India DX Net (IDXN) special session on 3rd March 2021 on HS4 HF band

[Basu (VU2NSB)]

IDX Net Announcement!!! - Another Worldwide HF Radio Net Session on Wednesday, 03 March 2021 on HS4

We know that it could be a tall order during the low solar-cycle phase to conduct HF radio net that covers a large portion of the globe simultaneously to span over almost all continents... Nevertheless, India DX Net (IDXN) after due diligence has decided to run the third session since the commencement of this new solar- cycle #25 that has just begun.

On Wednesday, the 3rd March 2021,, starting at around 12:30 - 13:00 UTC, we will run the IDX Net on HS4. We will decide the operating band just before the beginning of the net session based on prevailing propagation conditions...

The objective of the IDX Net session is to dispel the false notion that the HF propagation conditions are poor and also to provide opportunities for everyone to participate in extreme DX communication. The Net will endeavor to be in constant and simultaneous contact with stations from all around the world including, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia,, New Zealand, Caribbean, and parts of North & South America which poses the biggest propagation challenge for the Net Controller with the QTH in India. Therefore, the participation of operator's from west-coast of NA will probably not be possible, while the east-coast and central USA and Canada should be easy. The net might not be accessible from most parts of South America because the sun will be overhead in the South Atlantic region resulting in a strong ionospheric D-layer producing unacceptable signal attenuation.

The IDX Net controller will maintain continuous contact will stations from all across the world at the same time without missing a beat or swinging his antenna around... Join us from from all across the world and be a part of the magic... And also experience and learn more about the finer aspects of HF radio propagation.

To access a wealth of information and learn more about HF radio propagation, antennas, and other amateur radio related stuff on a continual basis, join our regular net sessions on Mon, Wed, Friday on HS3 at 12:15 UTC on 28.455 MHz and also join the IDX Net Facebook Group at...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HamSphere.IDXnet.HF.radio/


73, de Basu VU2NSB (Net controller IDX Net)

[Basu (VU2NSB)]

Here are a few important pointers for those who live in the following specific regions and might like to take the challenge of negotiating propagation tomorrow and join the IDX Net on HS4.

The effective SSN has plummeted since yesterday and is expected to reduce further during the duration of the net tomorrow.... Hence, please keep the following in mind.

(1) Operators living in most of Asia, EU, Africa, East-coast of USA, East-coast Canada and central Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, entire South America except east and central Brazil, and most of Oceania region will have NO PROBLEMS... It should be a cakewalk.

(2) Those in USA and Canada should keep in mind that at the beginning of the net, the east-coast regions will have access. However, with the passage of time, the propagation into states and territories further westward will start opening up. Half way through the net and till the end, the states like Minnesota, Iowa, Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma,, Texas, New Mexico, etc will manage to access the net... Further down the time, towards the end of the net, stations in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona should be able to make it, but the caveat is unlike the rest of the USA operators who need only moderate gain antennas to work comfortably into the net, they will require very high gain antennas like the stacked Yagi.

(3) The USA states of California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii have practically NO CHANCE due to adverse propagation.

(4) European part of Russia should be able to reach and access the IDX Net during the first half of the session. However, the propagation might close down rapidly for them as the time goes by. Asiatic Russia, Korea, and Japan is not expected to access the net at all.

(5) UK faces a very unique situation vis-a-vis the net-controller's QTH. Almost the entire UK region falls within what is known as the 3rd Skip-zone... This phenomena is a rather unique one. As a consequence, as the earth spins on its axis and New Delhi (VU2NSB QTH) goes into darkness at nightfall, the propagation in the 3rd Skip-zone begins to fail much before the band closes down for the rest of the neighboring regions... Therefore, stations in UK might experience signal loss before the rest of Europe does so.

(6) Finally, our friends in the Tasmania region of Australia might find the conditions rather hostile and unsuitable for almost the entire duration of the net. Although, during the beginning of the net, it will be fine, but as the time progresses the south coast of Australia will begin to loose IDX Net access.... Rest of Australia is expected to come in with strong signals... New Zealand might also lie at the cusp of propagation for a substantial duration of the net. The northern half of New Zealand should do fine but the southern half might struggle.


73, de Basu VU2NSB.