The Verdict is In

Ever since the sun started to perk up back in 2009 I've seriously pondered the question: "From our location under the auroral oval is the increased solar activity a good thing or a bad thing?"

At the bottom of the 11-year solar cycle, with days on end of zero sunspots, the bands would open and close like clockwork, depending on the auroral activity.  20m would come to life most days and (especially during the spring and fall equinoxes) provide reasonable propagation to anywhere on earth. The lower bands would open any time there was no aurora and with low solar activity that also happened on a fairly regular basis. The upper bands didn't even exist. Some weak activity on 15m once in a while in the middle of the afternoon and nothing to be heard ever on 10m. The only thing that stirred up the aurora was high solar wind speeds caused by coronal holes. These would come around every 27 days like clockwork allowing fairly accurate predictions of whether band conditions would be good or bad on any particular day.

Now, with the continuing solar maximum, things are very different. Streams of solar nastiness from flares and CMEs pour into the polar regions wiping out the bands for days at a time. The aurora is omnipresent, and the K-index rarely dips below 2. Now it is the lower bands turn to be non-existent. Nothing to be heard from here on 80m or 160m. 40m can go either way. Heavily affected by the D-region absorption it stays mostly quiet but on occasion low auroral activity will allow it to perk up somewhat. The upper bands provide the best communications. 20m and 15m stay open for hours on end and when the solar flux gets high enough the 10m band can push through the aurora with strong enough signals to overcome the heavy absorption. It is still very much hit and miss, though. You just never know from one day to the next whether there will be anything at all on the radio.

So what to make of all this? I have finally reached the conclusion that any solar activity is better than none.  I've been having just as much fun working DX on the higher bands as I used to on the lower bands. Recently, I had been listening for Elmo, 3C0BYP, on Annobon Island off the west African coast.  Yesterday evening he finally popped up on 20m in the middle of his night time. I had no trouble working him for an all-time-new-one. This morning, still somewhat pleased with myself for the previous day's DX, I got up and turned on the radio again. As I sipped my coffee and tuned through the bands I heard many European stations coming over the pole on 10m. This alone doesn't really excite me anymore (it sure did last fall though!) but while I was listening a 10m DX spot came up for Carson, ZS8C, on Marion Island in the far south Indian Ocean. About half way between South Africa and Antarctica, this is one of the most distant DXCC entities from here at 11,000 miles away. I had listened for ZS8C many times in the past but had never before heard even a whisper on any band. This time I could hear a whisper. Down in the noise and not quite strong enough for 100% copy but audible nonetheless. I called a few times but soon had to turn off the radio to get ready for work. A half hour later I had a few extra minutes before I left for the day and decided to quickly fire up the radio again and take another listen. This time ZS8C was perfect copy peaking at S5 and five minutes later he was in the log for another new one. On 10m no less! That decided the question for me right then and there. Working Marion Island on 10m easily makes up for many days of no signals at all.

Now I'm ready to begin the search for an answer to my new question: "To get into 'Ham Heaven' do you need to 'work 'em all' (all 340 DXCC entities) AND have '5-band DXCC' too or is either one by itself good enough for admission...?"

The Missing Link

For years and years I tried to understand HF propagation from the Arctic.  At my location just above the Arctic Circle it was fairly easy to figure out when it would be bad.  The sun throws off high energy protons from the solar wind or solar energy particle events like flares and coronal mass ejections. The charged particles interact with the earth's geomagnetic field and the north and south poles of this magnetic field attract the particles just like iron filings on a magnet.  When the particles get dense enough to collide with molecules in the upper atmosphere they emit light energy visible at night as the aurora (although its still there in the daytime, just not bright enough to be visible).  Extreme levels of aurora tend to reflect higher radio frequencies (like 6m and VHF) back in the general direction of their source.  This can be great if the auroral oval is just to the North (or South) of you, not so great if you're right in the middle of it!  Radio frequencies in the HF range are scattered by the aurora and lose most of their energy with the majority of the attenuation occurring on the lower HF bands.

The auroral oval goes right over my head and most of the time we're right in the middle of it.

If the K-index was high that would indicate auroral activity and I knew to expect poor conditions. The 160 and 80 meter bands would go completely dead and usually 40 meters as well.  Sometimes the higher bands held up a bit better but as the aurora becomes more intense the degradation increases in frequency.  It was a simple matter to take a peak at the K-index and I knew at a glance how bad things would be.  

What I had a much harder time understanding, though, was why it happened frequently that the auroral activity numbers would suggest things should probably be ok but, in fact, HF propagation would be lousy.  Then I discovered the D-RAP.  "D Region Absorption Predictions" are provided by NOAA and they opened up a whole new world of understanding about what's going on up there in the ionosphere especially at high latitudes.   In the context of amateur radio, the lower ionosphere is cited as the reason the low bands are only open at night.  The sun causes it to absorb low frequencies during the daytime.  What is actually happening is that the same aurora-causing high energy protons given off by the sun tend collect in a specific region of the upper atmosphere known as the D Region.  Since the earth's magnetic field tends to concentrate these particles towards the poles we have this layer overhead almost all the time.  What the D-RAP predictions do is to quantify exactly what the effect of the particles (and x-rays as well) will have on any specific frequency at any particular point on the Earth.  It takes the solar wind strength into account and also measures the effects of other solar particle events like flares and coronal mass ejections. 

