Carlos Augusto S. Pereira wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I read the article in QST about propagation and according to the article as
> lower the K and A index the better the propagation (less noise on the bands
> I believe). However this morning there was a prediction of a low K Index (1)
> but the bands were very noisy. It was observed by several local hams. This
> forecast is trustable? Or I am misunderstanding the whole business?
>
The K index is not directly related to 'noise' on the any particular
band.
it is a measure of the geomagnetic field activity. the lower the number
the more stable the geomagnetic field is, the higher the number the more
active the field is. a quiet geomagnetic field allows the ionosphere to
make nice stable layers generally resulting in better propagation, an
active
field breaks up the layers or prevents them from forming properly so
propagation isn't as good.
another thing to remember is that the k index broadcast by wwv is only
updated
every 3 hours, and only represents the measurement at boulder colorado.
a more
complete value is the Kp index which is computed from a world wide
network of
magnetometers. the Kp value is available on the noaa www page. also on
the
noaa www page is a plot of geomagnetic field activity from the goes
satellites
that is updated every 5 minutes which provides even earlier warning of
changes
in the field.
--
David Robbins K1TTT (ex KY1H)
k1ttt@berkshire.net or robbins@berkshire.net
http://www.berkshire.net/~robbins/k1ttt.html
>From floydjr@Interpath.com (Jimmy R. Floyd) Fri Nov 29 23:57:48 1996
From: floydjr@Interpath.com (Jimmy R. Floyd) (Jimmy R. Floyd)
Subject: 8Q7LS Good or Bad !!
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19961129235748.2d67e0ba@interpath.com>
Worked 8Q7LS during CQWW SSB. I made sure of the call because it is my
first 8Q7 station. I also made sure I got his qsl info. He said it was
DJ6LS. I am just wondering if anyone else worked this station during the
test? Have checked all the bulletins and have found nothing to support
this call.
Any help would be appreciated. Please email me direct and do not tie up
bandwidth on the reflector. Thank you ahead of time for your help.
73 Jim
>From HWDX09A@prodigy.com ( ROBERT REED) Sat Nov 30 01:43:12 1996
From: HWDX09A@prodigy.com ( ROBERT REED) ( ROBERT REED)
Subject: Contest Software Under WIN'95
Message-ID: <199611300143.UAA23384@mime4.prodigy.com>
I am about to upgrade my computer and am concerned about the running
of either NA 9.26 or CT 8.35 under Windows'95. I have heard several
comments regarding problems using either contest logger and many
other DOS programs under Windows'95.
As a lot of the computer use will include contesting I want it to
work right with these programs.
As a home user do I really need Windows'95 ? I am used to Windows 3.
1 and with a fast Pentium with 32 meg of RAM as I'm planning on
buying do I really need more than that for 95% of my applications.
____
73, Bob Reed, W2CE, ex WB2DIN
1991 Route 37 West - Lot 109
Toms River, New Jersey 08757
>From trey@cisco.com (Trey Garlough) Sat Nov 30 02:23:22 1996
From: trey@cisco.com (Trey Garlough) (Trey Garlough)
Subject: Does anyone really know what time it is?
Message-ID: <CMM.0.90.4.849320602.trey@scv-cse-4.cisco.com>
> At 15:36 11/13/96 -0800, you wrote:
> >> "... considering the way Windows 95 handles the Daylight Savings
> >> Time clock reset. If on that Sunday a few weeks ago [CQWW SSB] you
> >> had been working at your computer at the stroke of 2 A.M., Windows
> >> turned back the clock an hour, restting the time to 1 A.M. Now if
> >> an hour later you were still working away, Windows again set the
> >> clock back 1 hour."
> >>
> >> That probably explains why a few logs were scrambled!
> >>to UTC.
> >>
> >>--Trey, N5KO
> >>
Please be careful about attributions when you write followups. I
did not write the passage cited above.
--Trey, N5KO
>From kc2x@nebula.ispace.com (Steve Sacco KC2X) Sat Nov 30 02:36:18 1996
From: kc2x@nebula.ispace.com (Steve Sacco KC2X) (Steve Sacco KC2X)
Subject: KC2X 15M SOSBHP (Long)
Message-ID: <199611300246.VAA03194@nebula.ispace.com>
Began the 'test with two whole contacts Friday night. No signals other than
N3BJ and W3LPL were worked/heard. "This is gonna be a long weekend..." I
think to myself.
Saturday morning: The lack of enthusiasm from Friday nite carried over to
this morning; I didn't even bother setting the alarm clock. As a result, I
wasn't really ready to hit the band in "full-tilt-bozo" mode until after it
had opened up. Prior to the band opening, I picked off the big EU sigs, and
the AF stations floating about.
