Topband: 160m activity and propagation

[VE6WZ Steve]

I have been away for three weeks on holidays with no internet so I am late to this thread.

I understand Bob’s question. During the last solar minimum, the EU path seemed to favour the southern latitudes compared to my VE6 location. It was very common to hear the boys in AZ, NE, CA and even OR and WA working into EU while I sat on the sidelines hearing no signals at all. The band did open with fantastic signals when the solar wind dropped below 300 km/s and the geomag settled down, but as soon things heated up, the door would close for me, and I was left listening to the southern guys working EU again.  Fortunately the last solar min from 2008-11 was so quiet that I was still able to work 160m DXCC each winter.

As Bob has pointed out, during this latest solar minimum, things seem reversed. For the last two seasons at my QTH the trans-polar EU path has been open most evenings, while it seems the more southerly locations remain shut out.  It has been commonplace to work 20-30 EU each night if the band is open. I have worked over 1,500 EU this winter. However, I have also noticed that the preferred path has been northern EU and UA, with southern EU less common. Perhaps the ops in south EU have noticed the same thing as Bob?  If the conditions are marginal, it is most likely for me to be working into SM, LA, OH, LY and UA etc, while the central-south EU guys are shut out. Unlike the last solar minimum, it seems even with an elevated solar wind, and a hot AU I can occasionally still get an opening.
Is it possible as Bob has pointed out that the relative position of the AU has allowed my signals to undershoot the absorption, while impeding those further south?

Unfortunately, during the last solar minimum I was at my city location and I am now using my purpose built low band remote hilltop QTH, so it’s possible these differences are simply because of the new set-up.
Perhaps if I was still at the old city QTH things would not be so great, but so far this solar minimum has been excellent for trans-polar DX.

Steve ve6wz


From Babcocks iPhone

> On Feb 23, 2020, at 10:09 AM, W7RH <midnight18 at cox.net> wrote:
> 
> The emphasis of my questions are based on European propagation path 
> perceived differences since last solar minimum.
> 
> One thing I am not is a Geophysicist, I have no training there. My 
> comments are on perceived changes in the aurora ring density as viewed 
> from my location in Arizona that would have been in the past much lower 
> on the path towards Europe far more often than present. I'll call it 
> prime time wipe out. Very small changes in solar wind have had a 
> profound effect. Whether the center point is the magnetic north pole or 
> the Geomagnetic pole I have no idea as both have migrated with the 
> Magnetic North pole the greatest at a rate of 30 miles per year and 
> increasing.
> 
> Perhaps the reduction of magnetic field over North America and increased 
> gamma radiation create the effect. In a related article it stated the 
> magnetic field over North America is 15% less than it was in 2015.
> 
> https://www.livescience.com/46694-magnetic-field-weakens.html
> 
> https://www.hist-geo-space-sci.net/5/175/2014/
> 
> Trying to get a better grasp of what is going on.
> 
> 73
> 
> Bob W7RH
> 
> -- 
> W7RH DM35os
> 
> "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." - Albert Einstein
> 
> _________________
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