PMSE Keep on Coming

The MST radar at Aberystwyth, mid-Wales, is detecting strong PMSE day after day now.  This bodes well for those of us interested in Es, to which PMSE have a loose relation, and what appears to be a renewed interest in summer solstice short path propagation (SSSP.)

Latest MST radar plot, courtesy NERC/David Hooper.

I'm not an expert on the 6m band by any means, less so its detailed propagation characteristics.  However, useful work can be done to increase the number of well-equipped stations transmitting across the north pole between the end of May and the start of August.

Interest again is being shown by a few in whether or not noctilucent clouds have any role in propagation.  Whether it's NLC or PMSE is a matter for debate, but we can deal with that later on!

Do NLC play a part in SSSP on 6 m?  You can help find out.

Whilst studies have been performed on SSSP, I think that the number of stations involved is so small as to rule out any definitive conclusions; this is a problem that afflicts things like WSPR and the reverse beacon network - it all looks terribly sensible until you realise there are vast swathes of the globe where there are no stations!

I'm hoping a call for help to the UK Six Metre Group via the RSGB might bring some interest both here and afar, remembering we need interest on this and the other side of the pole!