Grading the 2009 Es season

[Russ-PA]

Since the Es seems to be done, it's probably time to look back at the season and assign grades. For me, ( and this is FM only ) it ends up about a B-. A reasonable number of openings, but nothing here going NE, nothing going deep except one opening to PR. No new countries despite lots of effort put into looking for Mexico.

Perhaps someone who can do so can actually turn this into a real poll since I couldn't seem to make it work.

[pjdyer]

This data does not consider "quality" of events, only the gross-time open (an x-min date could have had 2 or 3 stations from one state or 50+ from a dozen or more) nor other things like range (multi-hop) or new stations/countries (all that's just too subjective). However, the times are adjusted to take into account spotty events with lots of f/outs.
http://www.qsl.net/wa5iyx/fmes05bdc.htm
http://www.qsl.net/wa5iyx/fmes06bdc.htm
http://www.qsl.net/wa5iyx/fmes07bdc.htm
So one of those years with more FM Es here in Jul than Jun.
After the close of Aug this graph will be updated
http://home.swbell.net/pjdyer/iyxsusum.htm

73, Pat- WA5IYX

[K4NBF]

May - June 28th at Southern California location: D

Es season started early with a few spotty openings in late April and early May, which gave me a bit of false hope. From then on, Es were few and far between, with only one major opening on June 9th. Grade would be an F, but taking into consideration that I had virtually no open frequencies and terrain on much of my Es horizon, I'll be nice and give it a D.

July 1st - August 15th (most recent Es opening) at current TN location: B+

If measured by my expectations and prior experience with Es - I would not hesitate to give an A+, as just the last part of the Es season here yielded 173 Es logs, which is 4.5 times more than my total Es log in CA from June '08 - June '09. I'm very happy with this, particularly considering my equipment limitations in a studio apartment.

More objectively, the frequency of openings was not staggering, but there were several quality openings, particularly toward the west. The 7/15 opening to Mexico, 7/17 opening to NE/CO/NM, and the 7/29 opening to multiple directions were all very good openings that produced strong signals and the latter two with some short distances.

[H Hayes PA]

For FM Es, the 2009 season gets a B from me. A nice selection of openings from all areas.
The season started way too late and ended way to early which accounts for my not giving a better rating.

[KW4RZ]

I guess this was a good Es season here. Total FM log went from 2430 to 2724 since May 1 so cannot complain about "quantity"

1 double hop FM Es reception which is a first and breaks my distance record.

Oddly enough long tropo regularly continued well into the summer, even into early August including Texas and Mexico coasts, Tennessee, south Florida, South Carolina, etc. Paths that have never been observed past May since setting up the "good tuners and antenna" in 2005. Several tropo events good enough to even bring in new stations.

Also rather interesting is the lack of openings to the Caribbean. Last fall to spring this year a Kohl's department store was built in the previously vacant lot adjacent to me to the southeast. This may be blocking Es! Only 2 or 3 wimpy openings occured this season to Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican, etc.. coincedence? See pics attached. Their back 2 story wall is 100 feet from my place.

Catching the two 93.9 27 and 38 watt translators in New Jersey and Massachusetts within seconds of each other on July 13 was great. As was the super opening to Central America on July 25 and strong Es northeast with 2 meters included on July 29.
Not much Es in August. My complaints are only one decent Es opening occured on a weekend this summer. Saturday July 25. Sunday July 12 wasnt bad to Mexico but didn't last long.

FM Es was noted on 61 days this year between May 1 - Aug 31.
2008 54 days
2007 68 days
2006 61 days
I wasn't recording every day in the 2005 season so will leave that out

longest FM Es receptions this season
92.3 CKOZ Corner Brook, Newfoundland 1967 miles
92.3 KTAR Glendale, AZ 1500 miles
93.9 KMGN Flagstaff, AZ 1474 miles
88.7 KNAU Flagstaff, AZ 1474 miles
99.1 KCAD Dickinson, ND 1425 miles
103.9 WVOM Howland, ME 1416 miles
107.7 WBQI Bar Harbor, ME 1401 miles


11 FM Es logs under 600 miles this season


93.9 WMIA Miami Beach, FL 499 miles
93.9 WLCL Sellersburg, IN 541 miles
93.9 KSPQ West Plains, MO 544 miles
95.3 WUME Paoli, IN 553 mi
93.9 KOYN Paris, TX 566 mi
93.9 WKSL Carey, NC 580 mi
95.9 KTRI Mansfield, MO 583 mi
94.7 WQDR Raleigh, NC 591 mi
97.3 KXUS Springfield, MO 592 mi
99.1 WSLQ Roanoke, VA 596 mi
92.3 WXLK Roanoke, VA 596 mi

[pjdyer]

OK, for a more-compact table that's a lot easier on the eyes http://home.swbell.net/pjdyer/iyxfmsum.htm than my by-day monsters were (and this includes event counts).

