Welcome to SkyWave-Radio the study of HF radio communications.
The purpose of this site is the study of HF radio communications. I hope to provide information that bridges the gap between the simple and very complex.
Solar Parameters
CLICK THE REFRESH BUTTON ON YOUR BROWSER TO UPDATE THE DATA.
This data has been graciously provided by NONBH. Click on NONBH under links to visit his extensive NONBH HF Propagation website.
Solar Cycle 25 is expected to peak in July 2025 at a smoothed sunspot number (ssn) of around 115, about the same amplitude as Cycle 24, or perhaps slightly smaller. (Source: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center)
See Solar Cycle Progression under Current Conditions tab for latest updates.
An interesting adventure is combining amateur radio with RV travel, particular experimenting with dependable communications any time, from any where, under any conditions. One such adventure, quite some time ago, was particularly eye opening. We pulled into a wonderful little campground in Canada along a small river completely surrounded by high mountains. As we pulled in it occurred to me that I had not seen a telephone, or any signs of civilization in over a hundred miles. There certainly were no cell phones or repeaters around. I wondered how people at the campground would call for help if there were a serious emergency. I fired up my radio to see who I could contact. At the time I was using a vertical HF antenna on the RV. When I turned on the radio all the bands were dead. I was not quite sure why that was since we were in a good part of the solar cycle. I had heard of near vertical incident skywave (NVIS) and wondered if that would help in this mountainous terrain? I decided to give it a try. I climbed up on top of the RV, disconnected the vertical and remounted it horizontally. When I turned the radio back on, 40 meter signals were booming in. I easily worked stations in Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and may places in between. That NVIS thing really worked! Today I carry both vertical and horizontal HF antennas in the RV to easily adapt to current situations.
Research for this website can be really tough.