June 1989 Forecast -- Flux Range 186 - 324

by Roy, AD5Q - Houston, Texas

10 Meters: It is Sporadic E season on 10 Meters. It has been said that sporadic E (short skip) openings are not related to solar activity, but it does seem that these openings are better at the bottom of the spot cycle. Though we still have DX to the east, west and south; most DX'ers have vacated 10 Meters and left it to the 10-10'ers and novices. 10 is never good in the summer, except on FIELD DAY.

15 Meters: Fantastic! The band opens to Europe in the morning via long path before it opens short path. Toward noon we get a nice opening to all of east Asia and Indonesia. Russians and Europeans come through much of the day and well into the evening. Pacific signals come through starting in the afternoon until well past midnight. One feature of these late night Pacific openings is that the path extends well beyond Australia, across the south Indian Ocean to Africa on an autumn daytime path. This is one long path opening we do not get on 20. The African and Indian Ocean stations can be heard (mostly on SSB) working VK/ZL while America sleeps. Few are taking advantage of the long path propagation, but it is interesting. May (including early June) is probably the best month for 15 Meters, but July is the worst. The month ahead will bring rapid deterioration on 15, which has been the only remaining band with good daypath DX. Since current conditions are the combined result of good day and night path propagation, 15 meter activity will drop sharply by mid July. Remaining signals will be weak, leaving only one good DX band remaining:

20 Meters: Propagation on this band is easy to predict. All nighttime paths are reliable except those to the Antarctic (winter night). You can work into and across nighttime areas starting in late afternoon and for a few hours after sunrise. The summer long path configuration (Africa/Indian Ocean) is in place.


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