Re: 2026 AM Rally? Way better than last year!

That sounds like an exciting day in the life of a radio enthusiast!

It seems like all the clouds of ionospheric 'dust' interference from the sun's CME have finally dissipated after weeks, and signals are more back to normal again. It was propagation from only the most local signals on the AM broadcast band one night, and anything at a distance was shut down, or you'd get only certain directions.

Your good results show something I've thought about for a while, when propagation starts to go into a slump for a while, you begin to think your equipment is inadequate, I wish I had more transmit power, or that noise and creeped up, but when the band opens up, then your equipment magically feels better and your station is hot!

I take it that guest hams have to go up to W1AW and operate it for them to be on the air? I could see why they might not have been on, with the blizzards we've had.

Boomer