For your listening and downloading
Jen's Link For Eclectic Views & Real Deal, for May 17, 2026.
Tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/e2x7ef3v
For contact pleasure.
Thanks.
Jen In The RAD
Monday, May 18, 2026
Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins, May 18, 2026
:Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2026 May 18 0431 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
# Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 11 - 17 May 2026
.jpg)
Solar activity reached moderate levels on 16 May due to four M-class flares. The largest were an M1.9/2N (R1-Minor) at 16/1612UTC from Region 4436 (N18, L=330, class/area=Dao/200 on 11 May) and a second
M1.9 flare (R1-Moderate) at 16/1742UTC from Region 4435 (N22, L=040, class/area=Dao/070 on 15 May). The 1612UTC M1.9 was associated with a Type IV radio sweep, two 10.7 cm radio bursts, and a filament
eruption that was centered at approximately N21W07, which lead to a complex CME signature in coronagraph imagery. The first front was first seen in LASCO C2 imagery at 16/1636UTC, and the second front
became visible at approximately 16/1700 UTC. Analysis and modeling of the event suggests potential for a glancing blow at Earth by mid UTC-day on 18 May, with the bulk of the material passing northward
of Earth's orbit.
The other two M-flares, an M1.4 at 17/0339UTC and an M1.3 at 16/1629, were also from Regions 4435 and 4436, with the M1.3 following on the heels of the 16/1612UTC M1.9. The other 11 numbered
active regions on this visible disk were either quiet or only produced C-class activity during the past week. 3 Type II radio sweeps and an additional 10.7cm radio burst were observed during the
summary period, but they were not associated with any Earth-directed activity
No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal to moderate levels for the majority of the summary period, before increasing to high levels at 16/1740UTC. During the summary
period, the maximum value reached was 6,120 pfu at 17/1740UTC.
Geomagnetic field activity reached G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels on 15-16 May due to a negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream becoming geoeffective late on 15 May.
Total magnetic field strength, Bt, increased all throughout 15 May, from approximately 3 nT to a peak of 17 nT at 15/1555UTC. The north-south component, Bz, rotated between +/- 11 nT, with maximum
southward deflections of approximately -13 nT. The interplanetary magnetic field had returned to background levels by the end of 16 May. A smaller positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream
became geoeffective on 13 May with a max Bt of 13 nT and maximum Bz southward deflection of -9 nT; however this only produced unsettled geomagnetic conditions and no NOAA Geomagnetic Storming thresholds
were reached.
Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 18 May - 13 June 2026
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Solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels throughout the outlook period, with M-class activity (R1-R2, Minor-Moderate) ranging from a chance to likely and X-class activity (R3, Strong) ranging from a slight chance to a chance, due to the flare potential of several active regions currently on the visible disk and those both expected to return and indicated by Solar Orbiter magnetic imagery.
No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 18 May and 21-23 May due to the influence from the current negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream and an anticipated solar sector boundary cross on 21 May. The remaining days of the outlook period are likely to be at normal to moderate levels.
Geomagnetic field activity is expected to reach G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels over 18-19 May due to potential influences from the CME that left the Sun on 16 May, arriving in the near-Earth environment in the midst of the current high-speed stream. The remainder of the outlook period is anticipated to be at largely quiet to unsettled levels.
:Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2026 May 18 0431 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
# 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
# Issued 2026-05-18
#
# UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest
# Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index
2026 May 18 105 21 5
2026 May 19 110 21 5
2026 May 20 115 8 3
2026 May 21 115 10 3
2026 May 22 110 8 3
2026 May 23 112 5 2
2026 May 24 112 5 2
2026 May 25 115 5 2
2026 May 26 115 5 2
2026 May 27 115 12 4
2026 May 28 120 10 3
2026 May 29 125 8 3
2026 May 30 130 8 3
2026 May 31 135 8 3
2026 Jun 01 130 5 2
2026 Jun 02 130 5 2
2026 Jun 03 130 5 2
2026 Jun 04 125 12 4
2026 Jun 05 120 5 2
2026 Jun 06 115 5 2
2026 Jun 07 110 5 2
2026 Jun 08 105 5 2
2026 Jun 09 105 10 3
2026 Jun 10 100 5 2
2026 Jun 11 95 30 6
2026 Jun 12 95 25 5
2026 Jun 13 95 12 4
(NOAA)
Friday, May 15, 2026
Texas Radio Shortwave, May 17, 21, 2026
May 17, 2026
1000-1100, 6070 Channel 292 to Europe - The Music of Selina
May 21, 2026
1900-2000, 3975, 6160, Shortwave Radio Gold to Europe - The Music of Sam the Sham
This schedule is subject to change based on listener requests for specific Texas artists or music genres, propagation conditions, and other things beyond our control.