The little chart on the right side of the image breaks down the amount of attenuation in the red areas. Click on the image for a larger version.

The NOAA D-RAP site  provides the data in a pretty easy to understand set of graphics that show the level of absorption (in dB) at specific frequencies.  Now its easy to see the piece of the puzzle that had been eluding me for so long.  Solar particle events throw off huge amounts of charged protons and if they are directed towards the earth they stream into the upper atmosphere for days afterwards.  A quick check of the data at any time will show which bands are affected and how much.  By combining this lowest usable frequency (LUF) data with the maximum usable frequency (MUF) calculated by the solar flux index one can instantly know which is the optimum HF band for paths from (or through!) the Arctic in real time.  Unfortunately for me and the other high-latitude operators, periods of low solar activity tend to lower the MUF.  When a solar particle events occur right after or during these quiet times the net result of a low MUF and a high LUF is no HF propagation from up here on any band!  The trick is being on the air at the just right time to catch those opportune moments when the flux is high enough to support propagation on the upper bands but with low attenuation from the D Region.  That happens just often enough keep me tuning the bands waiting for these interesting opportunities to communicate.

ARRL DX SSB VE8EV SO Unlimited HP

ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV

Class: SO Unlimited HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 40

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:    0     0
   40:    6     4
   20:  254    58
   15:  374    81
   10:  298    79
-------------------
Total:  932   222  Total Score = 620,712

Club: 

Comments:

The big X-class solar flare earlier in the week sure knocked the heck out of the bands up here. On Thursday evening 160-10m was completely dead but 24 hours later at the beginning of the contest things had at least improved enough to let the higher bands start to open up. Even then the absorption was strong enough all weekend that I was never able to get a decent run going anywhere, save for a couple of hours on 10m and 15m over the pole in the middle of the night on Friday. The low bands were a total washout, nothing heard at all on 80m and 160m, and only a tiny handful of "nearby" mults on 40m after midnight Saturday.

Highlights:

- Finally being able to prove my theory that the best time for 10m to Europe from here is in the middle of the night. I sensed a considerable amount of skepticism from the other side but WFWL happily prevailed.

- On three separate occasions someone in a pileup with me got through to the DX station and after making their contact told them to "listen up, there's a VE8 calling you". I was humbled each time but of course wasn't paying enough attention to catch their calls. Thanks for the multipliers!

- Collecting enough entities on 10m to push my DXCC total on that band to well over a hundred. Now I can stop worrying about missing out on 10m at the top of the solar cycle and start working on how I'm going to live long enough to work a 100 on 80m for 5BDXCC...


Other than stellar/dismal band conditions (depending on your perspective) the only lowlight was trying to tell guys wanting to pass me down to 20m in the middle of the afternoon that "Sorry, I've got no propagation on that band." Strange days, indeed!

Depending on my travel schedule this might be the last contest operation from here until CQWW in October. If so, see you then!

73
John VE8EV

ARRL Sweepstakes Contest SSB

Call: VE8EV

Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV

Class: SO Unlimited HP

QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 23

Summary:

Band  QSOs

------------
  160:    
   80:    
   40:   10
   20:  752
   15:   24
   10:  699
------------
Total: 1485  Sections = 83  Total Score = 246,510

Comments:

I made 700 Q's Saturday afternoon but once the high bands went out my rate came to a screeching halt (as usual).  I shouted at a few guys on 40m before I gave up and called it a night. I got back to it at 1200z Sunday morning and had a steady trickle of callers on 20m when I was the only one there but once the hordes started arriving I wasn't loud enough to hold a frequency anywhere. When 10m finally opened I got a run going and milked it for all I could.  I skipped 15m both days and just went straight from 10m down to 20m and carved out a spot to hang onto until the end.  I ran out of callers on 20m about 45 minutes before the end of the contest and just called it quits.  Maybe next year I'll get that 40m yagi put up...

I only used the spotting network to find PAC and PR but it bought me the sweep as they were the only two that didn't call me.  My last section was SF of all places and the only one heard was KJ6WDL who called in late Sunday afternoon. So nice to be able to say "Thanks for the sweep!" after hearing it so often from others.

Looks like the second year in a row for me (I wasn't on in 2012) that I got beat out for the top spot in Canada by an alien VY2!  VY2ZM (K1ZM) in SO-HP in 2011 and VY2TT (K6LA) this year in SO-U-HP. Congrats to both on great scores!

73

John VE8EV

CQ World Wide SSB - Better Late than Never!

Despite my best efforts over the preceding two weeks, 0000z on Friday arrived and I was still looking at an empty room and had more work to do outside on the tower. After staring at the gigantic yagi hovering over the front yard for the past few days I decided it would be prudent to beef up the tower supports. I fabricated a mid-point guy station and ran a set of guy wires up to the 32 foot mark. I also strengthened the mounting point at the eave of the shed. I was pretty sure it would be better to miss the first part of the contest than have a storm blow in and turn all my hard work into twisted scrap metal.

