Topband: Lightning QRN season?

[Bill Cromwell]

On 07/23/2013 10:03 PM, Mike Waters wrote:
> I appreciate the replies and insight. Let me add some details I should have
> included in my original question.
>
> What I really wanted to know was, When do you think that QRN might let up a
> little, to the point when we might expect to have a relatively quiet night
> here and there? So far, we have gone many weeks with not one single evening
> of quiet, making DX --and most good stations on the east and west coast--
> all but impossible to hear over the lightning crashes. Beverages _at both
> ends of the path_ helps, but that's not often the situation lately.
>
> I haven't listened on 160 every night, but ever since sometime in May (I
> forget exactly) I have been daily checking the Intellicast real-time
> lightning map at www.intellicast.com/Storm/Severe/Lightning.aspx . And
> there has not been a single evening on 160 since then when there was not a
> lot of lightning over the continental USA.
>
> I did manage to have some SSB ragchews late last night with some very
> strong stations in the Midwest, but the QRN never dropped below S9 even
> though the lightning was some distance away.
>
> 73, Mike
> www.w0btu.com
>
Hi Mike,

I haven't heard a lot on 160 meters mostly due to lack of activity. I 
listen more in the early morning hours just before and through morning 
twilight and sunrise. A few times the band has been astonishing quiet - 
checked to be sure I was on the antenna and not on the dummy load. At 
night I am on 80 and 40 meters (and sometimes 20) but when I try 160 
there is a more QRN than in the mornings. I mostly hear the SSB ragchew 
nets and little CW. When the ARRL gets on they are always in here quite 
loud but still no other CW stations. I should be able to easily hear 
lower powered stations if any were on.

73,

Bill  KU8H