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Author Topic: Spot research tools?  (Read 375 times)

W2IRT

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Spot research tools?
« on: December 28, 2022, 03:09:13 PM »

For the 21st consecutive year I'm trying to work the last two remaining zones on 80m (Z24 and Z26) and I'm trying to figure out the best times to be on and ready. Are there any good software analysis tools to research archived cluster spots for known-good and actionable data for QSOs between the east coast of NA and those zones? DX Altas doesn't provide the needed filters to show only QSOs with Zone 5, and there are an absolute ton of busted spots or false FT8 decodes, so I'm looking for something better.

The only good datapoint that I had was when I worked BD9BI/0 on 80m FT8 earlier this year (January 24th) but that's Zone 23, not 24. I figured 24 would be easier than 23, but so it goes! Any thoughts here?
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

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KE4KY

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2022, 03:40:06 PM »

go to Club Log,

Choose on the left column under TOOLS the selection of PROPAGATION,

From there you have choices as to zone to zone, entity to entity, etc....

This data is derived from the thousands of contacts in Club Log and when most of the contacts are/were logged.

Charts are then built based on your selection as to bands and times that have shown to be most successful.

Play with it, it is an interesting tool.
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Glenn KE4KY - Amateur Radio since 1975; Definitely, one of the deserving...

N4OGW

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2022, 04:41:59 PM »

That is not hard to predict: winter, +- 30 minutes from your sunrise. Or possibly around your sunset via LP (more likely for zone 26/28 area).

Tor N4OGW
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N1UR

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2022, 04:47:33 PM »

The only contacts (all on CW) that I have ever made from central Vermont on 80M to zone 23 and 24 are long path in the afternoon right at or after sunset.  I have not worked Zone 26 or 28 from Vermont on 80M.  And with the FT8 takeover, I doubt I ever will.

Ed  N1UR
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N2NL

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2022, 04:52:04 PM »

Peter,

Just FYI, HS0ZEE had a good signal on 80m FT8 long path, both at local sunrise and sunset in Florida a couple weeks ago, for a few days.  He has high noise, but a handful of NA have worked him.  I've not listened recently, but he may be your best current bet for zone 26 on 80.  For zone 24, BG2AUE may be your best bet assuming he's QRV.  I worked him on 80 CW last February during ARRL DX.  He's got a good signal and seems to hear pretty well also.

Best time for both is honestly at your local sunrise, assuming mutual darkness on both ends of the path.

Best of luck!
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W1VT

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2022, 04:53:01 PM »

Date/Time       2019-02-22 22:31:00  XX9D Zone 24 at sunset. 80M

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/hartford?month=2&year=2019
Sunset was at 5:32 PM

HS0ZEE heard 27 November 2022 11:39:45 peak  -14 grid NK98 3.573MHz
« Last Edit: December 28, 2022, 04:59:43 PM by W1VT »
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W5WS

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2022, 05:39:43 PM »

All 5 of my 80m zone 24 QSO's have been between 12:06 - 13:03 UTC, two of them in the month of March and 3 of them in the month of November.  Three VR2's and two BY's.  All in the last 3 years. No zone 26 contacts on 80m.   :-[
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W2IRT

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2022, 09:40:14 PM »

Well this is about what I figured, and I've been around the computer around sunset maybe 6 out of 7 sunsets every week since November with no luck. I have Hamalert warnings set to go off for anything heard in the northeast and nothing but a few bad decodes have made it in. Looking at grayline maps, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the big cities along the east coast of China are entering morning grayline about an hour after our sunset so in theory that should be idea. Except nobody seems to be copyable.
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

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VU2CDP

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2022, 10:07:57 PM »

Hi Peter,

3W3B could be someone you could ask? Not sure if he has 80m capability but he does put out a good signal from his QTHs (see QRZ).
From my limited operating experience from z26, East Coast remains difficult due to the polar path even on the higher bands. Long path openings around your sunset might work.

You probably missed an opportunity with HS that had good M/M representation in the last CQWW; DL3DXX and 5B4AGN were among the ops with local Thai hams. Maybe they might go again next Nov but with rising sunspots, who knows what 80m condx will be like.

73 & GL,
Deepak VU2CDP
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VK3HJ

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2022, 12:43:04 AM »

I looked at the DX Summit "Spot Search" page to find recent activity on 80 m from Zone 34, my last Zone needed to complete 5BWAZ. It tells me there really has been none this year. Last year it showed Z81D and SU1AS were on a bit. Looking at Diya and Ahmad's QRZ pages, it appears they haven't been active since the beginning of the year.
Any suggestions? Looks like I'll need to arrange a sked to make this possible.
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VU2CDP

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2022, 02:11:27 AM »

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W1VT

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #11 on: December 29, 2022, 06:36:43 AM »

Most hams put up low horizontally polarized hams in noisy locations so the chance of making DX contacts is quite small on 80M.
You may be able to research and determine which hams have antennas with a reasonable chance of making the path.
Remember the VU7 with the 4 square?  I worked them with 100W on 80CW for my only Zone 22 on 80.

A Chinese station operating portable in Z23 may have selected a quiet location and set up antennas for DXing.

There are maps of visible aurora online.  Geomagnetic storms result in aurora being visible over much greater areas.
Raytrace DX paths through the regions of aurora to determine if the path is clear or not.

Zak W1VT
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W2IRT

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #12 on: December 29, 2022, 09:50:13 AM »

Yes, 80 is difficult for exactly that reason. Difficult, but not completely impossible--although decades of hunting with no success is about as close to impossible as I can get. I get a chuckle at Long Path vs short. For 80m all I have is an inverted vee dipole fed at 63' and a K9AY loop, plus industrial-level noise on the lowbands. I suppose I could use a four-square on RHR, but there still has to be someone actually on the air and intent on working stateside.
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

Great times are at hand, and soon there will be DX for all—although more for some than for others.

VK3HJ

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Re: Spot research tools?
« Reply #13 on: December 29, 2022, 11:54:55 AM »

5A?

http://www.dxscape.com/search.cgi?call=5a1al&band=80&rptr=&num=200&mtd=ptl&year=&mon=&date=

A.B. likes greenies.

Thanks mate, but all those spots are after our sunrise, and none are outside Europe.
5A would be the perfect contact on 80 m as it would fill my last Zone and be an ATNO too!
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