Using a Cushcraft A3 tribander at 40 feet, I have heard signals from 
Japan on 10 meters at least 2 or 3 days per week since early October, 
and on 15 since September.

I don't have an antenna for 12 meters right now, but they have been 
there too, even just listening on my 80 meter dipole.

Europe has also been a regular occurrence on 10 meters for about the 
same time frame.

The peak of the current cycle is supposed to happen sometime during 
2013, in other words, soon.

That means that as sunspot cycles go, this one will, overall, be a 
disappointment.

The best cycles for me have been the 1979, and 1990 timeframes, when I 
got Japan and Australia on 6 meters via F2 propagation. My first 
Japanese contacts on 6 were worked with only 10 watts on my end, using 
a Yaesu FT620.

In 1980 and 81, there were times when 15 meters never closed, and when 
10 meters would be down for only a few hours in the night. Nothing 
like that has happened during this cycle.


Mike Duke, K5XU
American Council of Blind Radio Amateurs