And, yes, Randy, that appears to be a pretty fair rf shield next to you there as even if it's not laced with structural steel girders its contents are bound to be more metallic (and 100-MHz resonant) than a typical residence would be.

73, Pat - WA5IYX

[KW4RZ]

The walls are monstrous slabs of pre-fab concrete reinforced with rebar, as in the second picture. Steel beams make up the floor and roof supports. As any typical dept store it's loaded with metal shelves and displays. Probably similar to having a mountain next door. This may also be dampening the overloading effects of the local FM transmitters which are also in this direction.

[Robert Grant]

Unless you're strictly an FM DXer, it is really hard to compare 2009 with other seasons, as the TV landscape completely changed with the DTV transition.

Up here in the North, the summer Es season was "retarded", with very little Es in may (though DX Sherlock showed there was a lot of Es for those East and South of me [Michigan] operating on 6m). There was a great opening on 1 June, but it was not until 11 June (day before transition) that things really picked up.

From mid-June to a little after the middle of July, the sheer quantity of Es was huge (almost like July 1987), and digital transition mean locals were no longer a problem on channels 2,3, and 4. WPBT 2 was seen on 17 days during their nightlight operation! The season reminded me of the years I would be at a cabin on Platte Lake (Benzie county, NW lower MI), with no lowband locals, and, in some years, hours upon hours of low-grade E-skip, sometimes all-night (this was about 1979-1984).

Note that this contrasted sharply with most of the years in the early 2000's, when Es began early in May, getting my hopes up for a blockbuster season, but the seasons would virtually end in early June.

There were also a few openings where the FM band came to life.

In late July, this season came to a very abrupt halt, but it left me with a lot of logs to type.

One thing I noticed about this season and last was a downfall in 6-meter activity. It took a pretty good opening to being the 6m SSB hams to their rigs this year, and 6m FM seems to be completely dead. 2 meters, incredibly, also seems to have gone the way of Wometco Home Theater. I never though I would be able to hear a totally clear band, all hours, day and night, day after day, in a metro area of 3,500,000 people!

Rob, N8NU

[Danny]

My initial plan for the Es season was to work on the Winegard CA-5254 VHF antenna and put up the Antennacraft 10-element low-band yagi or the Finco 10-element channel 2 yagi. After replacing the Winegard's lead-in with new RG-11, replacing the rotor, and connecting a new CM 4-way distribution amp, my son and I decided to wait on putting up another antenna. The Winegard actually performed better after the tuneup.

I agree with Robert that TV DXing this summer would be difficult to compare to past summers. Nevertheless, I think the season is deserving of a B. Unfortunately, it did get off to a slow start, and July was the most-productive month. Nothing over 1400 miles was received, and very little under 600 miles was received. XHPN-3 was, in fact, the only Es log under 500 miles. Interestingly, with my local KTBS-3 off, XHPN was first logged via tropo on July 9 and via Es on July 13.

[Danny]

I want to add this comment about the season. In May, 2007 I logged my third DTV via Es. Two years went by before my next new DTV via Es log. I received KVBC-DT2 and WKYC-DT2 numerous times during that two year drought, and had plenty of signals hit the signal meter on channels 2, 4, and 5. Yet, nothing new decoded.

On June 12, with my local KTAL-6 and a number of other low-band stations off, WPVI-DT6 was logged. The drought was over. In the weeks to follow, seven more new DTVs were logged via Es.

Es DTV logs were way up for DXers this summer.

However, as we all know, those loggings weren't so much the product of a good Es season as the result of a major decrease in CCI.

[cd637299]

I think we have to break down the Es season in 2 categories: "Post-analog TV" & "etc."

Like Danny, I did not get anything over 1400 miles, unless Sudbury ON is farther---never got Sudbury b4, nor anything that far north.

OTOH, it was certainly nice to see Es on analog channels beside 3, from home! This to me meant no trips to bug-infested Everglades City or Flamingo (although I always go there prepared), as now I don't have to dodge channels 2, 4, 5 & 6. My debut "non-WPBT" 2 was TA in Dominican Republic. The new Canadians, Mexicans, etc. came pouring in.

Keep in mind that there are some folk here who have received 2Es this year, especially those in new England. Likely, this was due to WGBH saying bye bye, was it not? Also TVN Panama on 3 from IL. (2Es for me would mean Ecuador, Brazil, California, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Maritimes, etc....but they are still at large.)

cd

[fmdxer1]

Here in northeast Tennessee I would grade the 2009 Es season a C+. May Es was virtually non-existent. June and July were pretty good. About the only thing to note was the June 22 opening to the Caribbean, and the fact that I spent more time on freq's above 99mhz this year so I was able to log many new stations. August was zilch! First time never heard Es in August. It was such a short Es season this year. And so far as TV goes I could care less for it. The digital conversion forced upon us by the US government this year has made me disgusted with TV. I'm DXing FM only with AM/SW on the side in the winter. IBOC ruined AM just like digital ruined TV. But anyway C+ for 2009 Es season.

