Cycle 24 upon us?

[mechanic]

The bands are getting better! skip is doing it's thing and 20 meters seems to be fuller.... Is it my imagination or is the cycle finally starting?

mechanic :blink:

 

[kd-5-bgt]

Yes the cycle is on the upswing....the next few years are going to be alot of fun :tongue: Cant wait

 

[skip searcher]

for sure old hand were all looking forward for sloar cycle 24 to lift its been a number of years since i spoke across the old pond

 

[kd-5-bgt]

20 and 17 meters is open to Europe and Austrailia depending on the time of day,and I am hearing 10 meters open up a few hours every few days ...

just hang in there and big pond to the east will be allowing hops soon

 

[davegrantsr]

20 and 17 meters is open to Europe and Austrailia depending on the time of day,and I am hearing 10 meters open up a few hours every few days ...

just hang in there and big pond to the east will be allowing hops soon

i am going to assume, 'bgt, that you know the difference between F layer & sporadic E skip. HOWEVER, over the last 2 weeks, i've made over 500 contacts on 6m & 10m that were without a doubt SPORADIC E propagation, YET, i'll BET nearly one third of my contacts stated in one shape, way or form 'it's great to see the sunspots kicking in finally'!!!???? WHAT???? come on guys!!! 300 mile contacts on 10 meters?? 400 miles on 6 meters???? even 1000 mile contacts!!! THAT IS E SKIP GUYS!!!! that is NOT sunspot aided, F layer propagated 'DX'. i have made nearly 2 dozen 10m contacts from the east coast to europe, namely the UK, and most of those have been late afternoon with less then 50 watts while mobile. based on the coinciding propagated signals, i'm betting that too was E skip, double or maybe triple hop, but doubtfully F layer.
as for sunspots.....when we get east coast to far pacific on 10m, 11m, possibly even 6m, THEN we'll know the sunspots are kicking in!

 

[RickC.]

Yep, major Es on 6 from the eastern US to Europe earlier today-- and wouldn't you know it, I get my new yagi up and 10 closes down!

 

[74IN]

davegrantsr,

At the risk of sounding uninformed, is the psk31 and psk63 contacts I've been making to Russia (European and Asiatic) due to sporadic E?

14.070 is packed for the last few nights I've been on.

 

[74IN]

Mexico could be sporadic, just showing decent activity on 20M.

Sometimes its almost all red and green and packed.