On Tuesday evening, 16th November 1999, Rik ON7YD wrote:

Strong aurora is reported on 50MHz and 144MHz, last winter this was often a
sign for good propagation on 136kHz in northern directions !
So if QRN is not too bad this might be a good evening on LF.

16th November:08:15 G4GVC (sent 589; received 5 7/8 9)
19:51 EI0CF (579; 449)
20:21 GI3KEV (589; 559)
20:35 OH1TN (569; 339)
20:58 HB9ASB (569; 459)

When I arrived home from work at 18:30 UT, I listened briefly to 136 kHz before
our evening meal.  I heard a very strange noise across the whole of the 136 kHz
band.  It sounded rather like a mixture of cross-modulation/inter-modulation
plus Luxembourg Effect.  But dinner was waiting, so I could not consider the
matter further.

Later in the evening the strange noise had disappeared, and had been replaced
by very low QRN and lots of amateur signals.  I worked Finbar on my 12 m
vertical, and then heard OZ5N at S7.  The air was still, so I inflated some
balloons quickly, and got my 20 m vertical flying.  I didn't work either of the
OZs, but did manage fine QSOs with Mal; Reino; and Toni.

I did not read Rik's Email until later that evening, but conditions did appear
to be above average, with low QRN.  Did anyone else hear any 'strange noise' at
about 18:30?

Regards to all,
Steve GW4ALG