Most aurora is worked using CW. SSB is possible, but it is distorted
and sounds too spooky for me. The CW is not a pure tone, but is
distorted -- it sounds almost like listening to CW in AM mode. The
bandwidth is also wider than normal CW and a wider bandwidth filter
works best. I don't think WSJT will work at all.
Aim your antenna roughly north, perhaps a bit west of north for a
station to the west. The best direction is not entirely predictable,
move your beam around a bit.
Look at spaceweather.com On the left hand side of the page you'll see:
Current Auroral Oval
This is the area of highest ionization. When the oval is red and
extends south get on 2 meters.
Below that you'll see Planetary K-index (Kp)
Right now Kp=4 Higher is better. Last night it got up to Kp=6.
Below that you'll see Interplanetary Mag. Field
Bz: 4.5 nT south. When Bz is pointing south the earth's magnetic field
is guiding the charged particles into the earth and we get good aurora.
Last night when Kp reached 6, Bz was south and the propagation died off.
The furthest station I heard (not worked) was w0vb at a bit over 1000
miles. He has a video on youtube with aurora:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POyXfy-qxAw
You don't need nearly as good a station as he has to work aurora.
--Walter, K1CMF
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