Topband: Change in 75/80/160M conditions in CO

[Ford Peterson]

Tom - W8JI wrote:

...SNIP...

> I watch the aurora level more than anything else, and it mostly works. Try
> it and see.

I tend to agree, but I think W0AH is right, there's more to it than just the
A & K, and the 'oval.'

I'm in Minnesota.  When the 'red' regions of the oval are north of Winnepeg,
chances are good that I'll be able to at least hear Western EU.  But that's
not the whole picture.  I have also worked Wolf, who is quite a ways East,
on nights that seemed impossible when looking at the auroral map.  I too
believe there are more factors at play than just the A, K, and auroral
activity.

Generally, when 6M is good, topband is completely dead from here.  So the
recent conditions do not equate to 'good' conditions given the normal
methods of evaluating propagation.

Ford-N0FP
ford at cmgate.com