Grid JF85 Band Conditions — Cape Town
Localized HF conditions for Maidenhead locator JF85. Coordinating at -34.50°, 17.00°. Updated with real-time telemetry from NOAA and DX cluster reports.
JF85 conditions are FAIR. Best bands: 10m, 12m, 15m, 17m, 20m. SFI: 137.
From Cape Town, work the 05:54 UTC and 16:04 UTC grayline windows: probe 20m, 30m, and 40m in the 15 minutes either side while the terminator crosses JF85.
Night operation should keep 20m on watch and move to 40m as the path darkens.
This square sits in Africa footprint and is best used as a planning center for portable, field-day, and home-station band decisions.
- Latitude zone
- mid-latitude
- Local phase
- Darkness
- Aurora exposure
- low at this latitude
- Grayline
- 05:54 UTC / 16:04 UTC
- Best high band
- 10m
- Nearest city
- Cape Town
● Local Band Quality Scorings
Use this local score for JF85, then compare the global live ranking oncurrent ham band conditionsbefore changing bands.
● Best DX Windows from JF85 — Cape Town
Great-circle distance, short-path beam heading, the bands most likely open right now from JF85 to each DX region at SFI 137 / Kp 3, and a current verdict. "Open now" means a suitable band is scoring well on that path; "Try ~HH:MM" points at the next far-end grayline. Band picks and status are a planning heuristic, not a measurement.
| Target | Distance | Beam | Bands to try | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South America | 4,792 mi | 266° | 40m, 20m, 80m | Open now |
| South Asia | 5,589 mi | 55° | 40m, 20m, 80m | Open now |
| Europe | 5,854 mi | 355° | 40m, 20m, 80m | Open now |
| Oceania | 7,030 mi | 140° | 40m, 20m, 80m | Open now |
| North America | 8,902 mi | 295° | 10m, 15m, 20m | Open now |
| East Asia / Japan | 9,159 mi | 70° | 40m, 20m, 80m | Open now |
● Band-by-Time Plan for JF85
A planning heuristic for the local day at JF85, built from sunrise 05:54 UTC, sunset 16:04 UTC, SFI 137, and Kp 3. Not a measurement — a starting point for where to listen as the day turns.
Grayline enhancement — low bands reach long distances as the terminator passes.
High bands rising with the sun; check 10m for DX.
Peak high-band window — 10m and 15m open widest.
Second grayline peak — 20m holds, then hands off to 40m.
Low bands own the darkness — 40m for DX, 80m regional.
Recent local activity
Spots touching JF85 and the adjacent squares
These are the newest 10m, 15m, and 20m reports where one side of the path sits in JF85, JF86, JF84, JF95, JF75. This gives the page unique, local context instead of a generic solar snapshot.
Top DX targets
Where this grid is reaching right now
Contest preview
Next major contest outlook
No contest event is currently loaded. For planning from JF85, start with 10m POOR, 15m POOR, 20m FAIR and keep 20m available as the safest all-around fallback.
Open contest calendarNearby grids