Propagation and VHF links

LA0BY, last updated 27.12.2009

This is for YOU guys! The success of VHF/UHF/SHF operations is mainly a matter of being on the band at the right time and frequency. In order to avoid devoting all your time to listening to white noise, you will appreciate to know when to look for what. Having been asked for my sources of information a trillion times, I finally decided to launch a link summary. There may be other relevant websites around, but these are the ones I use myself. Here we go:

Propagation in general

 Current 50 MHz activity - DX-Summit Webcluster for 50 MHz
 Current 144 MHz activity - DX-Summit Webcluster for 144 MHz
 Current 432 MHz activity - DX-Summit Webcluster for 432 MHz
 Current activity all bands - DX-Summit Webcluster with input and search functions
 DF5AI propagation studies - Phantastic website, with Beam Finder software

Tropo

 3 days forecast for tropospheric ducting - this one for NW Europe, but other areas available too.
 Isobar map of Europe - from the University of Cologne
 Rainclouds over Scandinavia - radar pictures from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (DNMI). Note this is a negative indicator, as rainclouds will destroy inversion layers - but they will enable Rainscatter propagation on Microwave. Has also links to general weather forecasts.

Aurora

 Aurora sentry - geomagnetic field status and auroral oval by KC2MHU/N1BUG
 Kiruna magnetogram - most valuable for those that live in Southern Scandinavia
 Summary and forecast of solar activity - by Jan Alvestad
 Spaceweather - Actual solar activity and lots of background information
 Current solar data - from NOAA

Meteorscatter

 MS-Soft program for MS shower predictions - by OH5IY
 Spaceweather - now also with MS activity info
 Meteor-Scatter mailing list - file your subscription
 Meteorscatter operating procedures - part of the IARU Region 1 VHF managers handbook (1993)

Other interesting VHF links

 Make More Miles on VHF – VHF database, dxpedition info and more
 VHF Expedition announcements - by OZ2M
 DL4EBY EME page - links to all kinds of information on moonbounce
 SM2CEW EME page - Moonbounce guru in Northern Sweden 
 DK5YA VHF page - reports and tools
 EA6VQ VHF page - the VHF view from the Balearic Islands, with on-line activity map
 Polarimage - phantastic pictures of meteors, noctilucent clouds, etc.