LOG BOOK - Good High Frequency Reception

LOG BOOK

Good High Frequency Reception

This week has seen considerable activity on the surface of the Sun. As reported by Dr. Tamitha Skov, geomagnetic activity, minor storms and generally unsettled conditions have resulted in the 10.7cm solar flux numbers driving into the high 90s, with a corresponding uptick in the A and K indices. So, considering we are now well into the low part of the sunspot cycle, frequencies above 13mHz have been better than usual this week. There could be some further solar disturbances around April 17th and between April 23 and 29.

What does this all mean for reception on the shortwave bands? Basically, in your daily monitoring of the bands, you shouldn't just write-off the higher frequencies! There will be times when the 13, 15, 17 and 21 mHz shortwave broadcast bands could provide good reception conditions. Of course, this also means that the 14, 17, 21 and 28 mHz amateur bands could offer some good DX conditions.

Below is a list of stations noted here at Mount Evelyn on April 5, just around the time some elevated solar flux numbers came out. This list was compiled between 0500 and 0700 UTC (between 3 and 5pm local time). I have omitted the numerous Chinese domestic and international outlets, although these were also heard at very good strength on 15 and 17 mHz.


15110   D.P.R.KOREA. VoK - Kujang. English to SEAs at 0545, poor signal.

15140   KUWAIT. VoA - Umm al-Rimam. Tibetan at 0550, weak signal and jamming CNR 1, NF for A17.

15170.06   SAUDI ARABIA. BSKSA - Riyadh. Qur'an at 0555, fair signal till sudden s/off 0559.

15255   SOUTH AFRICA. Channel Africa - Meyerton. Noted just after s/on 0602 with news in English to WAf. Fair signal, this is a weekday service only.

15284.98   SAUDI ARABIA. BSKSA - Riyadh. News in Swahili to EAf at 0605, fair signal.

15294.97   TAIWAN. Sound of Hope - Taipei. Weak signal and no jamming at 0609, news in Mandarin.

15300   FRANCE. RFI - Issoudun. French service to CAf at 0612, very weak signal.

15339.81   FRANCE. FRI - Issoudun. Hausa to NAf/WAf at 0615, very weak signal.

15360   UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. R. Mashaal - Dhabayya. Pashto beamed to Pakistan at 0618, Poor signal and NF for A17.

15380.06   SAUDI ARABIA. BSKSA - Riyadh. Qur'an at 0620, very good signal and best of the BSKSA frequencies on this band at this time.

15420.03   MADAGASCAR. BBC - Talata Volonondry. English WS to EAf at 0623, fair signal.

15580   BOTSWANA. VoA - Moepeng Hill. English to Af 0625, fair to poor signal.

15595   VATICAN. Vatican R. - SM Galeria. 15-min French service to ME at 0627. Switches to English at 0630, with the "Vatican Radio World News", s/off 0645, fair signal.

15625   IRAN. VOIRI - Sirjan. Hausa service to WAf at 0635, weak signal.

15690   GERMANY. R. Farda - Biblis. Farsi programming at 0640, fair to poor signal.

15760   KUWAIT. R. Mashaal - Umm al-Rimam. Music programming in the Pashto service 0645, fair to poor signal

17779.86   SRI LANKA. AWR - Trincomalee. Arabic to NAf and ME at 0520. Fair signal but off frequency to the low side.

17880   THAILAND. R. Azadi - Ban Dung. Dari service at 0525, changes to Pashto with ID at 0530, fair to poor signal, NF for the A17 season.


Receiver: Yaesu FTDX3000. 
Antenna: 14 mHz Double Bazooka and the Par SWL End-Fed


Below is a video showing some interesting information from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center!





73 and have a great weekend everyone!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

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