Texas Radio Shortwave is an independent producer of musical and topical shows, usually about Texas.
Unless otherwise shown, programs are one hour long.
Programs for Europe (Eur) and beyond on 3975 and 6160 kHz over Shortwave Radio Gold in Winsen, Germany, are transmitted with 1 kW into crossed dipole antennas.
Programs for Europe (Eur) and beyond on 6070 and 9670 kHz over Channel 292 in Rohrbach, Germany, are transmitted with 10 kiloWatts into an inverted V antenna.
Programs for North America (NAm) and beyond on 9670 kHz over Channel 292 are transmitted with 10 kW into a 10.5 dB gain beam antenna.
Texas Radio Shortwave uses a version of The Yellow Rose of Texas as its Interval Signal/Signature Song.
Texas Radio Shortwave verifies correct, detailed reception reports by electronic QSL. This includes reports from listeners using remote receivers (SDRs). Texas Radio
Shortwave's email is texasradioshortwave@protonmail.com.
Many TRSW programs are archived at www.mixcloud.com/texasradiosw.
Texas Radio Shortwave's Facebook page is www.facebook.com/texasradiosw.
Texas Radio Shortwave's Listeners' Group Facebook page is www.facebook.com/groups/580199276066655/.
(TRSW)
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Throwback Thursday-- VOA Ship No. 4: The Spindle Eye, Another American Radio Ship in the Pacific
 |
| The Spindle Eye |
If you enjoyed the updated post for The Spindle Eye, posted on May 12th at:
Read the original Wavescan feature from October 30, 2011.
Wavescan, October 30, 2011
The Voice of America: Shipboard Relay Stations - VOA Ship No. 4: The Spindle Eye, Another American Radio Ship in the Pacific
In our continuing series of topics on shipboard radio stations used as relay stations for programming from the Voice of America, we come to ship number 4, the USS Spindle Eye. Plans for this new radio ship were developed during the year 1944 and it was intended for use during the projected invasion of Japan.
This new radio ship was laid down in the Kaiser shipyards at Richmond, near San Francisco in California, and it was launched with the unassuming name Spindle Eye on May 25, 1945. The ship was nearly 340 feet long and 50 feet wide, with a total empty weight of four thousand tons.
Originally, the Spindle Eye was constructed for use as an army cargo ship, but it was taken over and quickly fitted out at the Todd shipyards in Seattle, Washington with a bevy of electronic equipment. Aboard this ship were two radio studios, six shortwave transmitters, eight antennas, and 112 typewriters. Four of the shortwave transmitters were 3 kW units made by Wilcox, and the broadcast quality transmitter at 7.5 kW was made by RCA at their Camden Factory in New Jersey.
The first series of test broadcasts from the Spindle Eye were made at the dockside shipyards in Seattle from the 7.5 kW RCA transmitter during the first half of the month of September 1945. Then, on September 19, after just 64 days of fitting out, the ship moved out across the Pacific, bound for Japan.
The Spindle Eye arrived in Tokyo Harbor on October 15, and it took over the radio services previously carried by WVLC aboard the Apache, which was still in the Philippines at the time. The Spindle Eye was inspected by General MacArthur, after which it made a test tour in the waters of China and Korea. It was reported that the electronics aboard the Spindle Eye were working well.
On return to Japan just before Christmas, the Spindle Eye, under the transferred callsign WVLC, began a series of broadcasts on behalf of the Voice of America and the American Armed Forces Radio Service. In addition, news dispatches from the 1946 legal trials in Tokyo were relayed from the Spindle Eye to the United States for nationwide rebroadcast.
During the month of July 1946, the Americans conducted two atomic tests in the Pacific. One was an overwater explosion with the code name Able, and the other was an underwater explosion with the code name Baker. These atomic explosions were conducted in the Marshall Islands, at Bikini Atoll, and the overall code name for the twin explosions was Operation Crossroads.
