Live readout of where GCARC’s participating stations are hearing receivers right now (last 60 minutes). If you’re thinking about firing up the rig, this tells you what propagation looks like this minute. Updates every 5 minutes from wspr.wb2mnfai.org.

# 40 Meters — Daily WSPR Propagation Report ## Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club Skunkworks

The 40-meter band at 7 MHz delivered mixed propagation conditions on this reporting day, with Fair nighttime conditions and Poor daytime propagation driven by an elevated solar wind speed of 654.8 km/s and K-index of 3. Despite these headwinds, the band supported robust transpacific openings to Australia and New Zealand, with multiple stations achieving DX to VK6PVL at roughly 11,600 miles. K2ZA anchored the low-power effort at 1.0 W, logging 9,292 spots across 377 unique receivers with a respectable 699 mi/W efficiency and peak activity during the 03:00 UTC window when European reception was strongest at 93 receivers. KC2GYU operated at 200 mW with exceptional volume, producing 25,870 spots to 429 unique receivers and maintaining the same VK6PVL path, though with a peak UTC window shifted to 06:00. The true performance champion was KD2EIB running 100 mW into what must be a highly optimized antenna system, generating 168,552 spots—nearly seven times K2ZA’s count despite one-tenth the power—with the broadest receiver distribution at 513 unique stations and a peak at 05:00 UTC. KE2AQZ operated at 100 mW with the highest average SNR at minus 9.7 dB, suggesting superior antenna efficiency, though its DX was limited to EA8BFK at 3,514 miles and European reception dropped to just 1 receiver. KE2DRJ at 100 mW struggled significantly with only 296 spots, 33 unique receivers, and the weakest signal reports at minus 17.6 dB average SNR, indicating either antenna compromise or site challenges. N2LQH’s 5.0 W station achieved respectable transpacific reach to VK7JJ at 10,268 miles but paradoxically showed the lowest efficiency at 255 mi/W, suggesting power was not optimally translated to propagation advantage. Peak UTC hours clustered around 03:00–06:00 for the most capable stations, with KE2AQZ and KE2DRJ peaking later at 11:00 and 12:00 UTC respectively, consistent with their more localized coverage patterns.

The 30-meter band continues to demonstrate reliable propagation for the Skunkworks team, with excellent daylight-to-evening skip and strong nighttime F-layer support across multiple bearings. With a solar flux index of 156 and stable geomagnetic conditions (K-index 3, A-index 25), 10 MHz conditions favor both regional groundwave and trans-oceanic skywave paths. Our nine active stations collectively logged 51,303 spots to 357 unique receivers, with two standout performers reaching the Australian region. K2ZA and KC2GYU both achieved verified contacts with VK6PK at approximately 11,600 miles, demonstrating the band’s capability for consistent long-distance propagation during favorable UTC windows. KC2GYU peaked at 05:00 UTC with 18,790 total spots despite running only 200 milliwatts, while K2ZA’s 1-watt signal achieved 8,803 spots with superior signal-to-noise performance at −15.9 dB average. European reach was concentrated among the stronger stations, with KC2GYU and K2ZA each hearing 100+ EU receivers. The secondary peak window occurred around 16:00 UTC, where KE2DRJ and KE2DST showed sustained activity, suggesting reliable afternoon F-layer support. Lower-power stations on the order of 100 milliwatts achieved working distances from 231 miles (W2MMD, local groundwave dominant) to 4,099 miles (KE2DRJ to Europe), indicating favorable ionospheric coupling for the reporting period.

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The 15-meter band at 21 MHz presented excellent propagation conditions throughout the reporting period, supported by favorable space weather with SFI at 156 and stable K-index at 3. This band continues to deliver robust daytime and evening openings with strong trans-Atlantic and transpacific paths. K2ZA achieved its peak activity at 23:00 UTC, capturing 934 total spots across 139 unique receivers with an impressive best-DX connection to OE3GBB at 4,319 miles, demonstrating the band’s capacity for European openings even during evening hours. KC2GYU, operating at just 200 milliwatts, dominated the overall activity with 3,781 spots and peaking at 15:00 UTC, securing the session’s most distant contact to VK5ARG at 10,569 miles—a remarkable achievement that underscores the efficiency of this station’s configuration. N2LQH, running 5.0 watts and reaching peak activity at 17:00 UTC, logged 261 spots and also reached VK5ARG at 10,568 miles, confirming strong Pacific propagation windows throughout the day. Coverage spanned from 25 European receivers for N2LQH up to 39 for KC2GYU, with all three stations reliably hitting the European continent and the distant antipodal zones. Average SNR values clustered tightly between -17.7 and -19.1 dB, indicating consistent ionospheric conditions and relatively noise-free propagation paths.

# Ten Meters (28 MHz) Propagation Report ## Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club Skunkworks

The ten-meter band continues to deliver solid daytime propagation under today’s Good conditions, with the K-index holding steady at 3 and solar flux index at 156—favorable parameters for F-layer skip and trans-equatorial paths. All three stations achieved notable DX into the Southern Hemisphere, with N2LQH reaching VK5HW at 10,602 miles representing the session’s longest confirmed path. Coverage remains predominantly domestic to mid-range international, with peak activity occurring during the 14:00 to 23:00 UTC window. The absence of European receiver detections across all stations suggests either unfavorable trans-Atlantic geometry at test times or propagation favoring southern and antipodal routes. Geographic reach extended across North America and into South America and Oceania, demonstrating ten-meter’s characteristic ability to support worldwide communication during favorable solar conditions.

