Sunspots - Propagation -weird period

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carson

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For all you dx'ers.. Have you noticed the poor dx performance lately? Seems like that the sunspot activity is not increasing normally, We are over the 11 year cycle hump and it should be increasing by now...but it ain't.

  The sunspot activity essentially hasn't changed much now over 3 years, which is somewhat unusual. Guess we'll have to wait another few years before it becomes productive.

  Just take a look at one of the sites right here

73 carson FL
 
Let me add to that, I was at the Griffith Park Observatory, Tuesday, June 10, 2008, and the heliostat image of the sun showed an absolutely blank disk, no spots whatsoever.
 
Of course you know, Carl, it's all caused by the RV'ers, spewing too much stuff into the air. Sure proof that we, the people ants on the Earth are causing all the tornadoes, floods, snow and global warming at this time.  ::)

  Watch the news and someone will come up with that theory.. :(

So much for solar power, it produces more than heat and light; think about it. Does communication power fit into that category? (More than most people think),

  Just rambling, Ma Nature will fix it, not us.

carson FL  83.7 F heavy downpour/thunderstorm right now.

 
I suspect that like with the weather,, There is the regular 11 year cycle, and there may be a larger cycle (or two) as well, Perhaps 100 or even 1000 years to cycle  back... We may be at a "Convergence" of cycles

Who knows

I just know that with all the storms lately I can't hardly get out of my own back yard on 80 meter ssb
 
Thank you, Professor,

There is the regular 11 year cycle, and there may be a larger cycle (or two) as well, Perhaps 100 or even 1000 years to cycle  back... We may be at a "Convergence" of cycles

  I haven't heard that theory before, but it sounds feasible and ripe for a study.

  I can't even see out of the window right, it's raining so hard; won't even try 75/80 meters.( Note to self: disconnect antenna right now)  :)

carson FL
 
In Florida, conditions on 15 and 10 meters have shown signs of improving.  It's probably because the summer propagation layers coming to life.  I hear lots of signals on 28.400 to 28.500 ssb in the evening around the eastern US.  Lots of techs are discovering the 10 meter band.  Also the 29mhz FM repeaters are busy.  As a reference the conditions on 10 meters have been dead for the past few years.  I also tune down through the CB band around 27mhz, and have heard lots of signals in the evenings from all over the midwest and east.  Lots of activity, but we'll never know if conditions are good unless we call CQ now and then.  The lower bands have been noisy because of the thunderstorms, but when it's quiet the bands are good for the long haul.  Worked a VK on SSB, 40 meters a few mornings ago.  On the other hand, the short skip propagation was rotten for up to 500-800 miles on 40 meters.  For now, an amplifier certainly helps but just wait a few more years then QRP (5 watts) will be easy on all HF bands.    Deen, W4ANR, Palmdale, in the swamp near Lake Okeechobee.
 
Where as tonight.. as the time for my regular sked on 80 mtrs (A net) came around I took a look at weather radar and figured "With luck I could chat with Clyde" and decided to stay indoors on the television instead of in the motor home on the net.

You see.. If Clyde was any closer... (About 1/2 mile from me) We be having dinner together :)
 
We're experiencing a looong low average and no sunspots now.  Looking at the charts, the previous cycle maximum had two peaks, and now we're experiencing an extended period of the cycle minimum as we move into the new cycle.  I've been through four sunspot cycles in my amateur radio experience beginning in the early 1960's, and each cycle had different effects on propagation.
DM, W4ANR, Florida
 

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