Extensive plans were made for live radio coverage of the first detonation, which took place on July 1, 1946. Ships, airplanes and land vehicles were staged at strategic locations on the Marshall Islands and in nearby waters. A total of 150 radio transmitters and 300 receivers were in use for the coordination of the atomic detonation and for the broadcast of live news reports. One of the major news reporters for the occasion was Oliver Read, who was editor of the American radio journal, Radio News at that time, and he published three large articles in his magazine.
The quite new Spindle Eye was given the task of coordinating all of the news transmissions from Operation Crossroads, including voice broadcasts, press dispatches and radio photos. For this purpose, the Spindle Eye was located off the coast of Kwajalein Island and the callsign WVLC was replaced by the navy callsign NIGF. The broadcasts from NIGF were beamed to RCA Bolinas and Press Wireless Los Angeles for onward relay.
On Able-Day July 1, program broadcasts from NIGF Spindle Eye began at 3:30 am local time with live news reports to NBC and CBS in the United States. At 9:00 am, the atomic bomb was dropped over Bikini Atoll from the air force B29 plane identified with the large tail marker "B". At this stage, two voice transmitters on the Spindle Eye were on the air in parallel with all of the live news reports, the 7.5 kW RCA and a 2.5 kW Wilcox. Subsequently, the Wilcox was diverted for the transmission of news photos which were received at the army station WTJ in Hawaii and relayed onward to the army station in San Francisco WVY.
All of the various live news reports were broadcast by the Spindle Eye for relay by the radio networks in the United States. In addition, the Voice of America also carried these same reports worldwide through their large network of shortwave and mediumwave stations.
However, in spite of the elaborate plans for extensive live news coverage from the atomic test areas, there were times when the voice relays were inferior and difficult to understand. This was due to the fact that the shortwave transmitters aboard several ships in the area were quite low in output power.
Thus, when the underwater test, Baker, was conducted 3-1/2 weeks later, the radio ship Spindle Eye was located at Honolulu, as a relay point between the atomic test sites in the Marshall Islands and the American mainland. On July 25 for the underwater explosion, Spindle Eye NIGF received the shortwave reports from Bikini and relayed this programming onto RCA Bolinas and Press Wireless Los Angeles for further distribution.
After the twin atomic tests, the Spindle Eye returned to the Pacific coast of the United States and the usage of the transmitter as WVLC-NIGF came to an end at the end of the year 1946. This radio ship was intended for use in a planned invasion of Japan, but the war came to an end before the ship arrived on the scene.
The Spindle Eye was in use on occasions as WVLC for the broadcast of VOA programming, and for the relay of news reports; and it was in use as NIGF for the relay of programming to the Voice of America for inclusion in live broadcasts.
One year later, the Spindle Eye was renamed the Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup and it was in use in the Pacific as a helicopter freighter. After that spate of service came to an end, the ship was then transferred to the Mediterranean for oceanographic studies. The ship known as Spindle Eye and Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup was finally sold for scrap on May 9, 1973.
It is known that a few QSL letters were issued for the WVLC-NIGF broadcasts, and the Voice of America also issued their regular QSLs confirming the relay of the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll. In addition, special QSL cards were printed to honor the Atomic Tests and these showed an artistic version of the sinking of a ship.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
U.S. Military Radio Ship – Spindle Eye
Special thanks to the Wavescan staff for this week's radio nostalgia feature on Spindle Eye
Jeff: This week, Ray Robinson in Los Angeles brings us the interesting story of a U.S. military radio ship which saw service in the Pacific in the 1940’s and was used to broadcast news of the American atom bomb tests on Bikini atoll in the Marshall Islands in 1946.
Ray: Thanks, Jeff. Our editor-in-chief, Dr. Adrian Peterson, actually brought us this story first about 15 years ago, but recent research by Dr. Martin van der Ven in Germany now allows me to add more information.
The ship in question was called the Spindle Eye. Plans for this new radio ship were developed during 1944, and she was originally intended to provide the master control for coverage of the projected invasion of Japan.
The ship was laid down in the Kaiser shipyards at Richmond, near San Francisco, California, and she was launched with the unassuming name Spindle Eye on May 25, 1945. She was nearly 340 feet long and 50 feet wide (which by comparison is about one and a half times longer and wider than Radio Caroline’s current radio ship, the MV Ross Revenge).