KC2GYU demonstrated exceptional performance despite running the lowest power of the group at 200 milliwatts, accumulating 570 total spots—the highest count of the session. This station’s efficiency metric of 5,653 miles per watt dwarfs both competitors, achieved through an outstanding average distance of 1,128 miles per spot and superior receiver diversity with 72 unique receiving stations. K2ZA, operating at 1.0 watt with 203 spots, achieved the best signal-to-noise ratio at minus 16.9 dB average and reached the furthest DX with VK7JJ at 10,247 miles, though its 895 mi/W efficiency reflects the inherent limitation of lower spot accumulation. N2LQH’s five-watt signal produced the longest average distance at 1,580 miles and captured 267 spots across 59 receivers, but its efficiency of 315 mi/W indicates that increased power did not proportionally improve spot density or reach—suggesting potential antenna directivity or bandwidth limitations. Normalized for power, KC2GYU’s 0.285 spots-per-milliwatt baseline outpaces N2LQH at 0.053 spots-per-milliwatt by a factor of five, indicating superior antenna performance, ground system quality, or receiver access.

The directional data reveals three distinct transmission patterns aligned with geographic opportunity. K2ZA and N2LQH both peaked during evening UTC hours (23:00 and 22:00 respectively), consistent with gray-line enhancement toward the Pacific and long-path geometry to Oceania—their DX achievements into VK territory validate this window. KC2GYU’s 14:00 UTC peak indicates dominant afternoon skip propagation, likely toward South America and the equatorial belt where PP5ZX was reached at 4,785 miles. The consistent absence of EU receivers across all three stations despite differing peak UTC times suggests that trans-Atlantic skip geometry during today’s test period—possibly due to solar zenith angle and F2 critical frequency at northern latitudes—did not favor the eastbound path. These patterns point to robust, directionally consistent antenna systems experiencing normal seasonal and diurnal propagation behavior rather than anomalous skip or side-scatter effects.

WW0WWV is the NIST WWV/WWVH time-station beacon at Fort Collins, Colorado, transmitting WSPR continuously on multiple HF bands. Because its power, antenna and location are constant, it’s a steady benchmark for raw band openness — if WW0WWV is being heard widely on a band, that band is propagating. If it’s missing, the band is probably closed. P90 distance below is the same metric used in the per-band station tables on the live dashboard.

WWV P90 reach by band — 30-day window. Higher bars = farther reliable propagation.

WWV activity by band — total spots over 30 days. A noisy band = high spot count.

P90 distance per UTC hour by band — shows when each band is open. Bands rise during their propagation windows; flat-low = closed.

Spots per UTC hour by band — receivers actively hearing WWV. Activity tracks when receivers tune in plus when the band is open.

P90 = 90th-percentile receiver distance — what you can reliably reach, ignoring the rare lucky DX. Best-DX callsign is the receiver that heard WW0WWV from the greatest distance over the last 30 days. Hourly charts cover the most recent 24-hour window.

Solar activity remains moderate with a Solar Flux Index of 156 and 136 visible sunspots, indicating sustained ionospheric ionization suitable for HF propagation. These conditions support reasonable critical frequencies on the F2 layer, particularly favoring the upper frequency bands throughout the day. The 20-meter band benefits from good daytime and nighttime propagation, while 15-meter and 17-meter bands maintain good conditions across both periods. Ten-meter propagation shows strength during daylight hours but degrades at night as solar radiation diminishes, a typical pattern for higher frequency bands. The moderate solar activity level suggests that upper-band DX opportunities should remain available to operators working strategic windows, though not at the level seen during more robust solar maximums.

Geomagnetic conditions are moderately unsettled with a K-Index of 3 and A-Index of 25, driven by solar wind speeds of 654.8 kilometers per second that continue to buffet Earth’s magnetosphere. These unsettled conditions typically degrade lower-frequency propagation, explaining the poor daytime conditions on 80 and 40 meters as well as the limited nighttime improvement to fair status on these bands. The A-Index value of 25 suggests that polar paths and transatlantic circuits may experience some degradation, particularly on 30 and 40 meters, though the 30-meter band maintains good ratings at both day and night. The elevated solar wind speed, while not extreme, is sufficient to cause the observed geomagnetic unsettling and may result in variable conditions throughout the day as the solar wind stream evolves.

For operators planning their WSPR strategy today, the 30-meter and 20-meter bands offer the most reliable performance with good conditions maintained around the clock, making these frequencies ideal for consistent long-distance contacts and spot collection. The 15 and 17-meter bands also show good promise during both day and night, providing excellent alternatives for operators seeking DX on slightly higher frequencies where atmospheric noise remains manageable at S2-S3 levels. Lower-band operators on 40 and 80 meters should expect challenging conditions during daylight hours with only marginal improvement after dark, suggesting that evening and early morning windows will yield the best results. Given the unsettled geomagnetic field and moderate solar activity, today represents a solid mid-level propagation day favoring the 20 to 30-meter range, with operators advised to take advantage of the good-rated bands while avoiding frustration on the poorly-rated lower frequencies during peak daytime hours.