Howdy,
Howdy,
Well, today was a horrible day for my microstation. When I went home Thursday night all was well, and this morning (Friday) the sun came out. Then the wind rose a tad and things got darker, overcast several layers of clouds to the East. My station got loaded with static. Range seems about right, but interference was very high. Wednesday, it was clear as a bell all around Spring Street and a few blocks East and West, even over to the studio. But today it was nasty static everywhere.
I'd like to prepare listeners and maybe kick in another transmitter to help, but I don't know how to predict static interference. Last week of March had high winds ... 60 mph, then heavy rain ... didn't have anywhere near as much static as today, which was very mild by comparison, weatherwise. Were there Sun storms?
So, for all you heavily experienced guys ... What conditions am I looking for so I can prepare for battle?
TIA ...
There could Have been Distant Lightening. OR the clouds ducting a distant AM signal or interference.
I know for my Part 15 FM my range varies slightly day to day.
Some Days the signal can be clear as can be in the block over. Others is fuzzy. Seems when the air is heavy the signal goes farther. When there's not tropo of course.
Perhaps on this website
which has plenty of good stuff about VLF (Very Low Frequency) and MW (Medium Wave) naturally occurring noise activity,
as I started, perhaps on this website is where I read the amazing claim that lightning storms on the opposite side of the world can send static discharges all the way through the magnetic corridors of the earth so that we get pops and crackles on a fine sunny day!
Or maybe I read that in one of several books about magnetic spectrum activity. I'll look for it.