Thanks Alan - yep its very odd but at Northern summer solstice on 80m I was being received in VK7 over 2 hours after my sun up - says the VK nights are very very dark or my summer sun is dark too (as its North of me so to speak at that time of night) ; and this at a time when the SFI was over a 100 :-)
Weve being looking for Antipodean NDBs around the 200-500kHz mark but nothing showing from this far North -
Nighttime WSPR DX on 474 down to Texas/etc has been absent now for the past couple of months and not related here to any large increase in band noise I can see - it just doesnt get dark enough and D or C minus is always there..
> From:
[email protected]> To:
[email protected]> Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 21:55:11 +0100
> Subject: LF: Re: RE: Summer Solstice Test report
>
> Hi both thanks for confirming the results from my DCF39 monitoring (via
> CT1DRP) over the years. I think it maybe the old story....yes its more
> uncomfortable to use ears in summer, but the data modes how the propagation
> is often still there but for a shorter darkness period. Also if no one is
> active, there seems to be no propagation :-))
>
> It is interesting that there does seem to be a suggestion that 137 holds up
> better in summer than 472.......have I read that correctly, or maybe it was
> from another poster. I was not able to do the same sort of tests for 472.
>
> Good work
> Alan
> G3NYK
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave G3WCB." <
[email protected]>
> To: <
[email protected]>; <
[email protected]>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2014 9:33 PM
> Subject: LF: RE: Summer Solstice Test report
>
>
> > Hi, Mike.
> >
> > It was an interesting experiment. I was getting similar night-time ranges
> > during the Solstice Test as I was getting during the winter.
> > LF activity is probably lower during the summer as all the lush vegetation
> > needs pruning, lawns need mowing and gardens digging, leaving less time
> > for
> > amateur radio!
> >
> > My LF WSPR beacon will stay on overnight, then QRT for a few days. Will
> > probably be back on WSPR-2/630m after that, unless any requests received
> > for
> > continued operation on 137 kHz.
> >
> > LF equipment is a QRSS Labs U2 driving an outboard PA. 200W RF out, 1.5A
> > antenna current into 20m long "tee" at 5m, surrounded by lush
> > vegetation...
> >
> > 73, Dave G3WCB IO91RM
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:
[email protected]> > [mailto:
[email protected]]On Behalf Of Mike Dennison
> > Sent: 25 June 2014 19:15
> > To:
[email protected];
[email protected]> > Subject: LF: Summer Solstice Test report
> >
> >
> > Propagation guru Alan, G3NYK, always argues that there is no such
> > thing as a DX season at LF from a propagation point of view. It is
> > true that in the summer we get more lightning static, the darkness
> > hours are less and the lush vegetation in our gardens absorbs more
> > RF, but is it still possible to work DX at 136kHz at mid-summer? This
> > was the idea behind an activity boost from 15 to 22 June.
> >
> > There was much beacon activity on OP32 and WSPR. DK7FC and I also
> > made a two-way QRSS3 daylight contact. It was interesting to see
> > better results between DL and G than on 472kHz during the day. DK7FC
> > also made the best DX, being reported by W1VD one night.
> >
> > The result, as observed by me, is shown in the statistics below. I am
> > sure that others can add to this.
> >
> > Transmitting stations:
> > DF6NM, DK7FC, G3WCB, G3XDV, G8HUH, PA0A, R7NT, SV8CS [8]
> >
> > Countries active on transmit:
> > DL, G, PA, R, SV [5]
> >
> > Countries active on receive:
> > DL, EA, EW, F, G, GW, PA, R, SP, SV, W, YO [12]
> >
> > Total stations active (including receive-only):
> > [24]
> >
> > Best DX by XDV transmitting:
> > EW6BN 1939km, YO/4X1RF 2097km, RX3DHR 2582km, (all OP32/OPDS)
> >
> > Best daylight DX by XDV transmitting:
> > SP5XSB 1444km @ 0710UTC
> >
> > Best DX received by XDV:
> > R7NT, 2835km (OP32, WSPR2, WSPR15)
> >
> > Best DX observed:
> > DK7FC > W1VD, 6099km (OP32/OPDS)
> >
> > Best time for DX (East):
> > 2100 - 0030UTC
> >
> > Best time for DX (West):
> > 0251UTC
> >
> > So once again Alan has been proved right.
> >
> > Thanks to all who participated, especially those who provided SWL
> > reports.
> >
> > 73 de Mike, G3XDV
> > ===============
> >
> >
>
>
