11m band rammed this morning.

[Ian - G4JQT]

The activity between about 20 MHz and 60 MHz in Europe is due to the maximum usable frequency of the F2 layer exceeding 30 MHz and is F2 ionisation mainly caused by solar activity.

Tropospheric ducting is related to the weather and when it occurs it usually affects frequencies above 50 MHz.

In recent weeks we have had both, but the most significant has been enhanced propagation via the F2 layer. See attached:

[SiriusHardware]

I've mostly been stuck at work while all this has been going on.

Just looked on Hack Green SDR today (Saturday 14th Oct) and the band is already jumping again, on 10 as well as 11. I have an old single-band 10m radio which has hardly seen any use since the 1990s. I think these are the conditions it has been waiting for.

[SteveCG]

For what it is worth: I've been listening to BBC Radio 3 from Wenvoe on 92.1 Mc/s and have noticed over the last couple of days, shortish duration interference that I assumed was Tropo lift. I've not tried investigating further but I wonder whether this was E/F layer propagation?

[SiriusHardware]

The best resource that I know of for tracking tropospheric propagation is the Hepburn Forecast. This is a direct link to the North West Europe forecast page.

https://dxinfocentre.com/tropo_nwe.html

It's not obvious, but if you click or tap on the map itself the forecast advances by, I think, six hours at a time for up to several days ahead.

[Ian - G4JQT]

Originally Posted by SteveCG

For what it is worth: I've been listening to BBC Radio 3 from Wenvoe on 92.1 Mc/s and have noticed over the last couple of days, shortish duration interference that I assumed was Tropo lift. I've not tried investigating further but I wonder whether this was E/F layer propagation?

No, that'll just be tropo. Sporadic-E can go up to 150 MHz very occasionally, but usually ''maxes-out'' at 70 MHz. But there hasn't been much Es for a while now, but when it's around short skip on 10 and 11 metres can be quite impressive.

Ian

[electronicskip]

Checked the 11m band at lunchtime today and its still very busy with lots of bleed over on Sidebands.
Seems today is the turn of Polish and German stations to be prominent.

[SiriusHardware]

On 10/11 I generally find, once the lift comes up, that the propagation follows the most intensely sunlit portion of the atmosphere throughout the day so in the morning you might hear Russia and other eastern European countries, a little bit later you have Switzerland, Germany, Italy and the low countries, later still France and Spain, and then later in the day the Americans start to be more prominent.

[SiriusHardware]

I've done some essential maintenance on the 10m radio I mentioned a few posts back - just as well as it had gone a couple of Khz off frequency in the long years since it was last turned on. Seems OK otherwise.

I also have a Realistic TRC-1002 2-channel 1.5W walkie talkie - originally on CB/27/81, it is now on 29.600 and 29.610 Mhz and I would love to manage to work some DX on that - in this period of very good propagation which we have at the moment, I think it may actually be possible.

[electronicskip]

Would be very interesting to hear the results of that mod especially on a handheld unit , I did manage to drag in more American stations yesterday albiet very distorted but still recognisable .

[SiriusHardware]

It works fine (or did) around the time I converted it to 10m, there was a little bit more activity on all bands in those days and I made probably three or four contacts with people in the local area (several miles or more) before I ran out of people I hadn't already worked on it.

It was originally one of a pair used by two system installers I knew who each kept one in their vehicles - this was long before PMR446 which would have been much more practical for their usage and real PMR was still prohibitively expensive to buy just for occasional site use. Unfortunately one got stolen and the other guy, knowing my interests, gave the survivor to me. The problem was that although a two channel set it only came with one channel crystalled and that was channel 20 CB/27/81 so it was nearly useless without another one to communicate with - as I'm sure you know, channels 14 and 30 were the established 'standard' for two channel sets. In those days it was still relatively easy to get crystals made for not too bad a price so I crystalled it on the 10FM calling channel and +10Khz from there.

Working DX on it would be quite a challenge - I routinely work DX (in good conditions) on 11m using 4W mobile, but this set has somewhat less power and no provision for an external antenna so I'd have to use the long telescopic whip.

[ez2cdave]

Originally Posted by electronicskip

I've just picked up Florida and North Carolina breakers in the past 30 mins.

What frequency are you on ?

[SiriusHardware]

Just checked on Hack Green SDR and it looks like the propagation which has been running high for a week or two has finally subsided, just when I was finally getting geared up and ready to go.

[SiriusHardware]

Saturday: Activity on 10/11 is well up again, looking on Hack Green almost every Khz of the SSB portion of 10m is busy, mostly due to there being a contest on but by just listening, it is a good way to know where the band is open to. 11m is also very lively.

[SiriusHardware]

Image (courtesy of the Hack Green SDR) - 10 metres a few minutes ago. 11m is just as busy.

[electronicskip]

Every channel seems to have life this afternoon here.
11m so busy,good to see so much life in it.

[Keith]

Sadly it's all just contest activity - no meaningful communication going on...

[SiriusHardware]

Very true but it is interesting to be able to map the propagation going by the callsign prefixes being heard. Unfortunately the contest seems to be running all weekend so those of us who'd just like to talk for a bit won't get a word in edgeways.

One workaround (on 10m) might be to try 10FM - same propagation, but not included in the contest. Anyone suitably equipped can also try 11m instead.

[G6Tanuki]

Weekend contests always seem to bring people out of the woodwork. Yes it's good to see some activity on the bands, but contesting really isn't my thing [though one day I might achieve 5-band DXCC I'd rather it be involving proper conversations rather than simply exchanging protocol-data].

[M0AFJ, Tim]

6M opened to VK yesterday

[SiriusHardware]

Unfortunately I don't have 6m unless you count the low powered 49MHz FM walkie talkie I crystalled for the FM calling frequency. I was always on the lookout for an FT-690RII to go with my FT-290RII but lately the prices of the FTx90 series seem to be going back up. I considered the Kenwood TS-60 as a companion to my HF TS-50 but they were quite rare then and I haven't seen one for years.

Still seeing activity on 10m today, and now that the madness of the weekend contest is over it might be possible to use the conditions to have a 'normal' QSO on 10 SSB.