Topband: Change in 160m conditions

[Yuri Blanarovich]

Due to low sunspot activity the atmo/ionosphere shrinks, layer's height 
decreases, skip/ducting is impacted.
Please se my old article  http://k3bu.us/propagation.htm
Also weather changes become more extreme, not because "Global whatever"
Gases, atmosphere becomes more dense, layers become lower.
Yuri K3BU/KH6
 
 
 On Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 06:20 PM, Dan Edward Dba East edwards wrote:
 
 > I have the same experience as Dave, in recent years... though with a 
much more modest antenna farm...in suburban     Longview, Tx.
> JM2C, w5xz, dan
>
>     On Thursday, November 9, 2017 7:30 AM, JC  wrote:
>
>
>>>
> It seems to me that DX conditions have been pretty poor for the past 
> 10
> years on 160m . . .
> <<
>
> Hi Roger
>
> I see your point on things changing. However I have a different 
> experience.
> The noise is up. Every day there is a new "thing" that used FVD, 
> switching
> power supply and the LED's.. oh boy the LED's  that generate noise up 
> to 50
> MHz
>
> Old antennas practice does not work any mote the way it worked 10 
> years ago.
> Null canceling , deep front back, and other "simple"  to achieve is 
> not
> enough.
>
> The last 10 years has been very different, check the K9LA presentation 
> on
> WWROF archives how long the deep of solar cycle last. Carl shows the 
> last 5
> cycles last 2 years between less than 20 SSN. The last cycle 24 last 
> almost
> 5 years, see page 8 here;
>
>
> 
> http://wwrof.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/WWROF-A-Look-at-Propagation-for-
> the-2017-2018-Contest-Season-pdf.pdf
>
> The actual cycle may be longer and better than 2007, 2008, 2009, and 
> 2010.
>
> I started on 160m in 1970 , for me, and the ones with new antennas 
> with 12
> db RDF or more, the last 10 years was the best ever on 160m, and here 
> is why
> I say that,
>
>
> 1- I worked #294 countries in the last 10 years and I heard #310, the 
> 16
> countries I missed was because my 1500w was not enough to be heard on 
> the
> other side. (lack of RX antenna on the DX side)
>
> 2- NX4D, Doug worked # 305 and heat probably a dozen more on the last  
> 13
> years.
>
> 3- The Waller Flag horizontal can dig signals 20 db below  the same 
> noise
> from the vertical TX antenna.
> 4- I live in a city lot with noise from everywhere. All my 160m 
> antennas are
> in my back yard 100 x 150 ft.
>
> 5- Doug also has noise on the sub-division and live on 1/5 acre lot.
> 6- I know, and personal helped more than 50 WF installation and all 
> antennas
> is performing as my original WF
>
> 7- The extra 23 years on the deep cycle 24, 2009,2010 and 2011 
> provided a
> large number of long path SSW/SSE openings with south Asia. I 
> experiences
> hundreds of days with openings. The SSE/SSW path  will be open soon.
>
> 8- Low RDF antennas does help and it is a game change, a simple FLAG, 
> EWE,
> K9AY, SAL , all near 8 db RDF doe hear station Q5 that you can't head 
> on the
> TX antenna, however 2 flags, EWE, K9AY in phase can increase the RDF 
> near to
> 12 dB and you can dig 8 to 10 db more below the noise flor.
>
> 9- 1db increase on the  RDF increases 2 db or more noise figure, it's 
> a
> measured number with real antennas and signals on the band, not a 
> simulation
> on EZNEC or calculations. you can measure it too.
>
> 10- For the new generation using digital FT8, the improvement is the 
> same, a
> HWF can improve a signal -19 db to a +1 db. it means you  are missing
> another 20 db layer of weak signals without  high performance RX 
> antenna.
>
>
> It point is :
>
> You don't know what you are missing if you don't have anything to 
> compare
> with.
> Get a high RDF  RX antennas! You can't have enough.
>
> The deep of cycle 25 can last 6 or more years, think about that. We 
> are just
> at the door.
>
> JC
> N4IS
>
>
>
>
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