Propagation News – 21 December 2014

The sun remains peppered with a large number of spots. This has kept the solar flux index up in the 160s, even peaking at 192 on the 18th. This has also brought a lot of M and C class solar flare activity with associated short-term blackouts, although there have been no mammoth X-class events.

Continuing high solar wind speeds has kept the K index at 2 or 3, which has not helped HF conditions. But despite this there has been much DX to be worked, with 12m and 10m being wide open during daylight hours.

Christmas Eve sees a rare opportunity to hear the Swedish Grimeton SAQ VLF station, which will be transmitting a Christmas message in CW on 17.2kHz from 0800UTC. The massive 200kW Andersson alternator will be tuned up on air from 0740. The special event station SK6SAQ will also be on air from the site, with CW and SSB transmissions on 80m, 40m and 20m. All of these may be suitable for reception in the UK.

VHF and up propagation news

Season’s greetings to all the VHF/UHF DXers from meteorologist Jim Bacon, G3YLA, who reports that, like last week, the weather is still not playing ball.

Low pressure will be nearby for the whole week and we’re unlikely to see much scope for high pressure driven lifts, but there are some hints that the south of the country may get onto the northern flank of a ridge over France, Biscay and Iberia later.

So in the south—look south, and perhaps in the north, looking north could work if the sun produces any significant auroral activity.

Last week’s Geminids meteor shower was a good one and not long to wait until the Quadrantids, which run from January 1st to 5th. It peaks on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th.

In the UK, it’s a daytime Moon, reaching its lowest declination today, but it will be at perigee—that’s the closest point—on Wednesday, meaning lowest path losses, but increasing moon time this week.

Category: GB2RS Propagation News