📡 Between the Bands and the Sky
K8SCS · Amateur Radio, FT8 & Digital Modes, Space Weather & Propagation
What's Happening on the Bands & in the Sky
Live solar-terrestrial data, propagation outlooks, and everything a ham radio operator needs to plan the next QSO.
Amateur Radio
News, gear notes, and on-air activity from the K8SCS shack and the wider ham community.
FT8 & Digital Modes
Weak-signal digital modes like FT8, FT4 and PSK31 — frequencies, tips, and decoding tools.
Space News
Rockets, satellites, and missions worth tracking — with links straight to NASA and mission updates.
Sunspot Levels
Current sunspot number and where we sit in Solar Cycle 25.
Space Weather
Solar flux, geomagnetic K-index, and aurora activity that shapes today's radio conditions.
Propagation
Band-by-band HF outlook so you know where to point your antenna tonight.
☀️ Live Solar-Terrestrial Data
Updated every few hours — solar flux, sunspot number, A & K index, MUF and HF band conditions straight from N0NBH.
Solar data widget courtesy of N0NBH · hamqsl.com/solar.html
🧧 Space Weather Snapshot
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center data — geomagnetic activity and aurora visibility.
Planetary K-Index
Geomagnetic activity over the last several days — high K-index means rougher HF conditions and possible aurora.
Aurora Forecast
Tonight's northern hemisphere aurora oval from NOAA SWPC.
Local Weather - NWS Cleveland
Current conditions, today's forecast, and live radar for Northeast Ohio.
Current Conditions
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Today's Forecast
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Radar - KCLE (Cleveland)
Live looping radar from the National Weather Service.
Source: NWS Cleveland
p>📡 HF Band Conditions
General day/night propagation outlook by band — always check the live widget above for current conditions.
| Band | Daytime | Nighttime |
|---|---|---|
| 80m – 40m | Fair (regional) | Good (DX) |
| 30m – 20m | Good (DX) | Fair |
| 17m – 15m | Good in high solar flux | Poor |
| 12m – 10m | Variable, best near solar max | Poor |
| 6m | Sporadic-E openings possible | Rare |
💻 FT8 & Digital Modes
Weak-signal digital modes let stations complete contacts well below the noise floor.
FT8
15-second transmit cycles, great for weak-signal DX. Common dial freqs: 7.074, 14.074, 21.074, 28.074 MHz.
FT4
Faster cousin of FT8 (7.5s cycles) built for contesting and quicker QSOs.
PSK31 & RTTY
Classic keyboard-to-keyboard digital modes, still active on HF nets worldwide.
🌌 Space News & Further Reading
Stay current on missions, solar activity, and the amateur radio hobby.
73! Catch Us On the Air
Check the blog for the latest posts, or head to NWS/CLE for local weather backing up your outdoor antenna work.
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