Message-ID: <2000040723353368199@zetnet.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 23:35:33 +0100
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
From: "Peter Dodd" <g3ldo@zetnet.co.uk>
Subject: Re: LF: Good conditions coming?
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Mike said

> A 'severe solar wind shock' impacted Earth at 1632UTC yesterday. 
> This resulted in a big aurora, The A Index is 56. This is higher than 
> early February when VA3LK was getting good signals from DCF.

> It will be interesting to see if this causes some good LF conditions. 
> If it does, it probably shows that the Solar Flare warnings are 
> useless as this aurora was preceded by 2  C-class and 1 M-class 
> flares which occur quite frequently.

If good conditions are coming they have not arrived yet. However, it 
might be a case that it gets bad before it gets better.

I have been running 72kHz/137kHz cross-band tests with I5TGC. Because 
Cesare is  running 20mW erp and I am running about 35mW erp on 72kHz 
it is a fairly good indication of conditions over a path length of 
1150km plus the Alps.
Normally, we see each other but optimum conditions on each band 
seldom occur at the same time so we have not made a QSO yet. 
Tonight (8/4) was different - not a whisper either way.
I have just  checked 137kHz and CFH was inaudible and only just 
detectable with Spectran.(It was S9 +20dB when the AMRAD group were 
at Nags Head).
However, SM6PXJ was clearly audible calling CQ at 2240UTC - I 
couldn't go back to him because my transmitter was set to 72kHz.


Conditions are going to play a crucial role in the success of any 
transatlantic test, particularly if high speed CW operation is 
contemplated - still, I guess its all been organised.


-- 
Regards, Peter, G3LDO

<g3ldo@zetnet.co.uk>