PROPAGATION MAPS

[ND999]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this subject, but I didn't know where else it would fit. I try and I try to understand propagation Maps, but I have a hard time interpreting what I see. What tools do you all use, why, and how the heck do you make sense of it all? I have to wonder how accurate they are sometimes. The one I look at fairly often has current time and date on it, but it looks the same day after day! The other thing that bugs me about it is that it has different regions listed and you're supposed to click on yours. When you do the colors all over the globe change. This doesn't make sense to me. I would think the conditions (colors ranging from yellows to reds) would be the same and maybe the map would just move your selected region to the center of the map. How in the world does my selection of a different home region move the reds and yellows all around. Shouldn't the conditions remain the same regardless of which region I select? I'm so confused!

 

[sp5it]

I use voacap and pskreporter websites.

 

[ND999]

I use voacap and pskreporter websites.

Thanks for the info! Took a quick look. I'll need to dig in a little more when I get a chance. First impression is that it might be way over my head, but we'll see. Either way, thanks!

 

[Crawdad]

Knowing the MUF is usually handy information to go along with the other sources. Try this link:

MUF(3000km)

 

[HomerBB]

I use the one that when I turn on my radio if I hear people I've got propagation, if it's silent, I don't have propagation.
Never used those maps, but it seems to me that if the colors represent varying conditions it makes perfect sense that they would change based on where you are at. There is likely a default location, and then a near infinite number of locations for people around the globe, and propagation for each of them will be different. But, this is my guess based on the info you shared.

 

[sp5it]

@HomerBB
Voacap make propagation prediction based on location you give as input. I use it for chasing rare DX and most of the time worked for me.
PSKreporter show current conditions based on real stations, real time. Works great too.
Mike

 

[ND999]

I use the one that when I turn on my radio if I hear people I've got propagation, if it's silent, I don't have propagation.
Never used those maps, but it seems to me that if the colors represent varying conditions it makes perfect sense that they would change based on where you are at. There is likely a default location, and then a near infinite number of locations for people around the globe, and propagation for each of them will be different. But, this is my guess based on the info you shared.

I mostly use the same system as you do. Just listening to see. As far as the map thing, I don't think I explained very well what I meant. The selected location is Europe when the map first comes up. The entire globe is visible / world map style. Let's say, for example it shows lots of yellows and reds above southern US. Then I click on North America. The map itself doesn't change or move. The time remains the same. But the yellows and reds on the map disappear or change locations entirely. This makes it look that the good conditions that southern US just went away because I changed my home QTH.

 

[HomerBB]

I mostly use the same system as you do. Just listening to see. As far as the map thing, I don't think I explained very well what I meant. The selected location is Europe when the map first comes up. The entire globe is visible / world map style. Let's say, for example it shows lots of yellows and reds above southern US. Then I click on North America. The map itself doesn't change or move. The time remains the same. But the yellows and reds on the map disappear or change locations entirely. This makes it look that the good conditions that southern US just went away because I changed my home QTH.

Let's say your got into your Concord jet and flew to the Southern USA. There you ran into your shack to work those conditions you saw on the QTH Europe map. Alas, they aren't there... why, because the atmosphere isn't the same everywhere at a given moment, and the conditions are different because of that. Notice the screenshot below of current reported spots. See all those national flags of countries in which contacts are being made? Not too much being reported in the good old USA.

I believe your confusion begins with the generally false assumption of reciprocity, where one assumes that if you can hear a DX station then he can hear you. My experience is that isn't so. What happens to and for Europe doesn't necessarily happen to and for Arkansas.

 

[ND999]

Ok, I was just playing around with the map in question and a lightbulb finally came on. A dim light bulb but lit nonetheless! Lol. As you change your region to view the map, it apparently disregards conditions elsewhere, only showing "your" current conditions. It started out on Europe with good conditions showing in a semi circle in southern Europe. When I switched to North America, it all went dark. It knew I wasn't interested in Europe's conditions, so it had them go away to clear the map to make it possible to see "my" conditions. Then, as I scrolled through time index, as I approached mid day local time, that semi circle of good conditions now appeared over southern US. So, the conditions on the map follow the sun. This makes perfect sense, since the sun is what dictates the conditions to begin with. Eureka!! I'm a little slow, but eventually, I catch on!

 

[HomerBB]

Ok, I was just playing around with the map in question and a lightbulb finally came on. A dim light bulb but lit nonetheless! Lol. As you change your region to view the map, it apparently disregards conditions elsewhere, only showing "your" current conditions. It started out on Europe with good conditions showing in a semi circle in southern Europe. When I switched to North America, it all went dark. It knew I wasn't interested in Europe's conditions, so it had them go away to clear the map to make it possible to see "my" conditions. Then, as I scrolled through time index, as I approached mid day local time, that semi circle of good conditions now appeared over southern US. So, the conditions on the map follow the sun. This makes perfect sense, since the sun is what dictates the conditions to begin with. Eureka!! I'm a little slow, but eventually, I catch on!

I'm slow, too, but it's old age.