In my comparatively short time on the band (since 1988) nothing compares
to the trans-polar activity of the 2008-2009 season where much of NA was
working Zones 17, 18, and 19 via direct path with loud signals both
morning and night (our time), with quite a few of the DX stations
running low power. It was fabulous and brought some memorable QSOs for
me including working Nelson/4S7NE through a huge and raucous NA pileup
(including many of the big gun EC stations) with Nelson running just
100w at the time. I can't even imagine having that QSO with the
conditions of the past few years (in spite of the low SFI). As Steve
says, there is still CW activity. . .but, alas, it pales in comparison
to what it was even a decade ago. . . .trans-polar and otherwise.
73. . . Dave, W0FLS
On 6/28/2021 12:06 PM, VE6WZ_Steve wrote:
Hello fellow low-band DXers….
Here is a 160m propagation report and trans-polar EU QSO summary from VE6WZ
during the last 3 winter seasons.
On a few charts I have consolidated Solar indices (SSN and Ap) as well as the
solar wind data with my EU CW QSOs since 2018.
I have been regularly QRV almost every night on the band, so the database has
over 4,000 EU CW QSOs since 2018.
This report is focused on the trans-polar EU path since this is most effected
by the geo-magnetic activity. All trans-equitorial VK-ZL and Asia DX QSOs are
excluded from the database.
Indeed there are many factors that influence low-band DX conditions, but I
think these results strongly confirm the fairly simplistic correlation between
elevated geo-mag activity and muted trans-polar propagation.
The VE6WZ QTH is on the Eastern slopes of the Rocky mountains, so this report
is unique to the EU path being very polar. Most of EU is at 20-30 deg AZ from
here and directly through the AU doughnut. From my QTH, working EU is somewhat
similar to the EC working JA.
I had another fun DX season on 160m this winter. I was QRV calling CQ on 160m
most nights with the TX array and RX on EU.
This past season on 160m from Aug till May I had 1,448 Europe CW QSOs, with 341
unique callsigns. As always, it seems like mostly the same guys every night.
Some nights I worked between 30 and up to 75 EU when the band was hopping. Certainly NOT
“everyone” has moved to FT-8. There is still a lot of CW activity on 160m.
I only worked 68 DXCC on 160, whereas last year I worked 114 DXCC, and in 2018
worked 104. The lack of DX-peditions due to COVID muted the activity for sure.
I plotted my nightly EU QSO count on an EXCEL chart vs the Ap index for the
last three winter DX seasons. For the Europe trans-polar path, there sure is a
good correlation with lower geo-mag activity and increased QSO count.
This winter-spring the band slammed shut at the end of January. There was just
too much solar wind blasting the ionosphere to sustain a polar path. You can
see that clearly on the chart, and there is a solid correlation with few QSOs
on every Ap peak:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ddh830UKbvgSwekJHjYfquo_WrfNs3g2/view?usp=sharing
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ddh830UKbvgSwekJHjYfquo_WrfNs3g2/view?usp=sharing>
Here is a plot comparing monthly EU QSOs with the solar wind from this past
winter. The sudden shut-down of the band in mid January is very clear.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ftfvzfN1McWLdGJLinerJb-BQPhdMgOQ/view?usp=sharing
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ftfvzfN1McWLdGJLinerJb-BQPhdMgOQ/view?usp=sharing>
And here is a chart I built plotting the daily Ap values vs sunspot numbers from 2007
till today. The 2008-10 "big 160m opening" are pretty obvious with the
decreasing Ap.
Without doubt, the “BIG 2008-10” lowband opening was epic with 160m CW band
sometimes sounding like 20m!
The last three seasons although the band has been open, the openings have been
more tentative and weak. It has been a real test of patience riding the QSB
wave to complete the QSOs.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tRV8DwsqY7rJLvHGxKW1bs15fr474Asu/view?usp=sharing
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tRV8DwsqY7rJLvHGxKW1bs15fr474Asu/view?usp=sharing>
And here is a plot from 1932 with daily Ap vs SSN. Usually the Ap (geo-mag
activity) dips just at the start of the next solar cycle.
Perhaps the curtain is falling on our low-band conditions? Maybe one more
good-fair season?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xYpCtqTrj9DbdpDLcCgu79h3sqtjD5b6/view?usp=sharing
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xYpCtqTrj9DbdpDLcCgu79h3sqtjD5b6/view?usp=sharing>
An finally here is the “Top 40" list of the most QRV European CW champions…the
VE6WZ repeat QSO list for the last 3 years:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17AX35IKPDDmeKVWxxPDPr3I3twiBovoq/view?usp=sharing
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/17AX35IKPDDmeKVWxxPDPr3I3twiBovoq/view?usp=sharing>
I have updated my geo-mag propagation page to include a Monthly Average Ap plot
to compliment the Solar flux chart. This replaces the Ap chart from NOAA that
disappeared last year.
All of my solar data has been sourced from GPZ Potsdam.
https://www.qsl.net/ve6wz/geomag.html <https://www.qsl.net/ve6wz/geomag.html>
73, de steve ve6wz.
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