Best DGRD = 1.7 dB on 20th-21st BUT New
Moon on 21st
Mar 31-Apr 2
Best DGRD = 2.2 dB on 31st
Apr 16-18
Best DGRD = 1.9 dB on 17th
Apr 28
Best DGRD = 2.3 dB on 28th
May 13-15
Best DGRD = 2.1 dB on 14th
May 25-26
Best DGRD = 2.2 dB on 25th
Jun 10-11
Best DGRD = 2.0 dB on 10th
Jun 21-22
Best DGRD = 2.2 dB on 21st
Jul 6-9
Best DGRD = 1.7 dB on 7th
Jul 19
Best DGRD = 2.3 dB on 19th
Aug 2-5
Best DGRD = 1.6 dB on 4th
Aug 15
Best DGRD = 2.3 dB on 15th BUT New Moon
Aug 30-Sep 2
Best DGRD = 1.4 dB on 31st
(Best day of 2023)
Sep 11
Best DGRD = 2.3 dB on 11th
Sep 26-30
Best DGRD = 1.5 dB on 28th
Oct 9
Best DGRD = 2.3 dB on 9th
Oct 24-26
Best DGRD = 1.7 dB on 25th-26th
Nov 5-6
Best DGRD = 2.1 dB on 5th
Nov 20-22
Best DGRD = 2.0 dB on 121st-22nd
Dec 2-3
Best DGRD = 2.2 dB on 2nd-3th
Dec 18-19
Best DGRD = 2.0 dB on 18th-19th
Dec 29-31
Best DGRD = 2.0 dB on 29th
The best EME conditions occur when:
The Earth-Moon distance is at the absolute minimum and
The Moon is in the coldest sky region (less background noise) along the moon path.
The effect of distance is independent of frequency, but sky temperature
decreases with frequency, up to ~1 GHz and then levels out. The EME
signal-to-noise ratio, in dB, is DGRDaded, from the minimum, by a factor (DGRD,
see below), which varies over hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly time
periods. As a guide for the basic weekend EME conditions the present calendar lists the
expected conditions based on the DGRDadation (DGRD) value. Factors such as local
noise, antenna beam width, side lobes, polarization, etc. can also affect the
s/n ratio of moon bounce signals.
Conditions:
Summary of EME conditions as controlled by DGRD at 50
MHz and New Moon. Conditions may be worse, due to ionospheric disturbance, local
noise and polarity, but not better than indicated.
In general, 50 MHz DGRD:
<1.0 dB is considered Excellent
1.0 to 1.5 is Very Good
1.5 to 2.5 is Good
2.5 to 4.0 is Moderate
4.0 to 5.5 is Poor
and over 5.5 is Very Poor
Within a day of New Moon (NM), high sun noise can make conditions
very bad
regardless of the DGRD.
When two different conditions are indicated for the same weekend, it means
that they change from the value indicated on the left at Saturday's moonrise to
the value indicated on the right at Sunday's moonset. For instance:
Dec 07-08
Moderate -> Poor
means that on Dec, 7th Moonrise conditions are
Moderate and get worse until Dec, 8th
Moonset when they are Poor.