I cannot believe there is nothing yet written in this topic. I will soon change that. I get all of my news and information and entertainment via shortwave radio. BBc, Deutche Welle, Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand are the ones I use the most. Radio OZ had the best coverage of the Olympics in Atlanta, so I listened to their commentary under my pillow all night. At the end of the run, I wrote to them thanking them for such pleasant and unbiased professionalism. They read my letter in entirely ove the radio, and I was stunned and delighted. The world of short wave is exciting and immediate. Don't let the US controlled national press determine your values. Get a cheap (or quite expensive)set and open your mind. I currently have 4 receivers in various locations throughout the house, and a 60 trap dipole antenna on the roof to catch the signals. My pride and joy, a Drake R8A was stolen while on the mainland, and I cannot afford to replace it, yet.

A good idea for beginners is to DX (hunt and seek) stations - evenings are the best - and keep a log of the station, the frequency and the hour. Each hour. Frequencies change from hour to hour, and also from month to month. I kept an hourly log for three years running until I could pretty well tell where I could best receive the best signal for the station I wanted. Another suggestion is to learn GMT for your area. I keep one clock set to that as that is the world standard for broadcasting. (It is 2 m in Hawaii when GMT turns a day ahead for their midnight!) If a station says it will broadcast something in which you are interested, they will say the day and at "oh-two-hundred-hours" If they said Saturday, I tune in at 4pm Friday.

"under your pillow" My grandpa had one of those under the pillow speakers. In fact, I have one too in my box of odds and ends. Some day, if I ever get flush, I'll get a sw receiver, probably the Yaesu FT-100 which is also a ham rig for hf, uhf and vhf. It receives and transmits on just about any frequency you can imagine.

*Drool*....*puddle*....Yes, I know it well! My Dad was a ham, and how it bypassed me I do not know, but I was the little kid who climbed trees to put the antennas high enough. I expext to hear you on the EME contests, then.

This weekend is the big summerfest. See http://www.repeater.org I may pick up an old sw receiver if there's one cheap.

And, for anyone else who is new to the craft, be sure your new acquisition has a BFO on it or you will not be able to understand what is being said. Good luck, Terry - let us know what you find!

Well, I found a used Yaesu FT-100 with the matching tunable antenna at the Swap Meet and hooked it up in the car. It works great! And the one touch tuning is awesome. I talked to a guy in Florida this morning on it. Features Frequency coverage: RX :100 kHz - 970 MHZ (Cellular/digital telephone freqencies are blocked) TX : 160~6 Meters, 2-Meters, 70 CM Power output: HF/50 MHz 100W , 2-Meters 50W , 70 CM 20W All Mode Operation: SSB, CW, AM, FM, AFSK, Packet (1200/9600 bps) Detachable and Remoteable Front Panel DSP Bandpass Filter, Notch Filter and Noise Reduction IF Noise Blanker IF Shift Optional 6 kHz, 500 Hz, 300 Hz IF Filters Two Antenna Jacks (HF/50 and 144/430) VOX Dual VFOs Built-in Electronic Memory Keyer Speech Processor Built-in CTCSS Encode/ DCS (Digital Coded Squelch) Automatic Repeater Shift (ARS) 300 Memory Channels Quick Memory Bank (QMB) Smart SearchTM Automatic Memory Channel Loading System Auto-Range Transpond System (ARTS ) Bright LCD with Multi-Function Display Menu Compatible with optional ATAS-100 Active-Tuning Antenna System Optional FC-20 External Automatic Antenna Tuner

Terry, What freq's do you usually use and what is your call? I'd love to be able to hear you sometime. (Salivating big time over your rig...)

Oh, and voice or cw? Just reread the specs on your Yaesu. 73's Marcia

My call is ka6atn and I've been hanging around on 7278 while I travel to town in the mornings and evenings. That band seems to be the most alive. You can probably here me there at those times. 7 am CST and 5-6 pm CST.

Thanks for the info. Those times make interesting problems. Propagation is still not what I was hoping it would be, and anything above 14MHz is so noisy it is not usable. 7am is 2am in Hawaii (we are 5 hours behind you now) and 5-6pm translates to noon-1pm (not the best time for that band, even with local calls). However, that will not keep me from trying.

For commentary about what one watt can do for an eclipse from a fellow Hilo, Hawaii resident, check http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/Geo/1.59. He gave the socked-in dwellers at sea level a running commentary of the eclipse which was remarkable in the least and thrilling to those fortunate enough to listen.

Progagation reports and such should more properly go here than elsewhere? Terry, where should I post them? For today this is the report and a fascinating link: SFI=150 | A=11 | K=1 down from 3 at 0000 on 8 January. SAF: low, GMF: quiet to unsettled Aurora Level: 6 More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html

Amazingly, I was surfing for more sw things to post and found the Cedar Creek Chapter of the ARRL and an image of the array (no two use the same beam of course) Which one is yours???