Early Saturday morning I brought in the desk and amp rack then finally started to pull the electronics out of the old mobile shack trailer and install them in the new room. By the time I had everything mounted and connected and brought in the antenna feedlines it was almost midnight. Fortunately, when I turned on the power everything worked nearly perfectly. As I switched through all the bands and antennas I could hear signals from 80m all the way up to 10m. After a year-and-a-half hiatus and 11 days of putting it all together I was finally back on the airwaves!

I had been watching the geomagnetic forecast for the past few days and it said things would be pretty gloomy. Multiple solar flares were predicted to impact the magnetosphere and cause radio blackouts and stormy geomagnetic conditions. This spelled disaster for HF radio from this latitude but luckily all the solar nastiness passed by without hitting us. The result was probably the best radio conditions for a CQWW SSB contest in over a decade! Even at midnight local time I was hearing many stations from Europe and the Middle East on the 10m band. I decided that I was going to enter the single-band 10m category. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from up here to work the world on 10m and I wanted to make the most of it.

I decided to begin by concentrating on collecting unique CQ zones and countries for multipliers (and also to boost my DXCC numbers on 10m!). Pretty soon I had worked everything I could hear on 10m and the band and I both started fading. It had been a long, long, day! I turned in for the night and hoped that the good conditions would continue on Sunday.

After three hours sleep I popped out of bed at 6am and headed back to the shack. Not only was 10m open again, European stations were booming in! I picked my way through the band working as many new countries as I could. By 1700z the North American stations started coming through and I knew it was time to make some hay. I swung the big TH6DXX to the southeast and started calling CQ. Almost immediately I began getting replies. The rate meter spiked at over 200/hour and I filled the bucket as fast as I could.

I put 500 stations into the log over the next few hours but then I started watching the spots. This was my first time having reliable internet access during a big contest so I was finally able to connect to the spotting network. As I watched all the juicy DX spots rolling past on the screen I decided I wanted to boost my multiplier count. I gave up my run frequency and started 'playing'. If I had been making a serious effort from the beginning of the contest I probably would have been more disciplined but really I wanted to take advantage of the conditions to work as many new countries on 10m as I could. I even spent some time hunting for a couple of all-time new ones on the other bands but other than 7O2A (Yemen) that I had worked the night before on 15m I came up emtpy handed. As I usually do in these contests, I spent the last hour beaming out to the Pacific working JAs and island stations.

Final numbers were 665 contacts, 59 countries, and 27 zones.



Here is the new station. Flex 3000 SDR, TS-2000, and BH30 amplifier. Out on the tower is a 4 element 6m yagi at 75ft, the TH6DXX at 65ft, a 40m 1/4 wave sloper, and a 30m delta loop. On the roof of the house is a 43ft vertical for 80m. Still to be done over the next few weeks is hang the little TH3 yagi on the tower at 32ft, add the loading coil to the vertical for 160m, and install the beverage and flag receiving antennas for the low bands.

CQ WW SSB VE8EV SOSB(A)/10 HP

CQ Worldwide DX Contest, SSB

Call: VE8EV
Operator(s): VE8EV
Station: VE8EV

Class: SOSB(A)/10 HP
QTH: Inuvik, NT
Operating Time (hrs): 14

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:                    
   80:    2     2        2
   40:    3     3        3
   20:    1     1        1
   15:    2     2        2
   10:  665    27       59
------------------------------
Total:  665    27       59  Total Score = 117,390

Club: 

Comments:

I decided two weeks ago that I was going to quit procrastinating and get my new home station built and on the air in time for CQWW this year.  After eleven frantic days of wiring, tower erecting, antenna work, furniture and amplifier moving, and equipment installation I was finally ready to go at 0500z Saturday night.  I decided I was just going to get everything working, have fun, and DX my way through what was left of the contest.  When I got on the air 10 meters was open over the pole and I decided right then and there to go single-band 10.  I've never heard conditions on ten meters like that from this part of the world and in the back of my mind I know there is a possibility I never will again.  The triple-play of low K-index, high SSN, and a big contest sure doesn't come around very often! 

After grabbing a handful of mults and a few hours sleep Saturday night the band was open again to Europe first thing Sunday morning so I spent the first few hours collecting more multipliers.  Once the propagation started shifting to the south I turned the big yagi towards the states and started running with a 200/hour!  By mid-afternoon Sunday 10 meters was jam packed right from the bottom all the way up past 29 MHz.  I alternated between running and collecting multipliers and then spent the last couple of hours beaming out to the Pacific picking up 3-pointers.

High point (other than 10m- wow!): After years of poor or non-existant internet access at the old hilltop contest site it was a nice treat to be able to go "assisted" and pick up a few extra multipliers from spots.

Low point: RF coming back into the shack and messing things up when I used the amplifier with the new 40m sloper.  Not a big deal for this contest but I better get it sorted out before Sweepstakes!

Day-by-day countdown of the station building exercise is on the blog http://ve8ev.blogspot.com

73
John VE8EV



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