Text 5928, 77 rader
Skriven 2013-08-15 11:20:24 av Roy Witt (1:387/22)
   Kommentar till text 5926 av Damon A. Getsman (468.fidohamham)
Ärende: Solar flux vs. Sunspot Cycle Period & Magnetic Pole Reversal
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Damon A. Getsman wrote to Roy Witt:

 >> Yes...it's a regular 11 year phenomina...some solar cycles have higher
 >> flux than others. So far, this one has allowed me to sit in my pickup
 >> here in Texas and monitor my 10m radio, hearing stations from coast to
 >> coast and as far south as the Caribbean Islands. During a low solar
 >> flux year, these stations are no where to be found.

 DAG>     Wow.  I thought the opposite was true, I guess, that the solar
 DAG> wind was disruptive to the communications...  Now that I think about
 DAG> it a little more, it's the ionospheric layers of ionization that are
 DAG> reflective to the wavelengths used in communications, thus giving it
 DAG> more to bounce off of, no?

More like the Earth's magnetic field is ionize disrupted (see Aurora
Borealis), which causes the inonsphere to influence radio propagation to
distant places on around the world. This usually occurs at the peak of
the sun spot cycle and continues for about 3 years after. In some radio
circles, this is called 'skip' as radio signals bounce from earth to
ionosphere and back again.

 >>  DAG>   ...I hadn't been aware that the solar magnetic
 >>  DAG> field reverses at the same time as the peak and I'm pretty
 >>  DAG> curious as to all of its effects now.
 >>
 >> Watch the solar flux value and you'll see as the numbers go up, the
 >> chances of an EME reaching the Earth go up.

 DAG>     Er...  Is that a CME you meant, or is there another beast I'm
 DAG> not aware of floating around here?

No, I meant CME...EME is Earth Moon Earth as in moon bounce radio
activity. A lot of HAMs are interested in doing this kind of work with
elaborate antenna systems that not only rotate horizonatally to the
earth's plane, but also vertically, to elevate (point) towards the moon.

 >> In the radio world, this affects the atmosphere and radio waves can
 >> bounce off of it and land far across the world where a normal signal
 >> wouldn't be expected to go.  When I was younger and living further
 >> north than I am now, I used to have a TV antenna on a tall tower and
 >> could pull in TV channels that I would never, ever see on any normal
 >> solar days. Then along came CB radio, which got me even more
 >> interested in long distant communication.

 DAG>     I have got to get this income issue addressed that I've been
 DAG> having so that I can get some hardware to work with.  I'm actually
 DAG> in the process of building a ballasted HV power supply from a few
 DAG> MOTs...  I'm also delving much deeper into electronics than I ever
 DAG> have before currently.  I wonder if it might be cheaper for me to
 DAG> try to put together a very simple rig...

If you're familiar enough with electronics, you can build anything you
want. You could check the ARRL's 'Amateur Radio Handbook' and get some
construction ideas, even a schematic to show you the layout.

 DAG> I've already got plenty of magnet-wire coils laying around; I know
 DAG> that as a kid I had at least one crystal radio kit that worked via a
 DAG> magnet-wire [or very similar gauge] coil.  *decides to start
 DAG> googling for schematics*

Check into QRZ.COM, there you'll find radios for sale, maybe a kit or two
and schematics galore in their database...

 DAG>     Thank you for your info, Roy.  I know that we've got some
 DAG> clashing ideologies in other echoes, and I very much appreciate your
 DAG> consideration and willingness to provide information on this topic.

Well, as long as you behave within the rules here, as moderator, I hold no
grudges for what occurs in other echoes.


         R\%/itt


--- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-31012
--- D'Bridge 3.92
 * Origin: K5RXT HAM Echo Moderator - San Antonio, Texas, USA (1:387/22)