The 2014 Sporadic *Tease* Season

Around this time of year some DXers start complaining that the sporadic E season isn't very good. Others say it has been about average, etc. You get the idea. I think it comes of all of us expecting more and more each year. But let's be honest, last year most of us in the UK were spoilt with a bombardment of E skip on band 2 almost every day between the end of April and the beginning of August. Many DXers agreed that 2013 was our best ever band 2 sporadic E season on record.

It was very different in the USA. They were complaining that it was their worst season ever! Back in north-eastern Europe, I remember a couple of Finnish express their dismay regarding the lack of Es too.

It's always the same. Some areas win, and some lose. This year in the UK, we are noticing that the Es clouds have mainly been across into eastern Europe. By comparison, UK DXers feel like they have been left out of the picture. Has it really been that bad?

Well, the 2014 sporadic E season began here on band 2 on April 26th, the same day it started in 2013. For me, the only difference between this year and last is that the 2013 E season continued with gusto once it had started, whereas the 2014 season didn't. Although it started early, it fizzled a little here and there, went up and down a bit and then gradually declined in activity towards the end of May. But like I say, it all depends on where you live, so some of the facts I am giving will be disputed. I compared my personal 2014 Es log with the same from 2013, looking at the same time period, April 26th to May 31st.

Number of Es loggings, April 26th>May 31st 2014 = 457
Number of Es loggings, April 26th>May 31st 2013 = 830

Days with sporadic E activity, based on personal logbook entries = 2014 = 17
Days with sporadic E activity, based on personal logbook entries = 2013 = 19

There have been other E openings this year where I haven't managed to log a single station, so the number of days is about the same.

After studying the above figures, 2014 really doesn't seem to be all that bad. It's probably about the same as your average Es season. Loggings are less than 50% down on 2014. The main difference for me has been that the 2014 openings have been shorter, generally less intense (apart from two particular openings where strong signals spread to 108 MHz.), but most annoyingly, the MUF has generally stayed right down at the bottom band 2. Even the OIRT openings have been scarce. It's easy to "blink and miss it"!

One thing has become very clear this season and it is something I have not experienced before, is that I am feeling a good deal of frustration with the lack of Es which has been growing by the day. But why? This seems like a fairly average season so far. After some thought, I have to conclude that I have been sitting by the radio, day after day, leaving the propagation maps open on the computer and making regular spot checks on the bands. I realised I have spent a lot more time looking for DX than I have actually listening to it, and this is the cause of my frustration.

I hope things improve as the last few days really are showing signs of a general decline with a constant teasing of weak and brief openings. As always, we try to convince ourselves not to write off the season just yet. It may well throw up one or two pleasant surprises, and of course we all hope it will.

Good DX!

John