29 Sept 2015

The SLOW decline

Well, we are on the down slope of the current solar cycle.

The down part of the cycle is usually slower than the climb from the minimum to the next peak, so we may have a few more years of reasonable conditions.

At the present time, conditions, even on 10m, are quite good. This time next year I think we may be losing 10m (largely) as a DX band although N-S paths may still have some decent openings. I have mentioned before that I have worked LU on 10m SSB even with QRP right at the lowest part of the cycle.

It is a pity that more don't stick with WSPR on 10m as this is a good way to "smoke out" transient openings. Activity levels on 10m WSPR are way down on last year. Next year I suspect there will be even fewer stations on 10m WSPR.

1 comment:

Jan, OZ9QV said...

Yes, 10m was pretty good today, worked into 3 continents, and heard a 4th here. My CQ calling on CW resulted in one of the QSOs int UN7 (Kazakhstan)

Good to seee you are getting some results.

I will be looking into setting up some 10m WSPR, probably with a separate antenna, so that can run when I am home, but not at the radios. Oh, no - yet another antenna ;) ...

73 de Jan