Many years back, Stefan DK7FC's 137 kHz T/A DFCW was received here every month of the year ... and it's not like we had to try every night of the month for success ... even during the summer. If the DST was favorable any relatively low noise night worked.

 

Jay W1VD  WD2XNS  WE2XGR/2   

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: N1BUG <[email protected]>

Reply-To: <[email protected]>

To: <[email protected]>

Sent: 3/21/2018 6:11:40 AM

Subject: Re: LF: Re: 2200m Trans-Atlantic QSO dream...

---

I'm well aware propagation can be good even in mid summer, just as
it is on 160m (where I have 297 DXCC worked so I've been around a
while).

QRN is the "season creator" here. Last year trans-Atlantic WSPR-2
decodes ceased in late March due to rising static. I'm seeing the
same huge increase this March. I don't know what the band actually
sounds like in Europe or what happens later in the spring/summer.
But looking at lightning maps over the past few weeks I can make a
good guess we have significantly higher static levels than you do.

Of course on the plus side we don't have DCF39. :) I rarely see it
mentioned but isn't HGHA22 a nightmare too? It's often stronger than
DCF39 over here. I have my fast, wide waterfall set so I can see
both of them. They do make nice relative propagation indicators.

I did see some evidence that DFCW can cut through the mess later
into the season as I had full call sign copy on DF6NM and DF2JP in
April 2017.

73,
Paul N1BUG



On 03/19/2018 12:39 PM, Alan Melia wrote:
> Lots of people talk about a ''season'' but in propagation terms there isn't
> one. you can get as good a propaga
> tion in summer as in winter. There is possibly less noise to listen to in
> winter and the darkness period is longer. I have copied Joe VO1NA all year
> round on QRSS (3 and 10 second dots) Poor nights can be predicted by
> watching the Dst index but a high index ,above -20nT dos not guarentee a
> good night but it is more likely. Good indictions for 136kHz can be had by
> monitoring DCF39 on 138.83kHz (just the idle tone)
>
> See http://www.472khz.org/pages/technical-topics/propagation.php
> Though it refers to 475kHs most of the observations were derived from 138.83
> and CFH on 137.00kHz over about 11 years.