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Aurora coming: Here we go again!

C

crainbebo

X1.9 flare yesterday sparked a CME. This flare was long-lasting, and could be stronger than the X1.9 that it measured as.
Plug in the headphones, tune those AM radios after dark, and point SOUTH!! Colombia, the Caribbean, Mexico, and other surprises might await everyone!
Don't forget auroral-induced FM DX. Whether the muffled variety (classic 'aurora') or even Au-induced E-skip in the northern states.

www.space.com

Sun erupts with powerful X-class flare as huge CME races toward Earth, impact possible within 24 hours

Aurora alert! The colossal solar storm could impact and trigger impressive northern lights.
www.space.com www.space.com
 
As usual, the forecast here in Vermont is cloudy for tonight and the next few nights, same weather we've had for every single possible aurora night since the sun started sending out these big CMEs nearly a year ago. Several conspiracy theorists on the ham bands have been blaming this phenomenon on chem trails and sinister government weather manipulation. Idiocy doesn't disqualify one from a license, I guess.
 
The NOAA site predicts a K of 8 (which is ripe for major aurora), and viewable conditions down to the NE/KS state line, Cincinnati, northern Utah, and southern Oregon. It could be much further, however.
 
Listening to hams on 40 meters on the K1VL Vermont WebSDR right now. Most signals, especially close in, have that fluttery sound that usually comes with CMEs and aurora. Some clearing is in the forecast for tonight before we get socked in again right through Thursday, so I'll be keeping my eyes on the skies tonight.
 
Aurora seen in AZ and NM. But conditions aren't ripe at all for Au on AM. CBR-1010 is still in as are Oregon and Idaho stations. All of these stations should be obliterated. Even CBK-540 is in.
 
I tried to listen to the CFP national championship game earlier on WMVP from here in suburban Columbus, Ohio and it was completely gone. WCKY from Cincinnati was coming in like gangbusters, like WMVP usually does, and it's usually subject to really deep fading around here in addition to being a generally weak signal day and night.
 
There's definitely something happening. I'm hearing classical music on 1260, which had been, then wasn't, and apparently once again is KMZT. That never happens usually.

Also, KBRT seems to be bubbling under KCBS, which is kind of impressive, given that even way up here in the fringes of their night pattern, KCBS overpowers it easily.

I'll keep monitoring, but so far I'm not noticing anything else that seems particularly different, other than maybe the band seems a bit quieter than usual.

c
 
Strange conditions tonight, not the usual Au wipeout to just CA/NV/AZ/Mexicans. Most of the band is closer signals out to maybe 200-300 miles. CKFR-1150 Kelowna all alone with very little KSL next door. Even stranger is CBW 990 weak but alone, plus CBK 540. Normally SS stations would be in during Au.
1260 has KPOW Powell WY with Wyoming basketball, no sign of KSFB, KMZT, or any other southerly signals.
 
DEFINITELY auroral on AM tonight. North and east gone except for some regional groundwave and locals. Here's some of what I'm hearing:
540 XESURF
550 KUZZ
660 KGDP Oildale alone w/ Punjabi music
770 KCBC no sign of KTTH, CHQR, etc.
990 XECL BCN alone
1030 XESDD BCN
1130 KRDU Dinuba CA no sign of CKWX
1200 KYAA Soquel CA mass no sign of Vancouver
1210 KRPU Rocklin CA probably on day power nothing else in
1320 KNIT SLC all alone, Christian Contemporary music, Utah's Hope
1330 KLBS / KWKW swapping from CA
1400 KIHH Eureka CA, unid Spanish station (maybe KNNR Reno?), a few others
1410 KERI Bakersfield alone
 
TWO NEW AURORAL LOGS!! One is low-power!!

1190 - KGBN CA, Anaheim; Korean hymns, a "KGBN Anaheim" ID at 1800, and into a sermon program in Korean. NEW #839, 1.3KW at 885 miles.

Followed by this low-power log:
1250 - KHOT CA, Madera; Relevant Radio with The Patrick Madrid Show // 1260 KSFB and 1200 KYAA, at 1815 PT 1/21. NEW #840, only 81 watts at night! 665 miles. This was the last Californian I needed on 1250. I already have KLLK, KNWH and KZER.

Searching the band for other goodies!
 
1600 KUBA Yuba City over a weak jumble with classic hits, Steve Winwood
1590 KLIV San Jose, very strong, Chinese talk
1240 KJOP Lemoore CA also w/ Relevant, Patrick Madrid show often on top of KXLE and skywave

Meanwhile, I am getting XEFR-1180 Mexico City // stream with Mexican oldies on the Methow Valley WA receiver. It would be nice to hear this in Yakima, but no sign yet. XEFR is needed. XEW-900 noted under a very strong KBIF Fresno.

Rockin' oldies on KYNO-940 at S9+10
XEKAM Tijuana all alone on 950
KTMS Santa Barbara has taken over on 990 with Fox Sports, Lakers talk. 500 watts
1060 KFOY Reno on top with Joe Pags, jazz music noted underneath (// stream of Radio Educacion, XECPAE Mexico City)

A little after 7PM, noted KVML-1450 Sonora CA with Dave Ramsey, plus an UNID with classic hits ("And We Danced" by The Hooters), definitely not KBPS (not // stream), nor KTIP CA (which is rhythmic oldies). Who could this be?
 
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8:30 update...
1300 is a mix of KWRU Fresno (Punjabi), KROP Brawley CA (Religious) and probably KCMY Carson City with classic country.
570 KLAC is finally in w/ sports talk
870 KRLA Glendale just IDed, not very common, 3KW pointed away from the Pacific NW
The 1450 classic hits DOES seem to be KTIP Porterville. Interesting that they are mixing in generic classic rock hits into the rhythmic playlist. 1KW, 729 miles.
Sports talk mixed with KIGS-620 (Punjabi), probably KTAR Phoenix vs. KPOJ in PDX. Also have a talker mixed with KUZZ 550, probably KFYI.
KRLV-920 Las Vegas on top of a few others, with Westwood One Sports Night //stream, only 500 watts

Aurora is starting to fade out on some frequencies, with CFAC-960 and CBR-1010 taking over their usual top-of-the-jumble positions.
 
Last night brought some mixed results here in central Ohio.
Almost every big station below 1100 was completely absent, at least around 8 p.m. ET. WFAN, WSCR, WGN, CFZM, WABC, WBBM and so on all the way up to 1000. WSM was in, as was WJR, although I assume the latter involved groundwave to some extent. WBZ, another one of my test signals for times like this, also was nowhere to be found.
Unlike during other auroral events, however, WMVP and KMOX were their usual robust selves. That was a surprise.
Some of the lower-powered semi-local/regional graveyards were tough catches. I did get WHTH on 790 from Newark, Ohio, about 25 miles northeast of me, but it was extremely weak given that it sends a deep null my way anyway at night.
 
Noticed similar results here just north of Chicago on Monday night. Below 1000 kHz, most frequencies were silent except for the locals. Above 1000 kHz there were plenty of stations to be heard, but I didn’t spend the time to determine which ones would’ve been unusual catches. I did spend about 15 minutes trying to ID a Spanish language station on 1030 where WBZ usually dominates. After a while, the station just faded out completely. Never found out if it was a Mexican or U.S. station.
 


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