The Spindle Eye was fitted out as a radio ship at the Todd shipyards in Seattle, Washington with a bevy of electronic equipment. From a technical perspective, the Spindle Eye was a masterpiece of post-war engineering. On board were, among other installations, a 7½ kW broadcast-quality RCA shortwave transmitter that had been made at their Camden Factory in New Jersey, a 500 watt Hallicrafters BC-610 shortwave transmitter that was used for local coordination, a 2½ kW Wilcox 96C four-channel shortwave transmitter, high-speed teletype equipment capable of up to 500 words per minute, Acme radiophoto transmission systems, as well as extensive recording and mixing facilities in two studios – one for broadcasting and one for recording and production. Above the decks were also eight antennas. A central control room had an extensive patching infrastructure, Western Electric compression amplifiers, numerous receivers (including Hammarlund Super-Pro and RCA AR-88 models), a fully equipped darkroom, and an air-conditioned press conference room with 120 typewriter positions. In fact, all the studios and technical spaces were fully air-conditioned — quite an accomplishment for the time, and no small advantage in the tropical climate of the Marshall Islands.
Test transmissions from the Spindle Eye first took place during early September 1945 at the dockside in Seattle, using the 7.5 kW RCA transmitter. On September 19, after only 64 days of fitting out, the ship sailed into the Pacific, bound for Japan.
The Spindle Eye arrived in Tokyo Harbor on October 15, and she took over the radio services previously provided by the Apache under the call sign WVLC; that vessel was still in the Philippines at the time. The Spindle Eye was inspected by General MacArthur, after which she undertook a trial voyage off the coasts of China and Korea. It was reported that the electronics aboard the Spindle Eye were working well.
On return to Japan just before Christmas, the Spindle Eye (operating under the transferred callsign WVLC), began a series of broadcasts on behalf of the Voice of America and the American Armed Forces Radio Service. In addition, news dispatches from the post-War legal trials in Tokyo, which were convened on April 29, 1946, were relayed from the Spindle Eye to the United States for nationwide rebroadcast.
In July 1946, the Americans conducted two
atomic tests in the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific, about halfway
between Hawaii and the Philippines. The
umbrella codename for the tests was ‘Operation Crossroads’, and in this
pre-television era, extensive plans were made for live radio coverage of the
detonations. Throughout the islands, a
total of 150 radio transmitters and 300 receivers were in use for the
coordination of the atomic detonations and for the broadcast of live news
reports.
The first test was an explosion in the air with the code name Able, and the second was an underwater test, code-named Baker. On Able-Day, July 1, 1946, a U.S. Air Force B-29 dropped a bomb (named “Gilda”) over the Bikini Atoll in the far northwest of the group. It detonated with a yield of 23 kilotons at an altitude of just over 500 feet, but it had been dropped about half a mile short of the intended destination. A fleet of 73 obsolete ships had been moored around Bikini, but as a result of the targeting error, only five were sunk.
The Spindle Eye was given the task of
co-ordinating all of the news transmissions from Operation Crossroads,
including voice broadcasts, press dispatches and radio photos. For this purpose, the ship was located at
Kwajalein Atoll, about 200 miles southeast of Bikini, and the callsign WVLC was
replaced by the Navy callsign NIGF. The
broadcasts from NIGF were beamed to RCA Bolinas and Press Wireless, Los Angeles
for onward relay.
One of the greatest technical challenges arose from the geographical orientation of Kwajalein and the prevailing winds in the area. The conventional delta-fed doublet antennas that had been installed on board radiated their maximum power at right angles to the ship’s axis — which for most of the day was an unfavorable orientation for the desired link to the US West Coast. So, using a four-point anchoring system, the ship was fixed on a heading of 143 degrees in order to align the main radiation lobe precisely with the great-circle path to San Francisco. However, this was pretty uncomfortable for those on board with the swells hitting broadside, so a second solution was a remarkable piece of technical improvisation. An inverted, unterminated V antenna was constructed, with its legs leading out to buoys that had been anchored in the lagoon. Interestingly, the outcome was convincing: an improvement in signal strength of approximately 30 per cent.
