[UK-CONTEST] CQWW SSB - Some thoughts

[Darrell G0HVQ]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Sergeant" <dave at davesergeant.com>
To: "UK-Contest" <UK-Contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 9:01 AM
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] CQWW SSB - Some thoughts

> I would tend to agree, it was sporadic E on 10m and very little to do
> with F layer progagation. The recent rise in solar flux from the
> latest, significant, spot group only really started this week - it was
> Monday when it reached 81 and reached 83 yesterday, but over the
> weekend was 76 - high compared with what it has been for yonks but not
> enough to cause the MUF to get up to 10m.
>


I don't think it was just Sporadic E, although there was a lot of it about 
on both Sat and Sun. I worked ZS9X and 9K2HN on 10m in the contest, and 
several Russians in Z16, unlikely to be multi-hops Es this time of year. 
Plus I've heard VKs and JAs on 12m the last few mornings on my simple 
vertical, and worked plenty of Russians and Ukranians (and the VQ9), so 
suspect the MUF may just be making it up to 10m for brief periods.

10m is a funny band, it opens more than people think, just ask the 
'experts': I worked the Caribbean in WPX last year with the solar flux in 
the high 60s, (admittedly the mega-stations), outside the Es season with no 
local Europeans heard.

Long may it continue - looks like we finally have a new sunspot cycle :-)

73
Darrell G0HVQ