Tonight's Aurora = Great DX?

[jon]

The UofA is trying to predict Aurora in advance so that people can view them. They offer two levels of e-mail alerts:
YELLOW - increased chance of viewing Aurora.
RED - a very high chance of viewing Aurora.

One Edmonton photographer who uses the alerts has a great set of photo galleries:
http://www.infocusimagery.com/f1010409540
Some of his work was featured on CFRN-TV.

[jon]

UofA is predicting a high probability of Aurora conditions overnight tonight.

Too cloudy here in Edmonton to see them (I did catch them on a Yellow Alert about a week ago), but AM DX before an Aurora is often really good, so it might be worth a listen. After dark. And even just before when the European signals go over the North Pole.

[Russ_Byth]

And for those who don't want to sit around playing with their knobs, the Northern Lights are supposed to be spectacular.

[Anotherwpgguy]

A few of the bomber pilots were sitting around the campfire and noticed the Aurora was putting on quite a display about 10 o'clock.

At our Air Tanker Base, the U of A has several sensors on our roof and data is transmitted back to someone doing auroral studies ... so I guess this is part of the network.

I always find it interesting to look into this stuff. http://spaceweather.com/ has some excellent info on aurora prediction and phots from around the world.

In my ham radio experience, operating in the 20 metre band with a 4 Kw ERP, I still am unable to make contacts into Whitehorse and Yellowknife when the Northern Lights are active.

Regards to all fellow radio crazies.

Anotherwpgguy

[skyvalleyradio]

Anotherwpgguy - 20 meters??? You're on the wrong band to work aurora!!! Last night I worked 4 Alberta and 1 Sask station on 6 meters (50 mHz)CW. As far as aurora openings go...ho-hum....all 'relogs' Things get really exciting when 144 mHz (2 meters) CW/SSB opens up to the north and the prairies. In the middle of a REALLY strong aurora opening, a form of sporadic-E occurs called "Auroral E" (AuEs for short) will open up the VHF bands on an east-west path with strong, clear audio instead of the raspy, whispering audio of aurora. Regularly monitored CKCK ch 2 Regina and CBWFT ch 3 Winnipeg as an indicator of AuEs. I've worked as far east as New Brunswick & Nova Scotia on 6 meters during a strong AuEs opening. During the solar maximum, there is a VERY rare form of aurora propagation on 6 meters thats been dubbed "Aurora-F" that involves the F layer of the ionosphere, but there is little scientific documentation to back this up, nor explain the west coast -Europe openings that have occured on 6 meters during these events

[skyvalleyradio]

...and Russ, what's wrong with playing with my knobs??

[radiofan]

It sure did nothing for AM here. Woke up around 3:30 and went across the dial .. nothing but static and noise. KGO and KFBK were the only listenable out of towners.

[Russ_Byth]

...and Russ, what's wrong with playing with my knobs??

There's always the chance if you play with your knobs too much, you won't be able to see the aurora.

[Anotherwpgguy]

Skyvalley ... I wasn't referring to working auroral on VHF, my comment was in reference to being one of the control operators for an emergency communications network for a govt agency with regional offices across the country to relay data via HF and the effects of a CME on HF frequencies. My QTH was ideally suited to relay east-west comms from Ottawa HQ to all western stations except Regina (too close.)

I hope to do some 6 and 2 meter SSB operation in the next year or two with my Icom 7000 or 756 Pro 3.

My main interest has been restoration and operation of Collins tube era equipment, but the last 3 or 4 years, I've been mostly (but not totally) inactive because I've got another big electronics project that has occupied my mind dealing with pilot training programs.

73 de
Anotherwpgguy

[Anotherwpgguy]

...and Russ, what's wrong with playing with my knobs??

There's always the chance if you play with your knobs too much, you won't be able to see the aurora.

That old tale about going blind is just not true .... however, you may need numerous naps!

[skyvalleyradio]

wpgguy - roger that...I just wanted to toss in a comment about VHF bands being most affected by aurora conditions. GIve me a PM when you're ready to start getting equipped for 6 or 2M DX. Restoring old Collins gear is an admirable hobby - I've loving restored my old Hallicrafters s-20 Military version RX thanks to a couple of parts receivers...had to replace all the old caps with electrolytics

[jon]

I rarely get this much notice of an Aurora from the automated e-mails sent by the University of Alberta.

But tonight's is a Red Alert. Meaning: very likely to see Northern Lights tonight.

Dunno about FM, but AM DX is usually good BEFORE the Aurora sets in.

So, whether you are a DX'er or someone who likes to look at Northern Lights, or both, tonight is your night!

As I look out my North-facing desk window, 24 minutes before sunset, there is not a cloud in the sky. Good luck, everyone!

[jon]

No false alarm, this one. Best Northern Lights I've seen since moving inside City Limits in 1996.

[jon]

Whether you DX (before it hits) or just like to look at an Aurora in the sky, tonight is the night according to the University of Alberta. A Red Alert -- the strongest likelihood that they predict -- has just been issued for overnight tonight.

I've seen a few of these warnings over the past year, but none early enough for me to be reading my e-mail BEFORE it happens.

[skyvalleyradio]

unfortunately, one of the fun parts of auroral and aurora-Es ("auroral E" as it's known) DX is over 'n' out: with Canadian analogue TV transmitters shut off on the ch 2-6 VHF frequnencies, the ability to snag signals in the 1200-1440 mile range and sometimes, rarely a 2nd "hop" to 200-2400 mile range are no longer possible. Easiset aurora-Es catch here was always CBWFT ch 3 the Radio-Canada channel in Winnipeg and CKCK-TV ch 2 in Regina. On the 6 meters ham band (50 mHz) with my antenna pointed northeast, i can weakly make out the morse-code beacon in Prince George. There are some 6 meters stations in & around the Great lakes that currently have aurora conditions..doesn't look like the Europeans got to do much with auroral conditions...good luck jon