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where's the dx?
- Thread starter phantom309
- Start date
The dx activity has been down due to the sun and the time of year. Weather is bad in a lot of places during the day as well. It will come back when it starts to cool down. Won't be long. Don't know how good it will be as past years as we have past the peak for this cycle, but it will come back some for sure. Mother Nature likes to mess with us and so does the sun and other objects or occurrence out in space and earths atmosphere. I know it sucks, but it will return eventually!!
Don't bet on things improving for the long term on the higher bands. Beginning in 2014 we're on the downside of the current cycle and it's being predicted as potentially one of the longest and worst ever solar minimums in terms of radio wave propagation. We may have another year of sporadic dx'ing on 10 and 11 and then it may go away for a very long time. This is one of the reasons I'm not making plans for a tower and tri-bander. The best propagation will be headed to 18 MHz and lower during the solar minimum..
http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-propagation-guru-says-extended-solar-ebb-may-lie-ahead
http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-propagation-guru-says-extended-solar-ebb-may-lie-ahead
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Keep in mind that we are about to enter the Fall season, which puts the Earth in a optimal orbital position for propagation.
Now,if the Sun should have some decent sunspot at that time, then it could get crazy. . .
Now,if the Sun should have some decent sunspot at that time, then it could get crazy. . .
Ah, for the dear, dead days of 1957-1962 or thereabouts. Some folks needed only a fairly strong mind to work DX - no radios or antennas needed! The best radio conditions since radio was invented. When that was over, we had about six years of moaning, followed by another peak (just not such a BIG peak), followed by another null .... and so shall it ever be.
Don't write off 10/11m. I started as a ham at the bottom of the now ending cycle and worked tons of dx on 10m with a modest station, especially during October to March.
Sporadic E has been about but weak and well... sporadic.. on an hour by hour basis over in the UK. Much quieter the last week.
Awaiting the transatlantic path to open up. For those who only have 11m to operate on it can be a bit disappointing until things pick up.
Fingers crossed the F2 layer charges up again sooner rather than later. I have ordered some very warm clothes for my mobile static base station in the South of the UK this winter, monitoring the T5. I look forwards to it, cups of hot tea and soup from flasks and a mic in hand ! Trying my best not to freeze in the car.
I use this map as a very rough indication:
http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=28&ML=M&Map=W2L&DXC=N&HF=N&GL=N
Awaiting the transatlantic path to open up. For those who only have 11m to operate on it can be a bit disappointing until things pick up.
Fingers crossed the F2 layer charges up again sooner rather than later. I have ordered some very warm clothes for my mobile static base station in the South of the UK this winter, monitoring the T5. I look forwards to it, cups of hot tea and soup from flasks and a mic in hand ! Trying my best not to freeze in the car.
I use this map as a very rough indication:
http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php?Lan=E&Frec=28&ML=M&Map=W2L&DXC=N&HF=N&GL=N
That's an interesting map. Look at the contrast in activity between 10/11M and 20 with some activity up to 15M. I'm going to save the link.
Hence the problem. Solar activity has been declining over the last two cycles to what scientists believe will be a Maunder minimum. It could last for a long time. I had my General ticket on the upswing of cycle 22 which was awesome and we had good propagation for along time. Same with cycle 23 but it was weaker than 22. Cycle 24 has seen far less sunspot activity than 23. A lot less than was even predicted and it was predicted to be low.
Some scientists are even trying to make the comparison of this downward sunspot activity to that which preceded the little ice age.
10/11m activity could effectively close down for number of years.
Hence the problem. Solar activity has been declining over the last two cycles to what scientists believe will be a Maunder minimum. It could last for a long time. I had my General ticket on the upswing of cycle 22 which was awesome and we had good propagation for along time. Same with cycle 23 but it was weaker than 22. Cycle 24 has seen far less sunspot activity than 23. A lot less than was even predicted and it was predicted to be low.
Some scientists are even trying to make the comparison of this downward sunspot activity to that which preceded the little ice age.
10/11m activity could effectively close down for number of years.
