I'm assuming propagation is very good at this time?

[racin06]

I've been getting very good reception recently from 1.8 mhz to 18 mhz on my R-75, especially on some of the SSB utility stations. The signals are strong coupled with very good signal/noise ratios. I am assuming that we are in a good period of propagation?

 

[LarrySC]

Actually we are at the bottom of the 22 year cycle. Will be some time before we good DX again. There are days when its better. There are web sites with sun spot info. Do a google for that. May find links off ham sites. Larry FRG-8800 / Windom antenna.

 

[ka3jjz]

I put a section on propagation sites in both the Utility and SWL Wikis.

73s Mike

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi all,

We may be near the bottom of the cycle but lately it's been hopping up into the 15M band, 21Mhz with 17M, 18MHz particularly active into Europe and South America. Once in a while 10M, 28MHz opens but sporadically. Otherwise the lower frequency bands are behaving normally for the period.

Check out propagation maps, forecasts, etc. at http://home.cogeco.ca/~dxinfo/index.html which is about the most comprehensive site on the web.

"Actually we are at the bottom of the 22 year cycle."

Uh, it's 11 years or most hams would consider DX a once in a lifetime experience. (;->)

 

[wa2zdy]

As the sunspot numbers go down, the higher frequencies become less reliable. The 20m - 14MHz band - is open usually only during daylight hours. But at the same time, the lower frequencies get better at night than they are during sunspot maxima.

When the sunspot numbers are high again, the 28MHz ham band will be "magic." You'll hear the whole world all day long and many of those stations will be using very low power and small antennas. 20m will be open to somewhere in the world 24 hours per day, but the lower frequencies will be somewhat less exciting at night.

So there's always something somewhere to hear. Part of the fun is looking for and finding it.