SFI=150 | A=11 | K=2 up from 1 at 0900 on 8 January. SAF: low, GMF: quiet to unsettled. Aurora Level: 4. More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html

SFI=155 | A=4 | K=0 down from 1 at 0900 on 9 January. SAF: low, GMF: quiet Aurora Level: 3 SFI=161 up from 155 | A=2 down from 4 | K=0 down from 1 at 2100 on 9 January. SAF: low, GMF: quiet to unsettled Aurora Level: 3 SFI=161 | A=1 down from 2 | K=0 at 0000 on 10 January. SAF: low, GMF: quiet to unsettled Aurora Level: 5 More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html

Should be excellent DX-ing this weekend: SFI=196 | A=8 | K=2 down from 3 at 1800 on 13 January. SAF: moderate, GMF: quiet to unsettled Aurora Level: 6 SB DX ARL ARLD002 ARLD002 DX news This week's bulletin was made possible with information provided by Tedd, KB8NW, the OPDX Bulletin, 425DXnews, The Daily DX, DXNL and Contest Corral from QST. Thanks to all. ROTUMA ISLAND, 3D2. Tony, 3D2AG/p, is still on the island and can often be found on 28025 or 28495 kHz starting at 2000z. SWAZILAND, 3DA0. Andre, 3DA0WPX, is QRV on 20 meters usually between 1700 and 0000z. QSL via ZS6WPX. VIETNAM, 3W. Park, HL1ACP, is QRV as 3W6AP. QSL via HL2AQN. TANZANIA, 5H. Chris, ZS5IR, is QRV as 5H9IR from Geita, using mostly CW and SSB on 80 to 10 meters. QSL via ZS6EZ. MALDIVES, 8Q. Ronald, PA3EWP, and Rob, PA5ET, are QRV as 8Q7WP and 8Q7ET, respectively, from Kuramanthi, IOTA AS-013, until January 18. Activity is on 80 to 10 meters. QSL both calls via PA5ET. CHILE, CE. Raul, CE3RR, is active on 29600 kHz using FM. ETHIOPIA, ET. Peter, ET3BN, is occasionally QRV on 30 meters at 0500z. MAYOTTE ISLAND, FH. Christian, 6W1QV, is QRV for five months as FH/TU5AX. Activity is on 40 to 6 meters. QSL via F5OGL. MIDWAY ISLAND, KH4. Paul, NZ7Q/KH4, is QRV for two more months using CW on all bands. QSL via N6ZVA. FRANZ JOSEF LAND, R1FJ. Nick, R1FJV, is QRV daily on 20, 15, 12 and 10 meters. He is here until December 31, 2001. QSL via UA3AGS. ANTARCTICA. Mike, RW1AI, is active as R1ANP from Progress Base until the end of March. QSL via NT2X. POLAND, SP. Special Event station HF70PZK is active to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Polish IARU member society. QSL via SP3CW. EASTERN KIRIBATI, T32. Look for T32DA near 14250 kHz from 0300 to 0600z. QSL via W4ZYV. PITCAIRN ISLAND, VP6. Jukka, OH2BR, will be QRV as VP6BR, and will be active on 160 to 10 meters, including the newer bands, using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL to home call. MYANMAR, XZ. 24 members of the Arizona DX Association are QRV as XZ0A from Thahtay Kyun until February 6. Look for CW, SSB and RTTY activity on 160 to 6 meters. QSL via W1XT. THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The North American Phone QSO Party, 2000 CW QRP Contest and the Hunting Lions in the Air Contest are all scheduled for this weekend. Please see January QST, page 100 for details

For the first time in ages and ages the solar flux is over 200! SFI=202 | A=12 | K=3 up from 1 at 0300 on 14 January. SAF: low to moderate, GMF: quiet to unsettled Aurora Level: 7 More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html

SB PROP ARL ARLP002 - ARLP002 Propagation de K7VVV Sunspot activity and solar flux were up over the past week. Average solar flux rose over 30 points to 163.8 and average daily sunspot number was up over 50 points to 136.6 compared to the previous week. Geomagnetic conditions were quieter over the past week. This is important for good HF propagation, because higher geomagnetic activity (reflected in the daily A index and the K index measured every three hours) results in higher absorption of HF radio waves. The most recent active period was from December 31 to January 6, when the planetary A index was as high as 27 on New Year's Eve day and on New Year's Day. When solar activity such as flares or coronal holes bombard the earth with protons, polar regions experience the greatest effect. As a result, daily A indices taken in Alaska on December 31 and January 1 were 40 and 44, with K indices as high as six. When the solar surface relative to earth rotates this same active region toward us about 27.5 days after the recent activity, we could see similar effects around January 26 until February 3. A recent forecast shows the planetary A index rising to 25 on January 27 and 28, then drifting down gradually to unsettled conditions with an A index of 10 on January 31. The next few days may see a rise in activity, with the A index peaking again near 20 around February 2. Solar flux has been rising this week, with a greater than 14 point rise from Monday to Tuesday and a greater than 18 point rise on Wednesday. The forecast for this weekend, Friday through Sunday, is for solar flux to rise from 205 on Friday to 210, and then 215 on Sunday, with a wonderfully low planetary A index of 5 for all weekend. HF operators should be very happy with a rising solar flux combined with low geomagnetic activity. Beyond the weekend expect the solar flux to remain high until around January 20, finally drifting down to around 135 for the period from January 26 to February 1. A group of seventh graders at Ritchie County Middle/High School in Ellenboro, West Virginia sent an interesting note and graph. They kept track of the weekly average of sunspot numbers through November and December, and at night logged AM radio stations. Their graph correlates the maximum skip distance with the rise and fall of sunspot numbers. Also arriving in this week's postal mail were some charts from NOAA Space Environment Center showing the new Space Weather Scales, which are numeric ratings for radio blackouts, solar radiation storms and geomagnetic storms. Each is rated from 1 through 5. The worst radio blackout is an R5, and the effect is described as ''complete HF radio blackout on the entire sunlit side of the earth lasting for a number of hours. No HF radio contact with mariners or en route aviators.'' It notes that there is less than one R5 event per solar cycle. For a G5 rated geomagnetic storm, which averages four days per solar cycle, it says that power system grids can collapse and transformers experience damage. Pipeline currents can reach hundreds of amps, HF radio propagation is impossible for one to two days, and the aurora can be seen from the equator. A G5 rating corresponds to a K index rating of 9! K indices of 9 over a 24 hour period would result in an A index of 400, which is not a pleasant thought for HF operators. You can see descriptions of these Space Weather Scales at http://www.sec.noaa.gov/NOAAscales/index.html. As a final note, check out the web-based Space Physics Textbook at http://www.oulu.fi/~spaceweb/textbook/Welcome.html. Sunspot numbers for January 6 through 12 were 145, 146, 106, 119, 88, 148 and 204 with a mean of 136.6. 10.7 cm flux was 144.8, 149.8, 154.7, 160.6, 163.2, 177.6 and 195.7, with a mean of 163.8, and estimated planetary A indices were 17, 8, 6, 3, 6, 16 and 9, with a mean of 9.3. Our path projection for this week is from Ellenboro, West Virginia, the home of KC8KOH, the Ritchie County Middle/High School Amateur Radio Club. To Europe, 80 meters 2130-0930z (best 0100-0700z), 40 meters 2000-1130z, 30 meters all hours, strongest 2230-0800z, weakest 1430-1800z, 20 meters 1130-2330z, 17 meters 1230-2130z, 15 meters 1300-2100z, 12 meters 1330-2000z, 10 meters 1400-1930z. To Southern Africa, 80 meters 2200-0430z, 40 meters 2130-0500z, 30 meters 2100-0530z, 20 meters 1930-0030z, 17 meters 1730-1330z, 15 meters 1630-2300z, 12 meters 1230-2130z, 10 meters 1300-2100z. To South America, 80 meters 2300-1000z, 40 meters 2300-1030z, 30 meters 2200-1100z, 20 meters 2030-0800z and 1130-1230z, 17 meters 1230-0200z, 15 meters 1200-0100z, 12 meters 1230- 0000z, 10 meters 1300-2330z. To the Caribbean, 80 meters 2200-1200z, 40 meters all hours, best 2300-1030z weakest 1600-1800z, 30 meters open all hours, best 2300-1030z, weakest 1530-1830z, 20 meters 1130-0130z, 17 meters 1200-0030z, 15 meters 1230-2330z, 12 meters 1300- 2230z, 10 meters 1330-2200z. To Australia, 80 meters 0930-1330z, 40 meters 0930-1400z, 30 meters 0830-1430z, 20 meters 1230-1600z, 17 meters 1400-1800z, 15 meters 1430-1830z, 12 meters 1500-1930z, 10 meters 1500-1730z. To Japan, 80 meters 0700-1300z, 40 meters 0600-1500z, 30 meters 0530-1600z, 20 meters 2100-0230z and 0330-1900z, 17 meters 2100-0130z, 15 meters 2130-0130z, 12 meters 2200-0000z, 10 meters 2200-2300z.

SFI=192 | A=28 | K=3 down from 4 at 0300 on 25 February. SAF: low to moderate, GMF: at unsettled to minor storm levels Aurora Level: 8 ********** That is a propagation report, for those who do not know. The strength and clarity of distant radio signals is directly a result of those numbers. The higher the first number is( SFI = Solar Flux Index), the better. All of the others, the lower the better. Solar flux is the stuff which the Sun flings in all directions as it pulsates from internal fusion. It is seriously bad stuff for Earth. We are saved from most of it by Geomagnetism. When the ionosphere is bombarded with enough ionized particles, Auroras occur, and if it is strong enough, can interrupt long distance phones, satellites, missle defense systems and other things terrestrial. Here is a little graphic which shows how it works:

Oh yes, the GMF designation above = Geo Magnetic Field.

Propagation Forecast Bulletin 11 Average solar flux was down slightly and average sunspot numbers rose over the past week. There were no really disturbed days, but the geomagnetic field was active on March 12. The spring equinox is coming up this Monday, and this is always an exciting time for HF operators. Conditions should be good this season with the rising solar flux. Solar flux has been declining this week, and is expected to reach a short term minimum near 170 from March 19 to 21. Flux values should quickly rise to another short term peak that is expected to be very broad. Solar flux should be around 220 from March 25 through April 4. The projected solar flux for the next five days, Friday through Tuesday, is 180, 175, 170, 170 and 170. Planetary A index for these same days is expected to be 8, 8, 8, 8 and 12. Upcoming dates that may be disturbed are March 22-24, March 31 and April 1, and April 18 and 19. Chip, K7JA, wrote to alert readers to fantastic conditions on 10 meters, including long path propagation. He is in Southern California, and writes ''You might want to mention in your column the tremendous LP openings on 10 meters lately. Saturday night of ARRL Phone was one, and last night (perhaps 0300z to 0800z at least, out here, earlier on Right Coast) was a doozy. The band started over the top into UA9, etc., and about 0300z went to Long Path. Loud UA9s, 3B8FG, JY9NX, A41LZ, A45XR, 5Z4WI, SU9ZZ, and stations from literally everywhere in Europe (like PA, DL, OH etc.) filled the band. I gave up at midnight, but the band was still hopping. The East Coast got into this one, as did stations in Texas and other Midwestern areas. I saw a number of spots by W3UR. Basically, about 7 PM is a good time to be watchful to the south, beaming about 90 degrees. Last night's opening, however, had a broad peak into Europe, maybe as far up as 220 degrees or so. Guess we finally have a sunspot cycle!'' Sunspot numbers for March 9 through 15 were 225, 231, 178, 188, 172, 193 and 167 with a mean of 193.4. 10.7 cm flux was 205.8 203.4, 203.2, 203.2, 188.1, 182.6 and 177.8, with a mean of 194.9, and estimated planetary A indices were 5, 10, 12, 19, 4, 6 and 3, with a mean of 8.4. Path projections for this weekend are from Elko, Nevada. To Europe, 80 meters 0200-0700z, 40 meters 0100-0800z, 30 meters 2330-0930z, 20 meters open all hours, best 0130-0700z, weakest 1200-1530z, 17 meters 1430-0030z, 15 meters 1430-2230z, 12 meters 1530-2130z, 10 meters 1700-2030z. To Southern Africa, 80 meters 0130-0430z, 40 meters 0100-0500z, 30 meters 0030-0500z, 20 meters 0000-0530z, 17 meters 0000-0300z, 15 meters 2300-0200z, 12 meters 2300-0130z, 10 meters 2030-0100z. To South America, 80 meters 0130-1000z, 40 meters 0100-1030z, 30 meters 0030-1100z, 20 meters 0000-1100z, 17 meters 2300- 1300z, 15 meters 1300-1430z and 2200-0700z, 12 meters 1330-0430z, 10 meters 1400-0330z. To the Caribbean, 80 meters 0100-1100z, 40 meters 0000-1200z, 30 meters 2300-1300z, 20 meters open all hours, best 0130-1030z, weakest 1600-2000z, 17 meters 1300-1700z, 15 meters 1330-0300z, 12 meters 1400-0200z, 10 meters 1500-0100z. To Australia, 80 meters 0930-1400z, 40 meters and 30 meters 0830-1500z, 20 meters 0800-1530z, 17 meters 0700-1700z, 15 meters 1500-1800z and 0600-0900z, 12 meters 0500-0630z, 10 meters 0430-0600z. To Japan, 80 meters 0900-1430z, 40 meters 0800-1500z, 30 meters 0730-1600z, 20 meters 0600-1730z, 17 meters 1500-2000z, 15 meters 2000-0630z, 12 meters 2100-0430z, 10 meters 2030-0530z.