I've found a web site that tells us if it might be worth getting on the radio during spring through fall thunderstorm seasons.
http://www.intellicast.com/Storm/Severe/Lightning.aspx is the current USA Lightning map. (Sometimes I just open the main image there [ http://images.intellicast.com/WxImages/Lightning/usa.jpg] in a tab of its own, and refresh it every so often). If the big USA map is full of yellow or red in your area of the USA, QRN is probably bad. If not, maybe it's worth getting on the air. But look at two of the small clickable maps above the main map (current Lightning Strikes); specifically "Severe Today" and "Severe Tomorrow". I've found them fairly accurate predictors of current and future (tonight and tomorrow night) QRN conditions on 160 and 80. Also, http://webflash.ess.washington.edu/L_plot_global_map.jpg gives us QRN (lightning) conditions in whatever DX country we might be interested in working. 73, Mike www.w0btu.com All good topband ops know how to put up a beverage at night. _________________ Topband Reflector
