Aurora setup

[Mtn Lynx]

I have been interested in aurora skip. But have not yet heard it. I have a Solarcon a99 and have made some skip contacts with my setup. Last week aurora was very visible from here but I still did not hear anything. I am thinking it may be my antenna. My question is, if I were to get a dipole antenna and set it up toward the north where I have seen aurora if that may help. Maybe an inverted V with the ends of the dipole northeast and northwest? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Don't want to invest in a expensive directional antenna just yet.

[Bluerunner]

A horizontal dipole transmits & receives from the broadside. Very little signal is received or transmitted off the ends. So with a horizontal dipole you lose signal strength off the ends which can reduce interfering signals from those directions improving the reception from the broadsides. An inverted V is usually easier to erect but may lose some of the directivity typical of the horizontal one.

Skip is fun but can confound your expectations as it will scatter and flip polarizations as it bounces around in different layers in the atmosphere.

Wire dipoles are cheap and fun to experiment with and often yield surprising results.

[56jmk71]

All depends about elevation angle.
Is the aurora high in the sky or low in the northern horizon?

Horizontal half wave dipole strung half wave lenght high should be worth of trying.
Perhaps lower if you want to aim hihger, higher if you wat to aim to the horizon.

My dipole type antenna 10m high is usually useless in aurora, it shoots too low I think.

Usually on aurora I can hear stations 100-500km from me.

Is there ssb stations inside that radius fron you?


-- Monday, 02 January 2017, 15:18 PM --

I have to add:

I think there is nothing wrong with your antenna.

It may happen that there is aurora visible but no propagation(or no stations audible).

Most of the stations have just one antenna and use their antenna on aurora also.
The most popular antennas here are 5/8 and 1/2 wave GP antennas.

As a cheap and easy to make antenna the 1/2 wave wire dipole is absolutely worth of trying.

(edited by MDY, removed multi-repeated posts)

[MDYoungblood]

A dipole will work but you will have to "trail and error" the distance off the ground, the idea would be to get the signal to shoot upwards than it would out to the horizon. I would start at 8ft off the ground using mother earth as a reflector. Check out NVIS antennas.

3's

Greg

[Mtn Lynx]

I had plans to take my wire dipole and set it up with some roofing sheet metal behind it and aim it toward the north where I have seen the aurora. Sounds loony but it might work. Maybe some gutter sheet metal might work. I have some extra gutter material.

[231]

I have been interested in aurora skip. But have not yet heard it. I have a Solarcon a99 and have made some skip contacts with my setup. Last week aurora was very visible from here but I still did not hear anything. I am thinking it may be my antenna. My question is, if I were to get a dipole antenna and set it up toward the north where I have seen aurora if that may help. Maybe an inverted V with the ends of the dipole northeast and northwest? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Don't want to invest in a expensive directional antenna just yet.

Propagation is predictable but certainly not it's polarity. Nothing wrong with setting up a horizontal dipole...but I'd get it as high as you can. A simple flat top broadside where you want to go should suffice I'd think. You might even consider making yourself a Moxon beam which really works great & inexpensive.

Experimentation is fun...but not sure how your metal roof will work with it? My guess is you'll need to get the dipole quite a bit higher than the roof, and may actually negatively affect it's performance. I'd keep a "Plan B" in place for relocating it too...just in case. Might work great though.

Let us know how it goes.

231

[Mtn Lynx]

Saw some aurora last nite for a bit. Heard a little noise on 39 LSB it didn't last long enough for me to really make it out. Had not set up my dipole yet. Will update when it's done.

-- Tuesday, 10 January 2017, 18:28 PM --

Set up my horizontal wire dipole today. just gotta wait...."

-- Thursday, 12 January 2017, 22:52 PM --

I got the schematics for HomerBB style Moxon beam, waiting on supplies to start my build.

[56jmk71]

Hello Mtn Lynx!

Have you got any contacts with your dipole?

When you expect aurora contacts, perhaps you should check USB also.
It's used in Europe more often than LSB.

Not any kind of skip here in Finland on 11m band for a long time.

[Mtn Lynx]

Had 1 aurora experience last month. Did not contact him tho. I think it was someone from japan. I could not understand him.

[56jmk71]

OK, even you hear starge language, you can try to break in.

Anyway, transmissions on aurora propagation can be very difficult to read even between the stations speaking the same language.

I haven't dare to try contact via aurora in any other language but Finnish.

[56jmk71]

Not completely true, I tried to call on 39LSB if somebody in the Alaska answers...
But I'm not sure at all If I could really communicate in English in that difficult conditions.

[443 Arizona]

excellent replies so far.
here is another easy build,,, you might consider a full wavelength wire dipole, or longer, use insulators and go 3 wavelengths.
[building yourself a running skipline , the gain on receive might get you in the game ]
when this is set up in such a way as you could change the direction by just running out in the yard and move a wire from post to post.
you may even discover that (posibly using) a ladder feedline, you may pick up signals.
anything becomes an antenna when you consider that charged particles are just lookin for direction.
i want to ask,and maybe i should explain my question after,
do you notice a difference in propagation between day and night in the winter as well as difference in day/night in the summer?
because i am assuming there is a big difference , as for here in Arizona, there is a small difference.
and are you in a "mineralized" area? lot of iron ,haha GOLD? you could experiment with finding a spot with good node characteristics.
just carry a horizontal halfwave dipole around and you will see what i mean.
you could get wacky and sit on top of a mountain with a portable unit and longwire and,,,whalaaaa, speak to martians.

[Mtn Lynx]

Made aurora contact with south central Alaska this evening. Second aurora contact so far. First one was in May with another south central Alaska station

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