Once I *DID* get going, it was fun. The fun didn't last long, though. Both
days, 13:00 was by FAR the best hour, with rates falling off drastically
after that. Condx in the early afternoon were dismal enough to make me
decide that my time would be better spent vacuuming the inside of my car, so
I did. Having accomplished that, I returned to the radio for a couple hours
, before finally deciding that I was REALLY HUNGRY, and needed to drive into
town for some supplies.
Upon returning, I expected to hear the band devoid of RF, but instead heard.
..JA! Conditions Saturday afternoon were among the more unusual I've ever
heard; JA was there, all right, and not just one! LOTS! And they were
LOUD!!! And they had ZERO flutter on their sigs. On the contrary, the
signals sounded...strange, in their own way. EVERY SINGLE JA signal sounded
like this: the keying was "hard" - almost like you expected to hear key
clicks - also, they sounded like they were missing part of the tone. This
is really hard to describe...as if you dropped the Ultimate Notch filter
into the middle of the tone, and sliced out a few Hz...perhaps "hollow"
might be a way to describe it. Very strange. While harvesting JA QSOs, I
also was stunned by both the Quality as well as the Quantity of Alaska
station! They were all over the place, and they were !LOUD!. (Why couldn't
I have heard/worked even ONE during the SSB weekend?).
Sunday morning was a repeat of Saturday - got up a bit too late to be
already holding down a freq. when the band opened. Rates did their typical
climb to 13:00, and quick drop off after that. One interesting thing
noticed about 15:00Z on Sunday, though was the presence of echo on some EU
stations. Like the JA stations from Saturday, the sigs sounded a bit hollow
, and "hard". I noted II2K @ 14:51 with some echo, and then at 14:59,
HB9AAK with lots of echo. OM8A, @ 15:01 had so much echo on their signal
that I could barely copy them. I made a note @ 15:03 that DL3KDV also had a
trace of echo, but by 15:07, I heard GX0OOO and noticed no unusual
modulation of his signal, and no unusual sounding sigs after that.
Before 15:00Z, I thought I'd heard a tiny bit of echo on my own "CQ"s at
times, but had just written it off to the typical return echo I get from my
station when the stack is bore-sighted on the moon....either that, or when
my ears/brain are tired, and the DSP on my 1000MP. Probably the later, in
this case.
Fun multipliers in the closing hours: JW5NM for a double - this was sweet,
since I'd heard OX on Saturday answering CQ's but was not able to snag him.
VK9NS - thanks Jim,
KH0DQ and then YB9BO for another double with 16 minutes to spare. Sunday
was also sorta cool because JA was back; not as loud as on Saturday, but
there nonetheless. I managed to put 57 JAs into the log for the weekend.
THANKS, GUYS!
Big Sig awards this weekend are awarded to F5PGP who was always good and
strong. With an even more impressive signal was G3TXF. G3TXF was so loud
that I made not one, but TWO notes about it! On Sunday, 17:43Z, G3TXF was
S9+10, and NO OTHER G stations were heard on the band! Guys, I don't know
what y'all are using over there, but I'll take two!
In the end, I had fun, but still look forward to moving around my 15M
antennas to take better advantage of them.
Box Score: 955/33/116:405,578.
The M/M 15M dudes crushed me; I am humbled once again.
73,
Steve KC2X
>From py0ff@elogica.com.br (Andre Sampaio) Fri Nov 29 18:21:33 1996
From: py0ff@elogica.com.br (Andre Sampaio) (Andre Sampaio)
Subject: Paddle connection for CT V9 ?
Message-ID: <329F29AD.5720@elogica.com.br>
Hi, CT-gurus!!
Would like to use CT 9.10 with a paddle to key the CPU.
Is there any way to connect the paddle to the parallel port
(as in N6TR)? The CT manual only suggests an Y connection with an
external elbug.
Thanks in advance,
Andre
-- =
=2E..................................
Andre C. Sampaio
Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha
e-mail --> py=D8ff@elogica.com.br
morena@noronha.com.br
=2E..................................
Fernando de Noronha ON LINE
http://www.noronha.com.br
>From kb8nnu@cris.com (R. David Eagle) Sat Nov 30 03:05:10 1996
From: kb8nnu@cris.com (R. David Eagle) (R. David Eagle)
Subject: Low Band Preamp plans for EWE????
Message-ID: <199611300306.WAA10182@beasley.cris.com>
Howdy all.....I am currently working on a EWE project for 160 meters. I was
curious to know if anybody has any plans on how to build a simple preamp in
which i can install on these antennas. Any leads or suggestions would
greatly be appreciated in my endeavor.
