In Response to post by Roger, G3YRO
The morning sunrise peaks are still here in Western US and warrant a
good listen when the band is open. The key word here is 'Open". I'm
fortunate to have a beacon station HL5IVL who is on most mornings
calling CQ DX to cast an opinion. I start listening 2 hours before
sunrise and hear the W5, 8, 9 and 0 stations working Kim. We are both
using vertical antennas.
I will note I've been active primarily on 160m since about 1976. This
solar cycle has definitely been different that cycle 23. As we near the
absolute minimum time will tell. In cycle 23 there were several years of
good openings to Europe. Example in last cycle 2006-~2009 I was able to
work SM7BIC and SM5EDX routinely if not nightly. This is not the case so
far this time around. In fact this was the first season on 160m where I
did not work EU during CQWW DX CW in 12 years! I also did not have
significant numbers of JA QSOs in CQ or Stew Perry operating events.
Having retired last February I've had the opportunity to listen both
sunrise and sunset periods almost everyday. On occasion hear EU but more
likely Africa at sunset. Thus far this season only GW3YDX and SM5EDX
have been worked in the sunset period from Arizona. I've heard but not
worked UN5J and JT1AO at or after sunrise.
On a daily basis since mid-November I can say the band has been open
well to Asia ~2 days a week and open to EU well <1 day average per week.
Night after night I've heard guys 800-1200miles N/NW or guys in W1,2,3,4
and 5 have big signal openings. Steve VE6WZ told me he worked some 65 EU
stations last week in one night! On that night at my location they were
just barely audible. Mind me now I have a very quiet location and can
hear the Chinese OHR that the breakfast bunch is SE Asia complain about
every morning.
I do not have the tools to do so but I believe that the F2 layer is
lower in height this cycle which is the only way I can explain the lack
of signal strength if at all. I would discount polarity as a primary
issue because the DX stations heard and worked thus far have in majority
of the cases been vertical polarization.
Just my comments from and old 160m fart.
73
Bob, W7RH
--
W7RH DM35OS
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.
Albert Einstein
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