Solar Cycle 24 & 25

a couple good articles to read on how Cycle 24 and 25 will proceed, basically the peaks have now been downgraded, so neither Cycle 24 or 25 peaks will be good.

The solar peaks are expected in May 2013 for Cycle 24 peak and somewhere in 2024 for Solar Cycle 25 peak.
What this means for working HF & 50 MHz DX, is that you will be working harder and require a bigger, better station to make good contacts.

As for the weather, expect even more worse droughts in the cycle lulls (e.g.. around 2018 and 2030).

Here are the various article to read up on:

S-Meter website's Past Cycles and Predictions for Cycle 24 page
http://www.smeter.net/propagation/sunspots/sunspot-cycle-forecasts.php

Current Solar Cycle predictions for Cycle 24 from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Service
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/SC24/

Solar Cycle Prediction - NASA Marshall Space Centre for Solar Physics.
http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/predict.shtml

Solar Cycle Progression from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Service
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/

Solar Cycle Grand Minima and Solar Cycle Modulation article, some heavy theory about the effect of planetary movements within the Solar System and the inter-modulation effects on solar cycles
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1005/1005.5303.pdf

What's Rangoon to you, is Grafton to me

an old radio play from 2JJ Am in 1978 , (before it became 2JJJ FM),
listened to it again today after many years, very enjoyable.
It even has a reference to Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy.

6metre, 2metre and 70cm FM DX

plenty 6metre activity over Christmas/New year period, with only FM gear, it was restricted to just FM section above 52.500, worked into the Lismore VK2RSC rptr 53.550, that was good, as it quite short E skip and not found that often. Next contacts both via rptrs and simplex into VK4,
including a long qso with VK4XMC up central Qld via VK4RGA 53.725 and vk4NW in Sunshine coast via the Sunshine Coast rptr VK4RSN 53.700, also worked VK3ELV via the VK4RGA rptr.

And worked VK4XMC direct on 52.525 and 53.000 FM simplex. Could hear VK3ELB on 52.525 from Rockhampton in for quite some time working all states.

Even worked a local VK2BOW who I think was portable at Braidwood via the VK4RGA rptr at one stage

I think there were plenty others on 52.525, and the Brisbane rptrs, but most were quite weak when I tried them.

Next couple days, VK5 opened up, worked VK8RR/5 via one of the Adelaide 6m rptrs and VK5NLI on 52.525 for a chat, who was in & out for a good hour working many stations.

Been too busy working to be monitoring 6m FM most of the time.

Have heard the VK5VF beacon a few times, even on FM and off frequency for a 25kHz channelled radio.

All this on just a 6metre 1/4 wave, can only get better if build a 6metre 1/2 wave J-pole vertical.

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as for 2metres, the usual 147.100 Buladelah, 146.700 Ulladulla, 146.900 Newcastle, 146.950 Mt Ginini coming through on and off a regular basis, predominantly coastal ducting.
Heard Dave VK2AWZ on 146.500 simplex from Vincentia (near Nowra), which is a a good haul for FM simplex.

What I have seen is some localised enhancement affecting VK2RDX Mt Bindo 146.650, normally it is about s3, but seeing several days where it maybe s9 or even 60db/9, then a couple hrs later it drops off again, I guessing a local inversion.

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for 70cm rptrs, 438.325 Goulburn was in a couple days, that's quite rare, 438.050 Mt Ginini the same, also heard 438.025 from Newcastle which is also rare.