Is it just me or has the SW reception been garbage as of late? Perhaps it's just where I am, but I'm only pulling in the religious people in the US and the cuban stations.

Is this some sun/atmospheric thing? Anyone care to explain something to me?

On Jan 17, 10:58*pm, MrRas wrote:
Is it just me or has the SW reception been garbage as of late? Perhaps
it's just where I am, but I'm only pulling in the religious people in
the US and the cuban stations.

Is this some sun/atmospheric thing? Anyone care to explain something to
me?

--
MrRas

It is exactly what you said. The miserable solar cycle24/cuban/relig.
broadcasts/ crazy 'geniuses of political science' and similar
is ,unfortunately a fact. Eventually it will improve.

wrote:
It is exactly what you said. The miserable solar cycle24/cuban/relig.
broadcasts/ crazy 'geniuses of political science' and similar
is ,unfortunately a fact. Eventually it will improve.

It's also the internet, the Gates Foundation paying for BBC news on NPR, and
so on. Shortwave is "out" of fashion. Eventually people will stop feeling good
about paying high cellular rates for entertainment, listening to Rush Limbaugh
and "sports talk" on AM and (the same) "top 40" on every FM station and
rediscover, as it were, shortwave.

It's like google. Eventually people will realize that putting 3 or 4 keywords
into a search engine is not research and will start going back to libraries.
Maybe not the same collection of old books, but newer and different (but the
same in principal) libraries.

Meanwhile enjoy the fact that you no longer have to listen to Radio Moscow,
Radio Habana Cuba, or the BBC all the time on every band. There always
has been a lot more out there, and now it is less hidden by the "big guns".

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to misquote it.

On 01/17/2011 07:58 PM, MrRas wrote:
Is it just me or has the SW reception been garbage as of late? Perhaps
it's just where I am, but I'm only pulling in the religious people in
the US and the cuban stations.

Is this some sun/atmospheric thing? Anyone care to explain something to
me?


The sky is broken. It is not your radio. But there are occasional DX
openings for a few minutes at a time. Keep trying.

On 01/17/2011 10:59 PM, Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
wrote:
It is exactly what you said. The miserable solar cycle24/cuban/relig.
broadcasts/ crazy 'geniuses of political science' and similar
is ,unfortunately a fact. Eventually it will improve.

It's also the internet, the Gates Foundation paying for BBC news on NPR, and
so on. Shortwave is "out" of fashion. Eventually people will stop feeling good
about paying high cellular rates for entertainment, listening to Rush Limbaugh
and "sports talk" on AM and (the same) "top 40" on every FM station and
rediscover, as it were, shortwave.

It's like google. Eventually people will realize that putting 3 or 4 keywords
into a search engine is not research and will start going back to libraries.
Maybe not the same collection of old books, but newer and different (but the
same in principal) libraries.

Meanwhile enjoy the fact that you no longer have to listen to Radio Moscow,
Radio Habana Cuba, or the BBC all the time on every band. There always
has been a lot more out there, and now it is less hidden by the "big guns".

Geoff.


There is no shortwave to rediscover. Here in Region 2, it's nothing but
inbred patriots and equally mentally defective religious
fundamentalists. No thanks.

Hoping for an HFBC resurgence is like wearing spats to go to the Western
Union office to send a wire.

Just because you are unable to adapt and will probably go extinct
doesn't mean the rest of us can't enjoy the BBC without the flanging.

Shortwave radio broadcasting is a massive waste of precious electricity,
ask HCJB.

On 01/18/2011 04:30 AM, Keith wrote:

The sun spots are very low right now which effects the ionosphere.
Here is a short article on the concept:

http://hamchatforum.lefora.com/2009/11/13/hf-radio-propagation-and-sunspots/


Here's a shorter one:

In order for signals to refract (be bent back toward the Earth) the
ionosphere needs ions. These are produced when UV radiation interacts
with the atmosphere. UV radiation comes from Sunspots.

On 18 ene, 04:58, MrRas wrote:
Is it just me or has the SW reception been garbage as of late? Perhaps
it's just where I am, but I'm only pulling in the religious people in
the US and the cuban stations.

Is this some sun/atmospheric thing? Anyone care to explain something to
me?

--
MrRas

Several international services shut down or reduced their airtime, so
the situation has changed over the years, but there is still lots of
activity.

When I can't sleep (around 01:00 … 04:00 GMT) I can hear, for example:
Radio Havana, RNW (from Bonaire, Spanish service) and RCI (Spanish
service) frequently on 49m, Location Netherlands, Europe. Antenna: 5m
outdoor wire, urban environment (no high rises). So the sun isn't that
bad.

In my location the mayor problem is dealing with interference from
switch mode power supplies, lighting, etc.

This morning (from 01:00 GMT, 18 Jan. 11) RNW (Bonaire) had a good
signal in the Netherlands.


Wim
PA3DJS

On Jan 18, 8:36*am, dave wrote:
On 01/18/2011 04:30 AM, Keith wrote:

* The sun spots are very low right now which effects the ionosphere.
Here is a short article on the concept:

http://hamchatforum.lefora.com/2009/11/13/hf-radio-propagation-and-su....

Here's a shorter one:

In order for signals to refract (be bent back toward the Earth) the
ionosphere needs ions. These are produced when UV radiation interacts
with the atmosphere. UV radiation comes from Sunspots.

And nobody can figure out what causes the sunspots. Unknown.

On Jan 19, 11:06*pm, wrote:
On Jan 18, 8:36*am, dave wrote:

On 01/18/2011 04:30 AM, Keith wrote:

* The sun spots are very low right now which effects the ionosphere..
Here is a short article on the concept:

http://hamchatforum.lefora.com/2009/11/13/hf-radio-propagation-and-su...

Here's a shorter one:

In order for signals to refract (be bent back toward the Earth) the
ionosphere needs ions. These are produced when UV radiation interacts
with the atmosphere. UV radiation comes from Sunspots.

- And nobody can figure out what causes the sunspots. Unknown.

Solar 'Activity' - idtars ~ RHF

On 01/19/2011 11:06 PM, wrote:
On Jan 18, 8:36 am, wrote:
On 01/18/2011 04:30 AM, Keith wrote:

The sun spots are very low right now which effects the ionosphere.
Here is a short article on the concept:

http://hamchatforum.lefora.com/2009/11/13/hf-radio-propagation-and-su...

Here's a shorter one:

In order for signals to refract (be bent back toward the Earth) the
ionosphere needs ions. These are produced when UV radiation interacts
with the atmosphere. UV radiation comes from Sunspots.

And nobody can figure out what causes the sunspots. Unknown.

Although the details of sunspot generation are still a matter of
research, it appears that sunspots are the visible counterparts of
magnetic flux tubes in the Sun's convective zone that get "wound up" by
differential rotation. If the stress on the tubes reaches a certain
limit, they curl up like a rubber band and puncture the Sun's surface.
Convection is inhibited at the puncture points; the energy flux from the
Sun's interior decreases; and with it surface temperature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspot