Hey Thanks.  That was very educational for me.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Martin McCormick" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 9:26 AM
Subject: Re: Checking Propagation


> The Sporadic E season is trying to get started now as we
> approach May First. I have been hearing illegal CB QSO's if one
> wants to dignify them that much on 27.025 or CB Channel 6. There
> are a large number of folks who hang out there and use way, way
> more power than 5 watts. Most are running AM and they are one of
> the best indicators that something is going on somewhere that I
> know.
>
> When you hear skip signals there, you know that ten
> meters should be alive but one can tune up there and listen for
> quite a while and hear nothing.
>
> Last night around 0 hours UTC, I heard CB'ers and
> Mexican TV audio on Channel 2 so you know ten and six should
> have been open to at least Northern Mexico. I must admit I did
> not check 6, but a quick sweep of ten from 28.3 to 28.4 or 28.5
> turned up nothing but power line buzz and birdies from my
> computers.
>
> The 20-MHZ frequency of WWV is usually inaudible in
> Oklahoma except for when there is Sporadic E favoring the
> Northwest at which time it booms in here. I imagine Phil is too
> close to Fort Collins to hear that but it is a good indicator of
> Sporadic E. It is a shame that WWV stopped using the 25 MHZ
> frequency around 30 years ago. It was also a really good
> indicator.
>
> Martin McCormick WB5AGZ  Stillwater, OK
> Systems Engineer
> OSU Information Technology Department Telecommunications Services Group
>
> Phil Scovell writes:
>> When I check propagation, I also check W1AW transmissions.  For example, 
>> I
>> can sit and hear not one peep anywhere on 17 meters; not even any of the
>> CW
>> beacons on 18.110 MHz.  Yet, at 9 PM at night W1AW, on 18.097 MHz, will 
>> be
>> S9 sending away bulletins and CW practice.  So I always check beacons,
>> WWV,
>> CHU in Canada, and other such sources.
>