[cd637299]

Tim, Tim, Tim!! Analog in other countries is still around, and the sky's the limit now! July 12 was a date I had been waiting for, for 3 years, and now it's here......

Naturally I cannot see US analog TV, outside of LPTV & translators, but maybe you and I differ, in the sense that I like non-US catches.

Don't store that analog TV away yet!

PS--- DTV ch 5 is a local for you though, isn't it? if so, bummer.

cd

[pjdyer]

With a comparatively dismal FM Es level in August the 2009 summer season is now "over" here with http://home.swbell.net/pjdyer/iyxsusum.htm updated. For an expanded numeric table of the data see http://home.swbell.net/pjdyer/iyxfmsum.htm

73, Pat - WA5IYX

[N5XZS]

I would grade, a C since most of summer was amost non event for me execpt saved by the bell, :D early to mid Steptember when the E-skips finaly open up here in Albuquerque, NM.

I mostly do TV DXing ether analog or digital video format.

9-15-09

[SlcDX]

I graded the season a C+, however I have relatively little to compare to with only two official seasons under my belt. I consider myself still new at this whole thing. This year was the year of the Sony and the FM-6 for me, both new additions. I love them to death.

As far as TV, no DTV decodes the entire summer, although I wasn't concentrating on TV as much as FM. I did see several analogs via Es, including KPRC before the nightlight went bye bye and KCRA prior to the transition. The others were from Canada. I need an antenna designed for VHF, and I need to move to an area with a less crowded dial.

Like in Albuquerque, my season started late, officially beginning in June. It abruptly ended at the end of July and has been nill since. I went back to mediumwave for awhile, until I started getting tropo lately.

It was however, the best season I've had, beating 2007 and 2008.

[crainbebo]

My opinion was very good. I got through six Es openings, on June 26th (only 1 logging, but was new), July 1st, July 8th (only 1 logging, but it was new), July 13th, July 23rd and July 28th (no new loggings). I made several new logs, but was a little bit on the busy side here in Bothell, WA (near Seattle). Here's my new logs and my final score.

June 26th
93.7: KWYR Winner, SD (1120 miles)

July 1st
87.7 KRMA Denver, CO (1018 miles)
101.9 KIGN Burns, WY (988 miles)
96.1 KSME Greeley, CO (1003 miles)
104.1 KNAB Burlington, CO (1155 miles)
96.9 KCMI Terrytown, NE (around 992 miles)
93.7 KAZY Cheyenne, WY (967 miles)
104.7 KNNG Sterling, CO (1055 miles)

Tentatives :confused::confused:
91.1 KTNE Alliance, NE (1007 miles)
91.5 KUWD Sundance, WY (885 miles)

July 8th
102.1 KPRI San Diego, CA (1073 miles)

July 13th
95.3 KYDN Monte Vista, CO (1077 miles)
101.9 KATP Amarillo, TX (1360 miles, farthest Es logging ever!!)
91.1 KLDV Morrison, CO (1017 miles)
101.9 KKHI Denver, CO (1020 miles)

Tentatives :confused::confused:
102.1: Heard rock music here around 1:45PM local time, by the time the Denver stations really took over, so it must be KSMT Breckenridge, CO at 989 miles, but no ID
105.7: Heard something moderately rock sounding, around 2:00PM. Could be KPMX Sterling, CO, 1055 miles. No ID.

July 23rd
95.3 KBBN Broken Bow, NE (1190 miles)
94.5: KLIQ Hastings, NE (1276 miles)

Tentatives :confused::confused:
96.9: Heard talk programming here, must be relog of KCMI
103.3: Heard national news and "Desparado" by the Eagles. Who is this? I think it's KJLS Hays, KS, but it could be something completely different.
106.5: National news stories, heard a minute or so after the top of the hour
102.1: unIDs, no IDs in sight

July 28th
No new logs, but one tentative :confused::confused:

94.5: Spanish music, don't know. I was thinking Brawley, CA, but it could be something completely different.

I got 15 new logs this year. Not a lot, but a start. Let's hope that 2010 is a super year for E-skip!!

Final Grade: A- (not a lot of logs, but 15, a start!) :)

[K3PHL]

This was my first year DXing with a real outside beam antenna and running 4 simultaneous radios logging audio so it is hardly fair to compare to past years.

The opening on 7/29/09 was truly remarkable with over 150 stations logged (100 of them new at the time). The opening was so intense that I actually had to position the beam broadside to the paths to knock some of them down in strength. It was literal white noise overload for over 90 minutes. I had some of my strongest locals getting overtaken.

I also received my furthest station and only second by double-hop in 2009, 94.7 XHRP Saltillo, Mexico at 1801 miles.

Paul's Ireland to Alabama reception of over 4000 miles was astonishing and proves that anything is possible when multiple clouds line up. How can you not award an A to a season that includes that? Those of us on the east coast of the US may need to point our beams northeast and check those even numbered frequencies that we always overlook when the maps indicates transatlantic 6m.