Topband: Summer in the Northern Hemisphere

[Don Kirk]

Hi Gary,

As far as I can tell, it's all lightning related (regardless time of
year).  I suggest you look at one of the world wide real time lightning
maps on the Internet (if you don't already) and that might help answer your
question.  When I hear static crashes I know there must be a thunder storm
somewhere in or near the US (I often hear static crashes from as far away
as 1500 miles or more).  Everyday evening I look at the real time lightning
map of the US (http://thunderstorm.vaisala.com/explorer.html) to see how
bad the QRN will be on 160 meters and from what direction (regardless of
Summer or Winter).

Just my take on the situation.

Don (wd8dsb)

On Tue, Feb 9, 2016 at 1:31 PM, Gary Smith <Gary at ka1j.com> wrote:

> Something that has always puzzled me is summer operation on 160 in
> the northern hemisphere.
>
> Here in Connecticut 160 in the summer is so full of crashes that
> picking out any DX is next to impossible. But, during the winter the
> crashes are sometimes totally absent and the band is almost dead
> silent except for ham operation. However, summer here is winter in
> the southern hemisphere. I'll just use Argentina as the southern
> example.
>
> Quoting from Wikipedia on Argentina:
> "Argentina has four seasons: winter (June-August), spring
> (September-November), summer (December-February) and autumn
> (March-May), all featuring different weather conditions. The hottest
> and coldest temperature extremes recorded in South America have
> occurred in Argentina."
>
> So what is amazing to me is how difficult it is for me to hear
> southern hemisphere DX in Connecticut, in July, yet they are hearing
> our winter 160 contest signals, wonderfully in the middle of what is
> their summer. The two recent VP8 DXpedetions were in their local
> summer yet they were knocking NA & EU off one after another on top
> band.
>
> My HI-Z Rx is so very helpful on 160 (& other bands as well) but it
> sure doesn't let me hear SA DX in July. I'd like to have a clear
> picture of how it is that Southern Hemisphere 160M DX can hear so
> well in their summer when I'm deaf as a doorknob in mine.
>
> 73,
>
> Gary
> KA1J
>
> _________________
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