While radio hobbyists in the northern hemisphere are in the midst of summer DX conditions, and contending with high noise levels and such, our friend Bob Padula in Melbourne, Australia is enjoying winter DX conditions. The following is a sampling of what he is monitoring down-under. Geez Bob, we'll have to wait a few months to enjoy the "prime" DX season.
Have fun ... and report often!
Gayle Van Horn
Melbourne is now in the depths of winter, with good snow falls in the Victorian Alpine areas.
The maximum elevation of the sun on June 12 is only 28.8 degrees – sunrise is at 7.30 am (2130 UTC), sunset is at 5.07 pm (0707 UTC) and we are only given 9hrs 34mins of daylight!
Hours of sunlight are now minimal, with good distance signals noted on 6, 7, and 9 MHz throughout our morning, across noon and into the afternoon. These winter propagation eventswill continue until well into July, opening up many opportunities for propagation research and spectrum studies on these bands.
Of particular interest is occupancy in the 6 MHz band from mid-morning until mid-afternoon. This is in the 10 am to 1 pm window, 0000 to 0300 UTC, represented by short path signals from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and longpath from the Americas until around 0100. After 0100, the longpath mode for Europe/ME/Africa dominates, and signals from the Americas come to us via shortpath.
This is the observed spectrum occupancy on 6 and 7 MHz, in the general period 0000 to 0300, on Jun 11 – many interesting signals for the taking!
Have fun ... and report often!
Gayle Van Horn
Melbourne is now in the depths of winter, with good snow falls in the Victorian Alpine areas.
The maximum elevation of the sun on June 12 is only 28.8 degrees – sunrise is at 7.30 am (2130 UTC), sunset is at 5.07 pm (0707 UTC) and we are only given 9hrs 34mins of daylight!
Hours of sunlight are now minimal, with good distance signals noted on 6, 7, and 9 MHz throughout our morning, across noon and into the afternoon. These winter propagation eventswill continue until well into July, opening up many opportunities for propagation research and spectrum studies on these bands.
Of particular interest is occupancy in the 6 MHz band from mid-morning until mid-afternoon. This is in the 10 am to 1 pm window, 0000 to 0300 UTC, represented by short path signals from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and longpath from the Americas until around 0100. After 0100, the longpath mode for Europe/ME/Africa dominates, and signals from the Americas come to us via shortpath.
This is the observed spectrum occupancy on 6 and 7 MHz, in the general period 0000 to 0300, on Jun 11 – many interesting signals for the taking!
All tumes UTC
49 metres
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5930 CZECH REP R. Prague 0100-0200 var langs
5960 ENGLAND NHK-Skelton, 0000-0020* English
5965 CUBA RHC 0030-0100 Spanish
6010 CANADA R. Sweden via Sackville, 0100-0130 Swedish
6030 USA R. Marti 0100-0300
6055 SPAIN REE 0100-0300 Spanish
6070 CHILE CVC-Santiago 0000-0200 (shortpath throughout across Antarctica)
6100 CANADA RCI-Sackville 0100-0300* var langs
6115 ENGLAND DW-Rampisham 0100-0200 Russian
6145 CANADA NHK-Sackville 0000-0020* English
6150 HUNGARY Hungarian Radio *0100-0200* Hungarian
6165 N. ANTILLES RN-Bonaire 0000-0200 Spanish
6175 CANADA VOV-Sackville 0000-0300
41 metres
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7205 RUSSIA BBC-Krasnodar *0100-0200* Hindi
7210 ENGLAND BBC-Rampisham *0300-0330* Swahili
7225 MOLDOVA VOR-Kishinov 0000-0300* Russian
7235 IRAN VOIRI *0130-0230* English
7260 RUSSIA VOR-Serpukov 0000-0300* Russian
7270 ARMENIA VOR-Yerevan 0000-0300* Russian
7270 GERMANY AWR-Wertachtal *0300-0330*African langs
7280 GERMANY R. Farda, Wertachtal *0030-0300 Farsi
7290 GERMANY IBB-Lampertheim *0300-0400* Caucasian
7300 RUSSIA VOR-Serpukhov 0000-0300 Spanish
7305 VATICAN VR-SMG *0030-0300 various langs
7310 ENGLAND DW-Rampisham *0200-0400* German
7315 USA WHRI 0100-0200
7320 ENGLAND BBC-Skelton *0230-0330* Farsi
7325 PORTUGAL RN-Sines *0000-0200* Spanish
7335 VATICAN VR-SMG *0040-0300 var langs
7345 CZECH REP. R. Prague 0000-0300 var langs
7350 CHINA CRI-Kashi 0000-0100* English
7360 VATICAN VR-SMG *0230-0330* French English
7365 USA R. Marti, Greenville 0000-0300 Spanish
7365 ROMANIA RRI *0100-0200* French
7385 USA WHRI 0000-0100
7390 RUSSIA VOR-St. Petersburg 0100-0300* Russian
7400 BULGARIA R. Sofia 0000-0300 var langs
7425 ALBANIA R. Tirana *0230-0300* English
7430 SRI LANKA IBB-Iranawela 0000-0030* Burmese
7440 UKRAINE RUI 0000-0300 var langs
7460 MOLDOVA R. Bahei, Kishinov *0230-0330* Farsi
7465 USA WWCR 0000-0100
7475 GREECE VOG 0000-0300 Greek
These propagation modes will continue until the end of July.
Regards from Melbourne!
Bob Padula
(photo of Bob Padula in his shack)