially when I can't hear anyone else. Everything else is much more sporadic.

A Sydney, Australia station hailed me about a week ago. I was in shock. My barefoot signal went how far? Several of his friends could also be heard.

The evening of the 3rd, I was hearing Atlanta, GA; North Georgia mountains; Mississippi, and the Carolinas. In the past, the NE and Canada were the reliable stations. Now, they rarely come in.

 

[hobie102]

Last year was good compared to this year. Last year the skip died in early April and for me, it lasted till mid May, then it came back like it never had died, in one day. I went about 28 days with absolutely no skip from anywhere. I have a bad location to start with here, in a hole, overhead power lines, inside a canyon that is regionally down in the upper Mississippi river valley. I have no horizon anywhere.

This year, the dead zone has lasted for more than two months now. But not all at once like last time. I will have 2 to 5 days of nothing, then I will have a day of a few contacts. One day I got 23 good ones around the Eastern US, but no EU or Australia. This year, I have had 41 days of silence in two months. It's damn depressing.

Same situation here. Died about 2 months ago here in "The Ditch". Yesterday it really lit up. Made some contacts in MD,VA etc. Real strong. Yes, it's been depressing for me as well but have gotten a lot of work done in the meantime. I've found when I head over to the NY state line I do well in the mobile being out of the deep valleys here in VT. It's been frustrating hearing stations making contacts with upstate NY and I can't do squat even though I am right next door. Was fun yesterday as all the contacts were new.:w00t:

 

[222DBFL]

Been decent here around central FL. Made contact last night with 444 in southern IN. Just turned the radio on to say hello to the neighbors and bam, 444 asking where we were lol. Conditions have been on the down swing here as well so don't feel bad. We have water all around and it does help some, but we are nearing the end of the good stuff I fear. Hopefully you guys have some locals to talk with. Anyway happy dx'ing and god bless.

 

[Yankee]

That's the depressing part, no locals here. And talking local means line of sight, I have no line of sight in a canyon. Unless they are down canyon from me, which is still only a narrow window, then I probably can't hear them and they won't hear me. If it were not for my Inverted V Dipole or the 102" whip ground plane, I would not get out at all. They both have vertical take off angles, so I can skip out of here.

 

[jdobbs2001]

Conditions really suck lately. Best chance is to try and work 38 during your grey line time. A few days ago I easily worked Canada etc.. during Grey line time.

But conditions now are quite poor.

When conditions are good, I can work West coast from florida.

 

[222DBFL]

Same here. Jdobbs2001. And sweet radio the icom 7410. I have its much older cousin the 746 and love it. Just looked at the 7410 at AES this past week. Nice looking radios. Anyway, conditions here are sporadic to say the least. A few nights ago we did have a good pipeline up the east coast all the way out to KY and up to Canada. Nice qso's. No jerks!!!

 

[Yankee]

It seems to slowly get better. For the past 2 months, I would have 3 days of nothing, then maybe get 1 contact a day, then 2 or 3 more days of nothing. Now I get a few contacts most days, but still nothing regular or dependable. Been averaging 10 to 12 contacts a day for the last week and a day of nothing here and there.

I use to believe all skip was solar weather dependable, but now I don't believe that any more. The solar numbers I watch are almost the same as when skip was great, but skip is not even a shadow of what it was and it has little to do with the sunspot number or any other figures of solar weather. I believe the Earth itself has magnetic fluxes that control skip at least as much as solar weather. The problem is, there are few figures or any kind of detailed information about it that I can find. I'm still looking.

 

[Robb]

http://spaceweather.com/

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

It seems to slowly get better. For the past 2 months, I would have 3 days of nothing, then maybe get 1 contact a day, then 2 or 3 more days of nothing. Now I get a few contacts most days, but still nothing regular or dependable. Been averaging 10 to 12 contacts a day for the last week and a day of nothing here and there.

I use to believe all skip was solar weather dependable, but now I don't believe that any more. The solar numbers I watch are almost the same as when skip was great, but skip is not even a shadow of what it was and it has little to do with the sunspot number or any other figures of solar weather. I believe the Earth itself has magnetic fluxes that control skip at least as much as solar weather. The problem is, there are few figures or any kind of detailed information about it that I can find. I'm still looking.

There is a LOT more to it than just sunspot numbers and yes, propagation is mainly dependent on what happens on the sun. Sunspot numbers and size as well as what they are doing in regards to emissions which may enhance conditions or completely wipe them out like a CME will do. When the HF bands go dead because of a CME the VHF and UHF bands go nuts with activity. It's all solar related right down to temperature inversions caused by solar heating of the surface of the earth.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Anyway, conditions here are sporadic to say the least. A few nights ago we did have a good pipeline up the east coast all the way out to KY and up to Canada. Nice qso's. No jerks!!!

Really? I know a few. Give me your numbers and I'll hook you up with them next band opening.

 

[222DBFL]

Thanks but no thanks, I get enough of 41 Ivan from up there to last me all year CK!!

 

[222DBFL]

DX is rolling here tonight. Got LA, IL, TX, and a few other states just booming here around central FL!!