Hurry up OIRT !

[dxradiofan]

Was it this bad last May ? I hope things get going next month anyway !

[Chris Howles]

May 2017 was worse if I remember correctly, things didn't get going until the last couple of days of May then we had a couple of amazing weeks followed by a massive lull. Stuff is happening but it all seems to be too far east and south to benefit my location.

[daveB]

Reminds me a a pop song. with appropriate changes- "Tropo to the East of me... SpE to the south of me...here I am stuck in the middle [with nothing]"

Still last week wasn't too bad as it was definitely - Tropo from the East.

[dxradiofan]

Nice one, oh well hopefully my Rondo 102 I got from St Petersburg will come to life very soon then

[pe1etr]

Nice one, oh well hopefully my Rondo 102 I got from St Petersburg will come to life very soon then

Hopefully you'll get some CTEPEO.

Peter

[PFM907]

seems to me like there is not much going on today, again...that`s 14 days without any ES activity here between 65,75 and 74 MHz

[KnobTwiddler]

seems to me like there is not much going on today, again...that`s 14 days without any ES activity here between 65,75 and 74 MHz

I have had my 70 MHz Anytone AT-588 on in scan mode for the past 3 days. It's a good indicator of any OIRT Es openings but I've not heard a peep out of it, not even any Amateur activity.

Did anyone get any Es during the usual Winter peak just before Christmas... that seemed to be non-existent last year as well.

[Chris Howles]

Did anyone get any Es during the usual Winter peak just before Christmas... that seemed to be non-existent last year as well.

Yes the mid-winter peak was quite active this year but it was just after Xmas not before. Looking at the DX Alerts pages there were Es on Dec. 26/27/28/29 and 31 with boxing Day being particularly good.

[Andrew Webster,Wigan]

I had band 2 Es before and after Xmas and also band 1 activity this year seemed more active than others hope we haven't used up the yearly allowance

Here is a video of 1 TV 26/12/17

https://youtu.be/oZo1COXSrjI

Andy

[PFM907]

And another day goes by without any activity. To me it seems, this season is already over before it has yet gotten started at all! Two weeks now without the slightest sign of a trace of a signal. Just ridiculous.

[satnipper]

Every year we see band II dxers panic as May goes by...This year the first one was panicking before May started! It is sporadic - stochastic.

I see Es being reported now in the UK and Germany. There is a long way to go to the end of August.....

[Nick Gilly]

On Band 2? I see nothing on FMLIST via Es from DXers in the UK and Germany for today so far. Some nice reports from Hungary and Russia though.

[satnipper]

Band I/6m - the quintessential Es band

[Nick Gilly]

Ah I see. It's just that you were referring to Band 2 DXers...

[daveB]

Comparing my logs for the last four years for the beginning of the season
Sporadic-E (Es) openings
2015: 24/04/15 (S), 30/04/15 (E, OIRT), 02/05/15 (E), 12/05/15 (E, OIRT), 14/05/15 (E, OIRT), 15/05/15 (E,SE, Jordan E3), 23/05/15 (S).
2016: 04/05/16 (OIRT), 05/05/16 (E and S), 07/05/16 (ESE), 14/05/16 (OIRT), 22/05/16 (OIRT), 25/05/16 (NE, E, OIRT), 26/05/16 (NE, E - double hop TUR, ESE, OIRT), 28/05/16 (OIRT - double hop Russia), 29/05/16 (E, double hop IRN, IRQ and OIRT), 30/05/16 (E, S)
2017: 14/05/17 (SSE), 15/05/17 (OIRT), 16/05/17 (ESE), 18/05/17 (E), 20/05/17 (E, OIRT), 23/05/17 (NE, SE, SSE, OIRT), 29/05/17 (OIRT), 30/05/17 (E,SE, double hop Middle East), 31/05/16 (E, SE, SSE, OIRT)
2018: 08/05/18 (S), 10/05/18 (OIRT), 11/05/18 (S), 22/05/18 (S), 23/05/18 (S, R1 TV). Much shorter openings than 2016 or 2017.

Every year is different. 2015 opened early, 2017 was a late start. 2018 a late start and propagation to the South rather than the NE-SE - which for me explains lack of OIRT reception thids year.

Note that for 2016 and 2017 the late part of May gave double hop reception - so stay alert - especially at the start of opening before the intensity has built up.

[Nick Gilly]

Or at the end just before it drops out too. I've had Israel and Turkey in situations like this over the last 3 or 4 years.

[PFM907]

I am not complaining bout the number of logs, the direction of openings, the duration of openings, the ammount of openings, the number and choice of countires been received... it's just...there is NONE of that.

have had one opening so far in 2018.

last year at the same time, I had about 10 , including 17 countries


ukwtvdx-forum, fmlist / myfm is pretty quiet, too. also not much going on in NL / France...

[PFM907]

indeed....hurry up, OIRT-UKF! not much going on between 65.75 and 74 MHz the last couple a weeks...not even while CCIR-FM is in motion

[Tim Bucknall]

Worst season for oirt I can remember,
When it did open it was limited to one station at a time usually Kyiv

My Highlight was an unid on 71.98

[PFM907]

had about 3-5 good days on OIRT this summer. and those were really excellent with strong, stable signals and many IDs.
but indeed, in comparison to 2016 or 2017, it was rather poor this time. also TV (ch. R1 / R2 / R3 / R4 / R5) was poor.