Topband: Sunspots increase gud/bad for 160m?

[Henrik Weiss]

Hello,
Recent observations also points to the solar wind being a factor amongst
all the rest.

The conception seems to be the higher speed the better. See this first
link where ZL3IX had good condx. to EU - solar wind is approaching 450
kms/hr. around Dec. 19th.

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ace/MAG_SWEPAM_7d.html [http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ace/MAG_SWEPAM_7d.html]

General explanationon Solar wind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_wind [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_wind]

Henrik
OZ1ING

----- Original meddelelse -----

> Fra: Greg - ZL3IX <zl3ix at inet.net.nz>
> Til: topband at contesting.com <topband at contesting.com>
> Dato: Man, 21. dec 2009 18:39
> Emne: Re: Topband: Sunspots increase gud/bad for 160m?
> 
> Hi Sam,
> 
> IMO, the honest answer is that we don't really know. I don't have as
> much experience on TB as some of the OT's, but in my 12 years of
> activity I have tried to find a correlation between space weather and
> propagation, with remarkably little success.
> 
> For example, on Sunday evening ZL time condx were excellent. LP
> Signals
> from G were good, and I worked my first LA's via LP. On Monday
> morning
> things were still humming, and I put 15 Eu stations in the log around
> SR. Those contacts were all in excess of 18 000km.
> 
> Last night the solar flux and K index were exactly the same as the
> previous day, but prop was completely different. Tom G3OLB and I
> managed a scratchy QSO, but that was it. Same at SR just now. I could
> JUST hear IV3PRK and PA3FQA, but not with enough signal for a QSO. Go
> figure!
> 
> There is one situation that seems to bring good condx fairly
> consistently, and that is when the A index is on a steep rise.
> 
> That's what I have observed operating from both ZS and ZL. There
> really
> is no reliable pattern.
> 
> 73 Greg, ZL3IX
> 
> Sam Morgan wrote:
> > Is the increase in sunspot activity god or bad for 160m. It seems
> conditions on
> > 160m are best in winter and when we are at a sunspot cycle low? So
> are these
> > recent increases indicators that 160m propagation will be in
> decline?
> >
> > When answering, please include what it means, not only for those
> capable of
> > working all this wonderful Pacific and over the pole DX I keep
> reading about,
> >
> > but also, what it means to those of us, that dx simply means making
> in across
> > the country or just as far as Alaska or Hawaii, with low power and
> minimal antennas.
> >
> > TIA
> >
> _______________________________________________
> 160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. -
> TF4M