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Author Topic: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.  (Read 588 times)

KC6RWI

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What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« on: July 22, 2022, 10:37:44 AM »

I use solar ham, have it book marked and its a regular go to for following  the cycle.   https://www.solarham.net/
Just wondering what others use.
Also, if you have a favorite indicator value that tells you when bands are open.
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W7CXC

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2022, 11:36:42 AM »

dxheat.com
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K1VSK

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2022, 12:49:06 PM »

Far better and more accurate - turn on your receiver and listen. Propagation reports are always generic.  I don’t understand why listening isn’t always the first choice.
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NN2X

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2022, 01:08:38 PM »

Here is what I use...

First I go to VOACAP, that tells me what bands work for my desired country I am targeting

Second, I fire up PSK reporter , and TX FT8, and see the levels, (I can deduce from the Levels to see if truly propagation is really feasible

The the first two items are good to go, I go to DX Watch, or DX Heat...(QRZ Page has some information, but the first and second items are smack down real infomation
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KA2DDX

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2022, 04:01:12 PM »

Go to reversebeacon.net or dxmaps.com...... Call Cq and observe the results
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K4WH

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2022, 04:04:05 PM »


Turn your radio on and start working stations.  Just have fun.
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KC6RWI

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2022, 10:04:04 AM »

Bad habit, I don't feel like I am going to have great radio conditions unless the
solar indices say so.
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N4EF

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2022, 03:53:12 AM »

Some years ago I was listening to the CW portion on a dead 15 m band. There were no signals to be heard.

I called CQ and a chap in Iceland answered.

To this day I still do that.
Don’t just listen— call CQ.

Dave
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AA6YQ

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2022, 08:22:41 PM »

Using up to 4 DX clusters or remote beacon network nodes, the DX Submit web cluster, and one or more local WSJT-X instances as input, the freeware DXLab Suite maintains an active DX database with one entry for each active station near a particular frequency in a particular mode. This makes it possible to

1. identify the operating patterns (bands, modes, times) of stations I'd like to work

2. identify propagation openings between my QTH and stations I'd like to work

When I was chasing ZC4GR on FT8 last year, I first filtered the active DX database to show ZC4GR's FT8 activity by band and time of day:



Then I filtered the database to show all stations in ZC4, 5B4, TA, OD, 4X, and SU spotted by stations within 500 miles of my QTH near Boston MA, revealing the propagation openings between ZC4 and me:



Noting the primary overlap between ZC4GR's operating activity and the propagation openings, I monitored the 20m FT8 sub-band from 12Z to 23Z.

Success!





« Last Edit: July 27, 2022, 08:25:44 PM by AA6YQ »
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I4MFA

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2022, 11:55:09 PM »

I am astonished no one mentioned SWS in a context of "propagation indicator" !
I published my thoughts and experience on this matter last year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1TmpDnRRKk
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AA6YQ

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #10 on: July 29, 2022, 09:01:23 AM »

I am astonished no one mentioned SWS in a context of "propagation indicator" !
I published my thoughts and experience on this matter last year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1TmpDnRRKk

A very nice analysis, but actual propagation (as reported by the DX Cluster network, WSJT-X instances, and NCDXF beacon reception strengths) is significantly more accurate than forecasting.

Using the included VOACAP engine, DXLab can optionally forecast a short-path and long-path "probability of sufficient SNR" for each active station; this provides guidance as to the likelihood that the user can make contact with an active station (on its band, in its mode).
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KA5QMA

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #11 on: August 03, 2022, 05:26:59 PM »

I use solar ham, have it book marked and its a regular go to for following  the cycle.   https://www.solarham.net/
Just wondering what others use.
Also, if you have a favorite indicator value that tells you when bands are open.

Solar Ham and Reverse Beacon network
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KH6AQ

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2022, 01:51:18 PM »

I use VOACAP for contest/DX planning. To see how conditions are right now I listen. To me the space weather reports are as good as a terrestrial weather report saying it's raining with I can look outside and see it raining.
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WA2VUY

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AI5BC

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Re: What is your favorite propagation indicator or website.
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2022, 08:42:40 AM »

Simple tune in 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 MHz. If you have good copy on WWV, that band is open. Takes less than 1 minute.
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