Trying The Tropical Bands

In an article written for AOR UK, the good news is that the world's radio media are agreed that the next Sunspot Cycle has officially started.

This means the higher frequencies, those above 12MHz say, will again come to life. We have great listening in store.

The bad news is that the lower frequencies lose their DX edge. I put my 7030 to the test down on 90 Metres where faint DX competes with our Coastal Operations. Late evening seemed the best time to listen, also sadly the best time for the interference - both co-channel and TV.

AOR's front end took the signal levels, both wanted and unwanted, while the tenacious sync detector recovered Africa's Greatest Hits. See if the band is open by trying for Ghana on 3366. If that is fair readable, listen around. As I write this, I can hear the BBC from Mayerton on 3255. Good audio too, and I'm having to sync on one sideband as World News gets clobbered by RTTY.

3290 and 3270 seem to be coming out of Namibia, perhaps. Much higher up on 15575, I can hear Korea as I reach for the bedtime coffee at 2150GMT. A sign of sunspot recovery to hear 19 Metres open for DX at this time?

I would like to think so, but I reckon they have just hired airtime at the BBC site just up the road. Don't you hate it when that happens!