Thanks......Dave Eagle (KB8NNU)
E-Mail:kb8nnu@cris.com
P.S.---Please E-mail Direct
>From thompson@mindspring.com (David L. Thompson) Sat Nov 30 03:41:22 1996
From: thompson@mindspring.com (David L. Thompson) (David L. Thompson)
Subject: 160 M DX window
Message-ID: <199611300327.DAA85652@mule1.mindspring.com>
I saw the post from Bruce AA8U regarding the Dx window on 160. I don't
know ARRL's intent
on the window, but I assume that this is designed for "Intercontinental" Q's.
For The CQ WW 160 Contests this means that this is a window for Q's between
continents (NA and EU, EU and AF, EU and AS, NA and AF etc). We want
stations like 5N0MVE, A71CW, A92BE, and 4L7AA to be able to work stations
outside their continent. What we do not want is
USA or Canadian stations to clog up the window calling CQ. On CW please
stay away from
the two edges (1830 and 1835). On SSB stay at least 1Khz below 1830 and
2Khz away from 1835.
Most big gun (and even some of us little guns) can settle into a frequency
elsewhere and get Dx to call us. What this does in encourage rare USA
states , canadians provinces, and Dx to work the contest. Otherwise they
have little urge to be in a local contest in EU or NA where no one seems to
hear them.
Many may say why 1830 to 1835 and not the older window at 1825 to 1830Khz.
Look at a world allocation chart and 1830 to 1850 is much more universal
right now than 1825. OY, PY. LA etc can only work that area. Any 160
Contester should also be aware that Korea only has 1800 to 1820
(remember HL9HH), many of the Eastern EU stations can operate SSB on 1860,
and that Japan
only has a tiny window around 1910Khz and then on CW. Hopefully this will
change over the next few years and everyone will have the entire band or at
least most of it. Don't forget it was not too long ago that USA had small
and fragmented segments. Some areas had almost no activity with little
frequency assigned on 25W max power.
I remember my first DX contacts on 160 were split frequency operations. I
have to agree with
John, ON4UN that split is no longer productive for either the ARRL or CQ 160
contests. Leave split for the CQ WW or ARRL Dx.
73, Dave K4JRB
CQ WW 160 Meter Contests Director
>From n2uck@juno.com (Roman S Makuch) Sat Nov 30 09:53:54 1996
From: n2uck@juno.com (Roman S Makuch) (Roman S Makuch)
Subject: MANAGERS FOR THE CQWW CW
References: <1.5.4.32.19691231210000.0067d190@ax.apc.org>
Message-ID: <19961130.020444.12007.0.n2uck@juno.com>
I am QSL manager for RN3QO. Either via the callbook or the bureau.
73 de Roman, N2UCK
>From zs6nw@primenet.com (Jan van Niekerk) Sat Nov 30 10:29:54 1996
From: zs6nw@primenet.com (Jan van Niekerk) (Jan van Niekerk)
Subject: 5W0NW CQWW CW score
Message-ID: <32A00CA2.74BE@primenet.com>
CQ WORLD WIDE DX CONTEST -- 1996
Call: 5W0NW (Op ZS6NW) Country: Western Samoa
Mode: CW Category: SO/LP/UA
BAND QSO QSO PTS PTS/QSO ZONES COUNTRIES
160 17 39 2.29 6 7
80 107 297 2.78 13 17
40 295 855 2.90 18 23
20 289 829 2.87 27 39
15 105 285 2.71 16 16
10 7 17 2.43 6 6
---------------------------------------------------
Totals 820 2322 2.83 86 108 => 450,468
Setup: FT1000MP, G5RV dipole up 12m, using two coconut trees.
>From trey@cisco.com (Trey Garlough) Sat Nov 30 13:21:47 1996
From: trey@cisco.com (Trey Garlough) (Trey Garlough)
Subject: SRI State of Amateur Radio, contesting, etc etc
Message-ID: <CMM.0.90.4.849360107.trey@scv-cse-4.cisco.com>
> All in all, I wish I could say, "It's been fun!", but it hasn't.
>
> Hope your all enjoying yourselves.
I have been enjoying my new callsign a lot. I have been waiting a while to
"upgrade" my call (23 years) and I am glad I finally got a chance. Some
people have hassled me "what kind of call is that?" and "N5KO? Ugh." Oh
well. Life goes on. My $0.02: keep things in perspective. The person who
was the most mortified that I changed my callsign? My mom. Go figure.
--Trey, N5KO (ex-WN4KKN)
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