On Able-Day, July 1, program broadcasts from NIGF Spindle Eye began at 3:30 am local time with live news reports for NBC and CBS in the United States of the evacuation measures that were taking place. The Voice of America also carried these same reports worldwide through their large network of shortwave and medium wave stations. These were followed by outside broadcasts of the take-off of the B-29 bomber, and pooled broadcasts as the signal “Bombs Away” was received at 9:00 am. Two voice transmitters on the Spindle Eye were used in parallel with all of the live news reports – the 7½ kW RCA and the 2½ kW Wilcox. Subsequently the Wilcox was diverted for the transmission of news photos – the first photographs of the explosion which were sent via the army station WTJ in Hawaii and relayed onward to army station WVY in San Francisco.
One of the major news reporters on board for the occasion was Oliver Read who was the editor of the American radio journal, Radio News, and he published three lengthy articles about the Spindle Eye’s involvement in the operation in that magazine.
However, in spite of the elaborate plans for extensive live news coverage from the atomic test areas, on Able-Day there had been times when the voice relays were inferior and difficult to understand. This was due to the fact that the shortwave transmitters used had only modest output power considering the distance and propagation challenges with the local effects on the ionosphere immediately after the explosion.
For the underwater test, Baker, which was conducted 3½ weeks later, the radio ship Spindle Eye was moved to Honolulu, as a more central relay point between the atomic test sites in the Marshall Islands and the American mainland. On July 25, a second bomb of the same size was detonated at a depth of 90 feet below the waves, creating a vast radioactive column of water and debris that sank several ships – including the USS Saratoga – and caused extreme and unexpected contamination of the fleet. The Spindle Eye, operating under the call sign NIGF, received the shortwave reports from Bikini and relayed this programming on to RCA Bolinas and Press Wireless, Los Angeles for further distribution.
Following the two atomic tests, the Spindle Eye returned to the Pacific coast of the United States, and operation of the RCA transmitter as WVLC-NIGF came to an end at the close of 1946.
One year later, the Spindle Eye was renamed the Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup and it was then used in the Pacific as a helicopter freighter. After that spate of service came to an end, the ship was transferred to the Mediterranean for oceanographic studies. Finally, she was sold for scrap on May 9, 1973.
It is known that a few QSL letters were issued for the WVLC-NIGF broadcasts, and the Voice of America also issued their regular QSL’s confirming the relay of the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll. In addition, special QSL cards were printed to commemorate the atomic tests, and these showed an artistic version of the sinking of a ship.
Back to you, Jeff.
Jeff: Thanks, Ray, and again, we are grateful to Dr. Martin van der Ven in Germany for his additional research on this feature.
Monday, May 11, 2026
Audio now available for Jen's & GB's Mum's Day Special on Unique Radio
Audio for the May 10 edition of Jen's special Mum's Day programming is now available for your listening nd downloading.
Link:
Tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/2bx6cfk7
For contact pleasure.
Thanks.
Jen In The RAD
For your contact pleasure.
Jen In The RAD
Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins, May 11, 2026
Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2026 May 11 0150 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
# Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 04 - 10 May 2026
.jpg)
Solar activity reached high levels on 10 May due to an M5.7/2b flare (R2-Moderate) at 10/1339UTC from Region 4436 (N19, L=330, class/area=Dao/beta on 10 May), the strongest of the period.
Associated with the event was a Type II radio sweep (est. 650 km/s), Tenflare (550sfu), and a CME signature first observed in coronagraph imagery at 10/1348UTC towards the NE. Analysis and modeling of the event is ongoing at the time of this writing.
Region 4424 (N17, L=192, class/area=Eai/160 on 30 Apr) also produced an M-class event with an M1.8 flare (R1-Minor) observed at 04/0133 UTC. The other 10 numbered active regions on this visible disk were either mostly quiet or only produced C-class activity during the past week
No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal to moderate levels throughout the summary period.
Geomagnetic field activity reached G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels on 04 May and G1 (Minor) levels on 05 May due to the influence of a passing CME. Total magnetic field strength only reached a peak of 11 nT during that time, but Bz rotated as far southward as -10 nT and was sustained southward from late on 04 May through midday on 05 May. Despite the influence of a positive polarity A coronal hole beginning late on 07 May, the mostly northward Bz component results in only quiet to unsettled conditions through the end of the reporting period.
Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 11 May - 06 June 2026
Solar activity is expected to be at low levels, with a chance for M-class activity (R1/R2-inor/Moderate), and a slight chance for X-class (R3-Strong), throughout the outlook period due to the flare potential of several active regions both currently on the visible disk and those expected to return from the Sun's farside.
No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 17-20 May due to the influence of a recurrent, negative polarity coronal hole. The remainder of the
outlook period is likely to be at normal to moderate levels.
Geomagnetic field activity is likely to reach G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels over 15-17 May; active conditions are likely on 18 May, 23 May, 27 May, and 03 Jun; unsettled conditions are likely over 11 May, 13 May, 21-22 May, and 28 May - 31 May. All enhancements in geomagnetic activity are due to the anticipated influence of multiple, recurrent, coronal hole HSSs. The remainder of the outlook. The period is likely to be mostly quiet.
Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt
:Issued: 2026 May 11 0150 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
#
# 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
# Issued 2026-05-11
#
# UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest
# Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index
2026 May 11 128 8 3
2026 May 12 128 5 2
2026 May 13 122 10 3
2026 May 14 130 5 2
2026 May 15 125 25 5
2026 May 16 125 20 5
2026 May 17 120 18 5
2026 May 18 122 15 4
2026 May 19 130 5 2
2026 May 20 130 5 2
2026 May 21 130 8 3
2026 May 22 120 10 3
2026 May 23 125 12 4
2026 May 24 125 5 2
2026 May 25 125 5 2
2026 May 26 130 5 2
2026 May 27 135 12 4
2026 May 28 135 10 3
2026 May 29 130 8 3
2026 May 30 125 8 3
2026 May 31 122 8 3
2026 Jun 01 118 5 2
2026 Jun 02 115 5 2
2026 Jun 03 120 5 2
2026 Jun 04 120 12 4
2026 Jun 05 120 5 2
2026 Jun 06 120 5 2
(NOAA)
Friday, May 08, 2026
U.K. Propagation Update
RSGB
RadCom Assistant Editor | May 8, 2026
Compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA and G4BAO on Thursday, 7 May 2026
We had another mixed week of HF propagation, with a Kp index of 6 one day and then three days later a Kp of less than 1.
The index hit 6.33 on the evening of Monday, 4 May, sparking aurora and poor HF conditions. But by Wednesday, 6 May it was back down to 0.67.
So, you can see why it is hard to predict what HF conditions are going to be like with ionospheric propagation being driven by the geomagnetic status rather than the solar flux index.
According to the CDXC Slack group, DX worked over the past week
included:
TZ4AM in Mali on 10m CW
T31TTT from Central Kiribati on 12m and 15m FT8 XQ6CF in Chile on 17m CW VP8A on the Falkland Islands on 60m CW 3B9G on 20m CW TL8BNW from Central African Republic on 40m SSB So, there is DX about if you hunt for it. Interestingly, all of the above, apart from T31TTT, were on southward paths, perhaps reflecting poorer conditions on polar paths at times due to the elevated Kp index.
Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux index will remain around
115 to 130 with calm geomagnetic conditions for the first half of the week.
However, unsettled geomagnetic conditions are forecast for 15-18 May with a possible Kp index of 5.
With five sunspot groups visible on the Sun’s surface and active region
4419 the source of two X-Flares on Friday, 24 April now about to turn back into Earth’s view, it is anyone’s guess what could happen next.
As we enter mid-May, we are getting closer to summer HF conditions. So Sporadic-E on the higher HF bands, lower maximum usable frequencies overall but perhaps 14MHz staying open all night are all features to watch out for.
Also look out for 10m band openings to Southern Africa around midday and paths to South America during early and late evening.
VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO:
The current period of weather seems to be a mix of weak high pressure and low pressure systems vying for dominance.
Therefore it implies that a mix of radio conditions will share our attention, with weak tropo from ridges of high pressure but no big highs on the chart while frontal rain bands or heavy showers bring a chance of rain scatter for GHz operators.
The prospects for meteor scatter may remain elevated for a while since we have only just passed the peak of the Eta Aquarids on Wednesday, 6 May. Remember the early morning hours tend to be best for meteor activity in general.
