Hi Roger,
I monitor solar weather regularly and over the past 6 weeks there have
been lots of C and M class Solar flares with an X class flare thrown in.
Between all the flares, CME's and Radio storms there have been very few
days when the K index has been below 2 even briefly, which, in Western
CT is the propagation equivalent of throwing a wet blanket on a fire.
Then add in the QRN from Thunder static and rain static plus at least
FIVE Nor-easters in the past 6 weeks and you have all but eliminated
most of the good band openings. I realize that the weather related
storms don't affect propagation but all the qrn that they generate keeps
some ops from wanting to turn on the radio to operate 160.
Perhaps the biggest cause of the reduced signal strength comes from the
much higher Solar Flux and SSN numbers that we have been experiencing as
cycle 25 ramps up. The higher levels of ionization, daytime absorption
and increased MUF are all negatively impacting 160 M openings around the
world. This will not improve significantly until the solar numbers are
in decline again to low levels, hopefully not for another 5 - 6 years.
73
Bob, KQ2M
On 2022-04-20 11:11, Henk Remijn PA5KT via Topband wrote:
https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/en/solar-activity/solar-cycle.html
Op 20-4-2022 om 11:51 schreef Roger Kennedy:
Propagation on 160m between this part of Europe and North America
seems to
have been really
poor for several weeks now . . .
RBN reports from across the pond are typically 20dB down on normal
most of
the time . . . and hear very few NA stations on the band.
Not sure why that is . . .
Roger G3YRO
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