Instead of using a website, I recommend downloading W6EL Prop,. There are
articles about it on several websites, including ARRL and K9LA. In addition
to inaccessible map displays, this program generates an on-screen table
showing the MUF and the predicted signal strength on the bands you set up,
from one location to a second location. It is probably not too accurate for
distances like 8,000 miles or more, and is based on statistics rather than
any exact prediction. It is good for showing you the expected shape of the
MUF curve over the course of a 24-hour day over the requested path on a
particular day at a specified sunspot number and K index. You can spend
hours learning how to set it up and learning how to interpret the results.
Google showed the following web page as a starting point for downloading
this:
http://brucerichards.com/army/w6elprop.htm
and I think this is a legitimate site. This runs under modern versions of
Windows.
After you install it, you should set up your latitude/longitude or grid
square as the "Terminal A" location. After you have digested the manual, you
may want to adjust the minimum radiation angle or the bands for which you
want to get signal level predictions. You can then enter prefixes or grid
squares as Terminal B and get a prediction. The table shows the predicted
MUF for each half-hour, starting at 0000Z. You will want to use the mouse
pointer or JAWS cursor to explore some of this table. There isn't really a
cursor, but the arrow keys scroll the table vertically.
In addition to MUF information and predicted signal levels, you can see the
bearing to the other location, and the bearing from that location back to
you. Sunrise and sunset times for terminals A and B are also shown. You can
put another location in for terminal A and get, for example, propagation
from GM to ZS (Scotland to South Africa) if you are curious.
For the strongest signals, you want to work a station at or slightly below
the MUF for that path at that time.
There is another set of programs, one of which is VOACap, produced by the US
government and made freely available. People have written graphical front
ends for it, but the program can produce tabular output in excruciating
detail. Setting it up is not trivial, and I'm not sure it will do a lot
better than W6EL Prop. It may be one of my retirement projects some day.
If you have more questions, I would be glad to try to answer them.
Propagation has interested me for the whole 60 years I have been a ham, and
there is always something new to learn or to surprise you..
73,
Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU, Kensington, MD, grid square FM19LA
http://lras.home.sprynet.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard B. McDonald
Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2015 12:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Accessible MUF & LUF
Happy New Year!
I have not been able to find a website where I can get MUF and LUF readings
in an accessible format, like in a table or other text format. Everywhere I
look presents this information graphically, like in some kind of a map.
Does anyone know where to find an accessible presentation of this?
73,
Richard KK6MRH/AG
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