[SEDXC] Low Band Update

[Hal Kennedy]

The last time I put out a note about how great the low bands were they
immediately turned bad.  I hope Murphy is nicer to us this time.
 
Last night we reached Kp=0, Ap=0, SSN=1 and Aurora=2.  The auroral oval
was very small and the Aurora peak intensity was only around 20 (its
sometimes as high as 200).  160 from our sundown through sun-up in
Europe was wall-to-wall with EU stations I could copy easily on the K9AY
loop.  It must have sounded like 20 meters for anyone with a NE
Beverage.   This morning was very spotty, but I could hear HS0ZEE in the
noise on 160 and JT1CO in the noise on 3506 and later on 3502.  I could
not copy Chak at all on 160, and comparing notes with the other locals
who haunt the VE7CC chat system at sunrise, as well as the big guns who
hang out on the low band chat system, the band was not as good as
expected, but far from poor.  One JA on 80M for the hour before sunrise
actually hit S5 on the meter.  Yesterday morning, I worked DS1REE on 80
meters for the second time this winter - he hit Q5, S3.  Often, there
are very few calling.
 
As I type this and watch the snow start in Woodstock, A and K are still
=0, the SSN has fallen to zero, the aurora avg. is down to 1 and the
aurora peak is around 28.  Other things effect the low bands, but these
are the ones we sort of understand and can readily use - and "zero" is
as good as it gets.
 
For those specifically chasing JT1CO on 80 and 160 (that includes me)  -
Chak is again quite active on both bands at our sunrise.  I don't think
it's possible to work him direct path - that path is straight through
the auroral oval.  He usually peaks from the NW at sunrise, although his
80M signal was sometimes stronger from the SW here and other places in
the US this morning.  The low bands should be worth a listen for the
next few days from SS to SR.  Fingers crossed for JT1CO.
 
73 and Gud DX,
Hal, N4GG