SF Solar Flux Values: What's A Good Value For General SWL
 

Hello:

What's a "good" value for the SF Solar Flux values reported for general SWL
(30 MHz and below) ?

Is it freq. dependent ? How ?

Thanks,
B.

SF Solar Flux Values: What's A Good Value For General SWL
 

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:


"Robert11" wrote in message
...
Hello:

What's a "good" value for the SF Solar Flux values reported for general
SWL (30 MHz and below) ?

Is it freq. dependent ? How ?

Thanks,
B.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It would take hours to really answer your question fully, but I think I can
help:

For most hams, when the flux gets above 100, things are picking up. Above
125, you'll hear comments about how great the bands are. Above 150, you can
do DXCC in a week running QRP. Above 175, you'll ask the wife to call in
sick for you so you can chase DX. Above 200, you won't have to call in sick
anymore because you quit your job.

How's that? :-)

Bill, W6WRT

SF Solar Flux Values: What's A Good Value For General SWL
 

Bill Turner wrote:
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:


SNIPPED

What's a "good" value for the SF Solar Flux values reported for general
SWL (30 MHz and below) ?

Is it freq. dependent ? How ?

Thanks,
B.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It would take hours to really answer your question fully, but I think I can
help:

For most hams, when the flux gets above 100, things are picking up. Above
125, you'll hear comments about how great the bands are. Above 150, you can
do DXCC in a week running QRP. Above 175, you'll ask the wife to call in
sick for you so you can chase DX. Above 200, you won't have to call in sick
anymore because you quit your job.

How's that? :-)

Bill, W6WRT


Now, Add in the K and A indicators and the issues gets complex. In non
technical terms the K and A averages subtract from the 'goodness' of the
flux. Low K, 1 through 3, indicate good propagation. High K, 5+,
indicate poor propagation good for taking a nap..

A values below 4 are good, 5 to 10 fair, 11+ are take a nap. Now if the
A index hits 20+ take a long nap.

Seriously, Flux above 150 suggests very good propagation when K and A
are low. Flux below 100 and high K and A suggests propagation is poor.

SF Solar Flux Values: What's A Good Value For General SWL
 

Robert11 wrote:
Hello:

What's a "good" value for the SF Solar Flux values reported for
general SWL (30 MHz and below) ?

Is it freq. dependent ? How ?

Thanks,
B.

Yes it is frequency, time and location dependent. If you haven't already,
look up a LUF/MUF calculator and try it out. Inputting the solar flux data,
your location and the location of the broadcast transmitter gives you a time
graph showing the LUF (least useable frequency) and the the MUF (maximum
useable frequency). Simply put, the MUF shows the highest usefull frequency
for tranmissions from that location at any particular time. If your desired
station frequency is higher than that, forget it. Also, if the LUF is
higher than the MUF, you wont be hearing anything from that location until
solar conditions (or the time of day) changes. It's an informative way to
see how the solar conditions, time of day and propagation path affect what
you can hear.

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html