Massive sunspot coming to a town near you!

[Icangelp]

Early Wednesday am arrival. Woohoo! I'm sweeping away all concerns over potential $$$ damage to all things electronic including satelites, so I can't wait.

It may even be possible for some of us midwesterners to see some Northern Lights if we stay up until 3:00 or 4:00 am. Of course we will have to remember to face north if we do decide to look.

Expect to log some normally unheard stations, or maybe there will be nothing but IBOQ-like noise.

Me? I think I'll try for some never present west coast MW stations.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

So what should I look for here on the west coast? I'm near San Diego, CA, and would be using a Tecsun PL-380 and Select-A-Tenna. As for local pests, I'm about 6 miles from a 10kW on 1130, 7 miles from a 50kW on 760, 8 miles from a 5kW IBOC on 600, and 9 miles from a 5kW on 910. (There are other daytime pests, like a 50kW on 1170 that's 9 miles away, a 5kW on 1360 that's 8 miles away, and a 77kW on 690 that's about 30-35 miles away, but they operate with reduced power at night. Also, 760 is 5kW in the daytime.)

Is there a chance I might be able to see the northern lights? I'm on the south side of a hill, so that could block my view. Also are there any stations I should look for? I've so far been unsuccessful at receiving any Asian, European or South American stations, even with my PL-380 and Select-A-Tenna.

 

[Flying-Dutchman]

There was one of these in 1859. It destroyed everything electrical on
Earth. If this happened now, we would be back to the stone age.

Hope we don't ever get one like this. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2003/23oct_superstorm/

 

[eskipper411]

I'm hoping for some rare auroral DX. I don't really care if my electronics blow out, I will cherish the day I get an auroral DX.

 

[Silkie]

There was one of these in 1859. It destroyed everything electrical on
Earth. If this happened now, we would be back to the stone age.

Hope we don't ever get one like this. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2003/23oct_superstorm/

Disruption of the Earth's ionosphere because of solar storms is bad enough. Couple that today with the HAARP assaulting the aurora borealis and the ionosphere with radio waves. Instead of receiving they are transmitting into the ionosphere.

 

[vibe]

I just wanna meet a woman from mars who hasn't been Americanized!

 

[dx1ng]

During this aurora event, I would expect that skywave from AM radio in the Northern part of the US (and Canada too) would be absent, or severely weakened. This will open up channels for stations to the South, so look for a lot of stations from the Caribbean, Central America, and perhaps South America. (Brush up on your Spanish!!) Also, your semi-locals that you lose at night due to power reduction and/or directional antenna, will probably come in much better than usual. This will be especially noticeable on graveyard channels (which don't power down or go directional, but simply usually get overwhelmed by skywave). Look for early morning sign-ons and afternoon sign-offs on frequencies usually blocked by Canadian and Northern USA powerhouses. Good luck!

 

[pianoplayer88key]

During this aurora event, I would expect that skywave from AM radio in the Northern part of the US (and Canada too) would be absent, or severely weakened. This will open up channels for stations to the South, so look for a lot of stations from the Caribbean, Central America, and perhaps South America. (Brush up on your Spanish!!) Also, your semi-locals that you lose at night due to power reduction and/or directional antenna, will probably come in much better than usual. This will be especially noticeable on graveyard channels (which don't power down or go directional, but simply usually get overwhelmed by skywave). Look for early morning sign-ons and afternoon sign-offs on frequencies usually blocked by Canadian and Northern USA powerhouses. Good luck!

What would be my chance of getting DX on the same channel as my local blowtorches? For example, I'm about 7-8 miles SSE of 760 KFMB, 50kW DA nights - should I not bother trying for WJR, or would I have better luck with a co-channel South American, or should I pick a weaker local under which to try for DX?

 

[cd637299]

Ok, what can I expect from Miami? (not that I'd be awake anyway)....I get enough Cuba/Latin America DX....

cd

 

[MarioMania]

When will it be in California??

 

[stormy01]

When will it be in California??

Check out: http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/auroraforecast/
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/index.html

 

[Icangelp]

I decided to come into work late this a.m., and was driving at 9:30 a.m. local time. Several fringe FMs were coming in with pretty fair signals. Don't know if it had anything to do with the aurora.

Incidentaly, I think I read somewhere that this cycle is supposed to peak beginng in Sept of 2012 through Mar of 2013.

Not to scare the young ones, but there is some evidence to suggest that peak sunspot activity affects human brain waves and hormone levels, though mostly just in men. Some of us male DXers may become crabby and more aggressive.

During sunspot cycles 19, 21 & 22, I remember some some really intense written word exchanges taking place in the pages of the NRC DX News. It got so bad that I was afraid to open the latest issues in fear that I might see a four letter word, like darn for heck for instance.

As a side note, it has been speculated that due the the hormone thing, wars and such happen during periods of intense sun storms, and that there is an upswing in crimes and murders, but the real fear for me is the fact that by the time cycle 24 is over, I may be in an assisted living facility...or six feet under.

 

[radioman148]

Didn't notice anything very different last night on MW in the Chicago area.
East west propagation was good as WCBS, WBZ & KOA were coming in fine around midnight CDT.
South was not as strong as WWL & WSB were weak.

 

[Tincap]

Semi-local 1180 WHAM is being run over by a number of Spanish speakers right now (and have been for the past couple of nights). No ID as of now, but I'm getting echoing, which tells me that there are two of them simulcasting. I'll continue to monitor, as I get my giggles from Michael Savage.

~BG

 

[crainbebo]

Semi-local 1180 WHAM is being run over by a number of Spanish speakers right now (and have been for the past couple of nights). No ID as of now, but I'm getting echoing, which tells me that there are two of them simulcasting. I'll continue to monitor, as I get my giggles from Michael Savage.

~BG

Spanish might be 100kw'er Radio Marti Cuba.

-crainbebo

 

[Tincap]

Semi-local 1180 WHAM is being run over by a number of Spanish speakers right now (and have been for the past couple of nights). No ID as of now, but I'm getting echoing, which tells me that there are two of them simulcasting. I'll continue to monitor, as I get my giggles from Michael Savage.

~BG

Spanish might be 100kw'er Radio Marti Cuba.

I was able to ID the 'echoing' signals as Cuba's Radio Rebelde, which is rather interesting as the FMSCAN data base lists Radio Rebelde as having a 50kW & 1kW transmitter on that frequency. There's one more Cuban on 1180, but even if it (too) was simulcasting Radio Rebelde, it's only listed as 10kW. So DXing conditions into the Caribbean must've been pretty good last night....I'll be doing some hunting tonight!

~BG

-crainbebo

 

[Silkie]

Probably has nothing to do with sunspots - or maybe - but heading out for an Rx, feeling like crap with a nasty case of pneumonia , I was uplifted by the sound of a far away station in New Jersey. Happened a couple of times...Beach Baby, by The First Class segued with You're Sixteen, by Johnny Burnette. A short time later was BTO, Takin' Care of Business. Man, the good stuff just kept coming every time they faded in. Good stuff!