SOL Is Awesome.

[suddenseer]

Of all of the bits I have read about our nearest star, this is new to me. Maybe a cause of "low dx activity" on 20-10 Meters? Probably not, I like to stir the pot. You must admit, this cycle sux.

http://news.yahoo.com/spacecraft-sees-giant-hole-sun-video-153040642.html

[WØTKX]

It does and it does't suck. FWIW, 80 and 40 were amazing last winter. Have you tried 20 at night lately?

I've been shocked at the "GUD DX" on SSB at around 10PM, MST. With a measly 100 watts. :yes:

[NQ6U]

Despite what the predictions say, 20m and 40m have been consistently good lately—occasionally really good. 10m has been opening in the early evenings as well.

[suddenseer]

It does and it does't suck. FWIW, 80 and 40 were amazing last winter. Have you tried 20 at night lately?

I've been shocked at the "GUD DX" on SSB at around 10PM, MST. With a measly 100 watts. :yes:Maybe I should clarify, to me all one needs for a good band opening is a wet noodle for an aerial and 100W. 20M has it's moments. The previous cycle, I got a bit tired of the dx stations, esp ssb because I don't do well with a non American sounding English. That is why I don't like customer service reps on the phone. No offense to anyone, it is my hearing, not the speaker. That is why I preferred CW. I worked about 40 countries last cycle on 21-28 Mhz in my car going back, and forth to work. I started out strapping a bencher to my leg, then switched to the mic buttons when I bought the Icom mobile.

That aside, I have never read of a huge hole in the outer layer of our sun. I don't get out much.

http://www.zoominto.com/zoomapi/ZoomButt.gif

[KJ3N]

You must admit, this cycle sux.

Sorry, but I'll admit no such thing. This cycle isn't as good as the last one, but "sux" isn't a word that I would use.

If anything, things have improved a bit since 2010. According to my contest log for 2010's ARRL DX SSB contest, I did not make a single contact on 10m. The log for 2013 shows 34 contacts on 10m.

Now, for people who are restricted to bands above 20m (either due to license, or limited space), things aren't "wide open" every day like they were during Cycle 22. Still, 17m and 15m are open quite often.

People have to be on the air in order for anyone to notice. It can be tough to get enough folks on the air during the summer months. The kids are out of school, vacations happen, lawn & garden care tends to get in the way, and the increased absorption levels during the summer all contribute to a lack of signals on the bands.

Things will probably start turning around as we approach mid September.

[suddenseer]

Sorry, but I'll admit no such thing. This cycle isn't as good as the last one, but "sux" isn't a word that I would use.

If anything, things have improved a bit since 2010. According to my contest log for 2010's ARRL DX SSB contest, I did not make a single contact on 10m. The log for 2013 shows 34 contacts on 10m.

Now, for people who are restricted to bands above 20m (either due to license, or limited space), things aren't "wide open" every day like they were during Cycle 22. Still, 17m and 15m are open quite often.

People have to be on the air in order for anyone to notice. It can be tough to get enough folks on the air during the summer months. The kids are out of school, vacations happen, lawn & garden care tends to get in the way, and the increased absorption levels during the summer all contribute to a lack of signals on the bands.

Things will probably start turning around as we approach mid September.Wow, so far this year you have made 34 contacts on 10M. The previous cycle I could make that in one day using my A3 at home. To me, that kind of band condition sux. Maybe we have a different idea as to what sux. I have only experienced 3 cycles. This one sux compared to the other 2.

The main gist of the thread is the big "hole" observed on the sun. What is up with that?

[PA5COR]

Bah all the complaining here about the "bad " cycle...
N4 LEM was booming in on 20 at 23.00 local time...5/9+20 here on the OCF wire...
I worked all continents multiple times on 10/12/15/17 this year using the Imax 2000 vertical and 100-200 watt
20/40 were relative good too
80 Japan on the inverted L as VK and far east easy peasy 100 - 200 watt
160 phone USA, Canada Russia near the Chinese border 600+ miles 400 watts.

Yes compared to the top cycles it sucks, but do we really want it so easy as then?
I went mainly to 160 because it was NOT easy to make a decent efective antenna to DX as a challenge and because i could.
Wait with complaining for a few yars... then you have something to complain.
But then i'm set with 160 and the Inverted L ;)
Which also works quite fine on 80/40/20 with the autotuner.
You just have to follow the cndx and the bands that are open, we have more tools at ourr disposal as in the 1960's to check up MUF and pick the right band at the reight time.
Transceivers became better and working on your antenna system in the bottom of the cycles lets your station shine when the bands open up again.

No i don't complain, i still can work all continents every day if i chose so with middle of the road antenna's here.

[suddenseer]

Ok, I should not have mentioned the ham radio aspects of the sun. This thread is about the hole in the sun. What do you think about that?

[KC2UGV]

Bad cycles offer a chance to discover flaws in your antenna system, and things to be improved. So, take it as a burn in test for your gear. If you're not hearing anything, perhaps it's time to start improving your antenna system?

[KJ3N]

Wow, so far this year you have made 34 contacts on 10M.

No, compared to the same time frame as 3 years ago (a single contest weekend), things have improved quite nicely. I've made many other 10m contacts this year. Nice attempt at spin.


The previous cycle I could make that in one day using my A3 at home.

And I made 90+ in one day during the ARRL 10m contest last December. I don't even have a tri-bander, just wire.


To me, that kind of band condition sux. Maybe we have a different idea as to what sux. I have only experienced 3 cycles. This one sux compared to the other 2.

If your comparison is how easy it is to work Europe or Asia on 10m, then I agree it's not nearly as good as the last cycle. My idea of "sux" is not having 20m, 17m, and 15m band openings for weeks at a time. I've not seen that happen.


The main gist of the thread is the big "hole" observed on the sun. What is up with that?

The article (as I read it) merely states that this is a naturally occurring thing. It doesn't even indicate that the size is beyond "normal".


These holes are not uncommon, but their frequency changes with the solar activity cycle.

Meh..

[KJ3N]

Bad cycles offer a chance to discover flaws in your antenna system, and things to be improved. So, take it as a burn in test for your gear. If you're not hearing anything, perhaps it's time to start improving your antenna system?

:agree: :werd:

[suddenseer]

:agree: :werd:
Been there done that. 46 states cw with an A3, and QRP (5 watts delivered to the aerial). Mixed bands 14-28 Mhz. I even worked 3 european dx stations on 50 Mhz cw. That was a June opening maybe a F3 layer. My main point is still, it seems that this large hole in the sun has never been observed before. Maybe it is a "meh", what if it is not? I thought it was news worthy for ham radio operators.
http://www.zoominto.com/zoomapi/ZoomButt.gif

[KJ3N]

My main point is still, it seems that this large hole in the sun has never been observed before. Maybe it is a "meh", what if it is not?

If it was a "big deal" I would think the article would have mentioned it as something other than routine. Again, as I read it, these holes have been observed for decades. They're not anything new.


I thought it was news worthy for ham radio operators.

Always good to keep up with the solar conditions. I consider it a stretch to classify this as news worthy. An interesting fact at best, IMHO.

[ka4dpo]

Always good to keep up with the solar conditions. I consider it a stretch to classify this as news worthy. An interesting fact at best, IMHO.

Or the end of the world.

[KJ3N]

Or the end of the world.

For those who want to believe that. I'm not one of them. I leave such things to those who believe in fairy tales written almost 2,000 years ago.

Besides, the end of mankind isn't the end of the world. Only man is arrogant enough to believe such a thing.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL8HP1WzbDk