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Author Topic: Have you ever had 20 meters go dark on you before?  (Read 263 times)

WK4DS

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Have you ever had 20 meters go dark on you before?
« on: April 01, 2023, 06:31:38 AM »

I recently did a POTA activation and had planned on getting in and out quickly and was just going to "get" my activation on 20 meter "right quick" only to get ZERO calls on 20!!! ZERO! That is a new one for me... Fortunately I was able to get the activation with 40 meters, but 20 was a ghost town and that was strange. Here is the full write up on my blog but that pretty much sums up the post if you don't want to bother hopping over to my site. Just curious, has this happened to any of you or is this just me?

https://www.davidsaylors.com/wk4ds-amateur-radio-blog/d16fylujreb4moesyxvch2473ggiei
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WB6BYU

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Re: Have you ever had 20 meters go dark on you before?
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2023, 07:17:08 AM »

Years ago, perhaps in the 1980s, I was operating
Field Day and signals disappeared.  We checked
the rig to see what button we had hit by mistake,
checked our cables, and stepped outside to see
if our antenna was still up.  About that time the
operators from the other stations came out, doing
the same thing.  Basically, all the bands were
dead as a doornail.

After about 45 minutes, signals started to drift
back in, and in little more than an hour things
we’re mostly back to normal.

The ionosphere can do strange things sometimes...

KA2DDX

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Re: Have you ever had 20 meters go dark on you before?
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2023, 07:33:48 AM »

I have experienced this when the sun gives out a strong flare. Its not unusual.

Next time, check spaceweather.com.
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K4WH

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Re: Have you ever had 20 meters go dark on you before?
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2023, 08:00:59 AM »


Yes several times with solar storms, and once when the antenna fell down and I did not know it, and one other time when I melted the feed line at a current node point.  A bit to much power for the coax I was using.
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WA9JOQ

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Re: Have you ever had 20 meters go dark on you before?
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2023, 08:24:10 AM »

Does not happen often for sure but have experienced same recently as the result of a solar storm.  I just switch to another HF band and continue the hunt there.
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WA3SKN

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Re: Have you ever had 20 meters go dark on you before?
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2023, 09:50:46 AM »

Yes... and it is called "propagation".
You might want to check the date and time against spaceweather.com records... magnetic storms and CMEs happen all the time, and can be "frequency selective".  It also matters where on the earth you were located.

-Mike.
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KE6SLS

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Re: Have you ever had 20 meters go dark on you before?
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2023, 10:27:40 AM »

Yes, back in the latter 90's.  Finished work early and came into the shack to listen to radio while I made out bills.  No signals heard anywhere ??  Not even WWV.  Finally I called a buddy few towns over and asked what he could hear with his monster yagi.  Nada.

Later, learned we'd been hit with a massive solar storm.  Couple hours later, bands were back.

73
Jaye
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