The aurora alerts have continued to provide a glimmer of hope but mostly for weak enhancements, so look for a Kp value of 5 or greater and signs of ‘watery’ sounding signals on the HF bands before turning the VHF beams to the north.
As we move into the early part of the Sporadic-E season, it will become the mode of choice for us during the next few months.
The general rule is to check for the two main periods of activity: in mid-morning and again late afternoon or early evening.
Listen for strong signals on the 10m band from Europe and then, as the event develops, the higher frequency bands will open up too.
In a strong event, the 2m band can even show up sounding like 20m.
However, early season events tend to favour the 10 and 6m bands.
EME now. The Moon is past minimum declination and increasing, giving lengthening Moon windows and increasing peak elevation.
Path losses are decreasing now after apogee on Monday, 4 May. 144MHz sky temperature is low all week until Saturday, 16 May when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky.
(Mike Terry, UK/BDXC)
Radio Caroline North, set for May 9-10 broadcasts
 |
| Ross Revenge |
Radio Caroline North's next broadcast is between 9th and 10th of May, live from our radio ship Ross Revenge.
You'll hear some great music from the 60s to 90s – plus you could win a stunning music-themed wall clock in this month's competition draw.
Listen on 648 AM across England, the Netherlands, Belgium, and beyond, on 1368 AM in the North/North-West, courtesy of our friends at Manx Radio, worldwide online here via our Caroline North Player, on smart speakers and the Radio Caroline app.
We'd love to hear from you during the broadcast via north@radiocaroline.co.uk and remember, it's the only email address that gets you straight through to our 'North' broadcasters.
(Mike terry, UK/BDXC)
(photo/Wikipedia)
Thursday, May 07, 2026
Throwback Thursday - Australian Army Radio
Australian Army Radio
In recent times, many DXers and international radio monitors worldwide have reported hearing the unique shortwave service for Australian troops serving in the peacekeeping forces in Timor and elsewhere. Over a period of time, these broadcasts have been radiated over transmitters located at three different radio bases in Australia, and they form an interesting update to the entire story of radio broadcasting by the Australian Army Amenities Service (AAAS). This is the story, that begins way back during World War II.
The first radio broadcasting unit for Australian Forces was a mobile studio, which was commissioned in Australia in June 1942 and shipped to the Middle East. Originally, it was intended that this mobile radio studio would broadcast back to Australia with war news and information from North Africa and the Middle East. However, because the shortwave transmitter had an output of only 1 kw, these intended broadcasts became impractical. Consequently, the mobile studio was used mainly for producing programs in the battle areas and for broadcasting them over local radio transmitters.
During the Pacific theater of World War II, a series of 21 mobile radio stations were constructed in Australia, tested late at night from locations in Melbourne and Sydney, and then shipped to forward areas. These stations were rated with a power output ranging from 10 to 200 watts.
On one occasion, and quite by chance, I heard one of these stations at a distance of some 500 miles. It was 9AF, with 200 watts on 1440 kHz, broadcasting a test program from Melbourne late at night.
These AAAS stations were based in the main areas of Australian troop deployment in the Pacific islands, and were supplementary to the larger number of American Armed Forces Radio Stations in the same areas. The whole series of callsigns for the AAAS stations at the time ranged from 9AA to 9AP.
Many of these stations were transported from place to place according to the movement of the armed forces in the various stages of the Pacific war. One of the stations, 9AG with 200 watts on 1340 kHz, was established at Balikpapan in Borneo. When the Australian troops moved forward, this station was handed over to the Dutch authorities, and it became the local station in the NIROM network.
In addition, several other stations were constructed locally in forward battle areas or were taken over from a retreating enemy. Such stations as "Radio RAAF Milne Bay" and "RAAF Radio Madang" were well known in the area at the time.
At Port Moresby, New Guinea, a 500-watt station on 1250 kHz was officially opened by General Douglas MacArthur on February 26, 1944. The first allotted callsign was 9PA, but this was soon changed to 9AA, signifying its status as the parent station for all of the forward stations with callsigns in the 9A series. The QSL letter that I received from this station lists the call as 9PA, when, in reality, as an army station at the time, it was really 9AA.
In addition to the testing of the mobile MW stations in the two cities, Melbourne and Sydney, additional army stations have been established in other areas of mainland Australia. These have operated generally on the medium wave band, though one in particular was a shortwave broadcaster.
At Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory, an MW station was established in 1944. This was 5DR, standing for Darwin Radio. It was in use as an army station for two years, and then it was taken over by the government broadcasting service, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, as the Northern Territory relay station for the ABC home service network. This station was later designated as 8DR, and its callsign has since been changed to 8RN.
Soon after the war was over, an experimental broadcasting service was launched from an air force base at Higgensfield in North Queensland. This station announced as "Radio RAAF No. 2," identifying the air force unit that was operating it. The 100 watt transmitter on 1470 kHz was on the air in August 1945 with the intent of launching an entertainment/information radio service, but the project was abandoned.
Then, in 1955, the first army shortwave station came onto the air unannounced, from Puckapunyal in Victoria. This station radiated 25 watts on 7850 kHz, and it was on the air just two hours per week in November 1955.
Towards the end of the Pacific war, a 50 year old wooden ship, the "Apache," was fitted out in Sydney Harbour as a radio station and sent up to the Philippines. This station, announcing as WVLC, took over some of the Australian shortwave broadcasts from VLC, Shepparton, and it also relayed American AFRTS and VOA programs over a channel in the 7 MHz band.
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| HMS Grenville |
In addition, several warships in the Pacific, British, Australian, and American, began to relay programs from Australian MW stations to surrounding areas on shortwave. One of these, for example, was the HMS Grenville, which was heard relaying the commercial programs from 2KY Sydney in January 1946.
More recently, some of the larger Australian navy vessels have incorporated a radio station as part of their onboard entertainment facilities. In some cases these stations have radiated programs over a MW transmitter, and in other cases programs are available on board the ship via closed circuit cable. One of the ships, HMAS Canberra, for example, was stationed off the coast of Vietnam during the South East Asian conflict.
During the era of occupation in Japan, at least four of the mobile 9A stations were taken to Japan. These were incorporated into existing Japanese stations and were allocated callsigns in the American W series. For example, the 10 watt station 9AQ was located near Kure in Japan. It was first identified as WVTX, and later as WLKU. All of these stations were broadcasting on MW, but one of them, 9ALWVTV/WLKSwas also broadcasting for a while on shortwave.
When the Korean offensive began, Australian troops also moved into the peninsula, and so too did some of their radio stations, as many as four of them.
Along with the American "Good Morning Vietnam" series of AFRTS stations, there were a couple of Australian stations located in Vietnam as well. One of these was a 500-watt station broadcasting from Vung Tau on 1040 kHz. Another station was located for a while at Hue, near the larger VOA and AFRTS stations.
Back in 1960, on July 1 to be exact, a rather substantive radio station was established by the Royal Australian Air Force at Butterworth on the Malay Peninsula, just across from the island of Penang. This AAAS station broadcast from two 500-watt transmitters, using each on alternate days, both at 50 percent power. They also had a choice of two simple antennas, an inverted L and a folded dipole. This station was occasionally heard further afield, and on several occasions, I heard it in India and Sri Lanka. Radio RAAF Butterworth served some 5,000 Australian personnel at the air base, and it left the air when Butterworth was closed in the late 1980's.
The latest endeavor in AAAS broadcasting made its appearance unheralded, unannounced and unexpected. A few years back, a new shortwave service for Australian forces serving in Somalia came onto the air. At first, the half hour programs were broadcast from one of the 250 kw shortwave transmitters of Radio Australia located on Cox Peninsula near Darwin in the Northern Territory. A while afterwards, DXers in Europe and elsewhere reported hearing similar programming on other channels not listed for Radio Australia.
Subsequent information revealed that these transmissions were coming from two different locations. One is VHP, the large Navy radio station located at Belconnen near Canberra, Australia's capital city. The other is NMCVLF, the American radio facility located near Exmouth at North West Cape in a Western Australian coastal area. These transmissions were on the air several times a day from both locations. Studio facilities are housed in one of the government offices in Canberra, and the first broadcast each day was presented live.
The broadcasts from Exmouth were directed towards Somalia, and the broadcasts from Belconnen were directed towards Kampuchea. Programming consisted of contemporary music interspersed with calls from relatives in Australia to servicemen on ships and in Somalia and Kampuchea.
(Wavescan/May 7, 2000)
(photos/Wikipedia)
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