Maps a lot

No. Not the Monty Python musical Spamalot - this is Maps a Lot. A comparison of RBN Maps vs. QSO maps from my POTA Activations last week. Just to see if and how they differ.

First - Keewaydin State Park, US-2088:

The Reverse Beacon Network Map

Actual QSO Map including the Alaska QSO

Closer look at just the Continental US QSOs

And now Kring Point State Park, US-2091:

The Reverse Beacon Network Map

The QSO Map

The QSO maps (courtesy of Log Analyzer 3.2 by DL4MFM) pretty much gibe with the skimmer maps, just as you'd expect. There are some discrepancies, though. From Keewaydin, I made it to Alaska, a bit farther than the skimmer in the Canadian North West that picked me up. Also, the RBN map didn't show me as getting out to the South West, but I did have a QSO with Oklahoma.

The RBN Map for Kring Point had no skimmers in the Western US pick me up, but yet I had a QSO with California. And I had a QSO with Arkansas, where the RBN map showed no skimmers picking me up. But even with the discrepancies, the Reverse Beacon Network is a great tool which allows you to get an idea of how your RF is getting out.

 

Just for reference, I was located in NY State right at the border with Canada, pretty much opposite of Ottawa. The RBN Maps are showing my signals as originating from my home QTH in New Jersey, so there's a bit of inaccuracy there.  The QSO maps show the origination point accurately. I think RBM goes by your call sign info, not where you're actually located at the time.0

Lesson learned from all this? You're definitely getting out and being heard to where the skimmers can capture you, and if your snr figures are in double digits- probably a lot farther.

A week later and I'm still astounded that the AX1 table top antenna completed QSOs with Alaska and California. As Craig WB3GCK says, "It defies logic."

Final thought - with all this geomagnetic activity happening right now, I'll bet the Northern Lights are quite pretty up in Alexandria Bay. Sigh. Seems I'm always a day late and a dollar short.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!