this Years tropo/ e-skip forecast

[VA3JWO]

to briefly get my thoughts off of the bitterly cold up here in canada, i'm just curious about what this year would be like in terms of tropo or e-skip in the summer. i just can't wait to get out there in the summer and listen to the FM radio since analog TV has gone down the tubes....
SO my question would be: does anybody have a possible forecast for this year? winter has been really boring with little or no scatter present.

 

[VE3RADIO]

Get yourself a tower and aim it at Rochester, from Madoc you should get 10-20 HD stations, you can also use that antenna to pickup Rochester PD.

 

[VA3JWO]

yes... thank you for the advice, but does anybody have an idea about what this year might be like in terms of skip?

 

[ka3jjz]

It's virtually impossible to make any sort of long term predictions. Tropo is dependent, in good measure, on stalled weather fronts, or when warm air overrides cold and fog forms. That is a weather-based issue that happens most frequently during the spring/summer months (although you can make the case that it can happen anytime...).

As for E-Skip, there is some thought that Es (as it is sometimes written) increases during years of low solar activity. If - and that is a big if - the sun starts producing more activity (sunspots, flares, etc.) then if the theory holds, Es will be suppressed.

Es is also possible in areas where severe thunderstoms are occurring.

You're just going to have to be patient - and learn how to read weather charts - and keep your eyes on prediction websites, some of which we have in our wiki here...

DXing Above 30 Mhz - The RadioReference Wiki

best regards..Mike