"Alaska_Scanner" wrote in message
om...
| Question for you all,
|
| Im up here in Alaska and only have a yb400pe (w/ sony active antenna)
| and for the last few days I havent been getting anything. Although
| last night I was picking up Radio Australia on 13630 and for a little
| bit on 15240, and an asian station on 9595. Now during the day I have
| nothing. I know as the K & A indexs go up radio performance goes
| down. Is this total blackout normal, and is it because of only having
| a portable radio, and/or my location to the pole?
|
| Thanks,
|
| Alaska_Scanner

Yes, it's completely normal. I believe the A index is at 120,
and that's incredibly high.

73,

Steve Lawrence
KAØPMD
Burnsville, Minnesota

"If a man wants his dreams to come true then he must wake up."
- Anonymous


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"Leonard Martin" wrote:
| OK, I'm ready for the flames.
| Now, what does the A index measure?
|
| Leonard

Changes in Earth's magnetic fields. As I understand it, the A Index
is a 24-hour average. Now, how do you use it? Well, speaking in
*general* terms (hold on here, I have to put on my asbestos skivvies),
an A index of less than 15 and a K index under 3 is going to yield good
HF (Shortwave) propagation. You'll also hear talk of solar flux.
Solar flux is a measurement of microwave radiation from the sun, and
*generally* can be used for predicting HF propagation - *if* you use
a smoothed average number.

I have a couple of really good links to share, if you found any of this
interesting.

73,

Steve Lawrence
KAØPMD
Burnsville, Minnesota

"If a man wants his dreams to come true then he must wake up."
- Anonymous


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