Like a Sponge

Absorption of DX signals according to HAARP

I enjoy reading several radio related blogs and one in that batch is by John, N8ZYA. John's blog details his chasing DX using QRP (low power). John's at the 122 days of DX worked now and I applaud his determination. John's use of QRP and indoor antenna's is something I may be doing myself, depending on where we choose to live in 1'land. If we are apartment dwellers, that will surely be the case but if we are lucky enough to land a house with a bit of property, hopefully I can throw something minimal up on the rental property. Maybe, just maybe, I can catch John on 40 meters or one of the other bands once we get settled. Sadly, I have not worked John from my Alaskan QTH, but he did hear me on one occasion and tried to unsuccessfully work me. I was hoping to work John from here someday but it appears I will be 4,600 miles closer when I finally snag a QSO with him.

I'm envious of John today as from the HAARP Riometer graph above, I simply hear absolutely nothing on the bands this morning. Not one signal! The radiation storm has rendered the ham bands useless here. Even if I could send 1,495 more watts than John through my coax and out my 4 element beam at 43 feet, I'm not working anyone. You simply can't work what you don't hear. Well, excluding some of the weak signal digital stuff now-a-days. :0)

Propagation here in Alaska (like many northern latitudes) can be extremely challenging. I had high hopes for some low power contest QSO's this weekend in the WPX contest. If this spaceweather continues, there will be few, if any. But on a positive note, our local weather has taken a turn for the better! The weather at our house is currently 40 degrees! The holiday weekend local forecast appears promising. Needless to say, it will be another busy weekend here and thankfully, the outdoor activities will not be hampered by rain or gusting winds.

I can't predict what the bands will be like tomorrow afternoon for the start of the WPX contest but at least I can safely predict our grill will be used a few times this weekend. This weekend will be the culmination of my ham radio activities from BP53lu. My remaining QSO's with my Mosley HF beam are now on the horizon. As the DXing sun sets for me this weekend, it will rise once again many miles east of here in the coming weeks/months. This is the weekend that I normally close the shack for the summer. This weekend is no different. It's camping season and we are now being bathed in sunlight nearly 24 hours a day. Lack of propagation, depressing? Yes!  All I have to do is step outdoors and it's all forgotten. 

Hello May!

 I woke up early and had a few extra minutes so I decided to turn on the radio to listen for any DX. It's May 1st, and I thought it would be nice to log a contact or two early, breaking in the month right. When I turned on my Icom 765PRO, all I heard was powerline noise on 20 meters, and lots of it. We recently received another 3-4 inches of fresh snow so obviously a transformer or an electrical connection somewhere is being effected by the latest accumulation. And not only that, but I found the bands to be totally silent. This led me to HAARP's website and in looking at the Magnetometer and the Riometer, it was obvious we have some solar activity that has effected propagation.

Like summer, I hope the propagation returns to Alaska. Like spaceweather and local weather, it seems to be one storm after another. But, I'm remaining optimistic that if May begins like this that maybe, just maybe, we will have excellent conditions for the CQ World Wide CW WPX Contest at the end of the month. That will be my last contest from this QTH so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can have the window open to the shack and work lots of stations on 10 meters! Wishful thinking? Maybe. But that's pretty good from a "Glass is half empty" kinda guy. 

Propagation Goes Away But The Sun Slowly Returns

Very Brief View of the Sun

I saw something today I had not seen for many weeks and that was a brief encounter with the sun! We are in the shadow of Mount Healy (at the right side of this photo) so this time of year, any direct sunlight is short lived. But, in just a few more weeks, the sun will be high enough to shine down on us for at least half of the afternoon. Winters are long and dark here in Alaska, but seeing this does the body good! I snapped this photograph from our front deck looking south east. We are experiencing the coldest temperatures of 2013 as our low last night was around -32.6F. As of this writing, it has warmed up to -26.5F, but tonight was supposed to be the coldest of the weekend. 

This past Thursday night (Friday morning) I pointed the beam to Europe and was able to work about 45 stations prior to pulling the plug. It was great to catch David, A92GE again. I'm very appreciative of all those who yelled my way as I had a small pile-up going. Sadly, an early rise for work the following morning had me pull the plug long before the pile-up had dwindled down. I was hoping to do the same over the weekend but our solar wind increase put the kibosh to that idea. But on a positive note, I did manage to work Carl, 9X0PY for a new entity this weekend! 

HAARP Magnetometer 

I reference HAARP on a daily basis just to get an idea of what I may expect propagationally. When a solar wind struck the earths magnetic field this weekend, it sent shock waves through the ionosphere and the propagation headed south. Pretty obvious from the HAARP Magnetometer graph to the right that we received a pretty healthy solar slap from our sun. I have not heard much of anything on the bands this weekend and this is the very reason. It's great having these websites only a mouse click away. Saves me a cold stroll outdoors checking connections and antennas as I wonder why I'm not hearing a ham on a band!

HAARP Riometer

When it comes to propagation, absorption is our enemy. The HAARP Riometer graph to the left shows heavy absorption therefore, any radio waves overhead are not bouncing but being absorbed. As I've mentioned before, "Red = Dead" when it comes to this graph. And oddly enough, these events normally happen on contest weekends. I can't imagine this did any favors to anyone in a northern latitude operating the ARRL 160 Meter Contest this weekend. I don't have an antenna for that band so you won't find me in that contest. I would love to operate that band someday so, it's on my bucket list. 

Another highlight for me this past weekend was contacting Walt, LW3EX who gave me my final SKCC K3Y DX station contact. I had been missing only South America and Walt had his usual great signal into Alaska which allowed me to wrap up my Grand Sweep. Sadly, January has been an exceptionally busy month for me so I have not been able to operate much as K3Y/KL7. But, WL7WH and KL7IDA are doing a great job sending Alaska QSO's to those in need. 

As February fast approaches, I can't help but get excited about two fun contests that month. CQ WPX RTTY Contest is first and I think I've recovered enough from the last RTTY contest to diddle again. The following weekend will be the ARRL CW DX Contest. Another one of my all time favorites for sure. So, I'm hoping the sun settles down during the month of February as not to ruin either of those contest weekends. With any luck, my low power signal will make it out of the 49th and be heard around the globe!