SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP042
ARLP042 Propagation de K7RA

ZCZC AP42
QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 42  ARLP042
> From Tad Cook, K7RA
Seattle, WA  October 20, 2017
To all radio amateurs

SB PROP ARL ARLP042
ARLP042 Propagation de K7RA

The past reporting week (October 12-18) saw very little solar activity, with a
sunspot number of 12 on October 15, meaning the average daily sunspot number
was only 1.7, down from the already low
average of 8.4 over the previous seven days.

Over the same two periods, average daily solar flux declined from 76.8 to 70.5,
 while average daily planetary A index increased from 8.9 to 21.1 and average
mid-latitude A index went from 8 to 16.7.

Dr. Tamitha Skov says there are sunspots just beyond the solar horizon which
should soon come into view and begin to affect Earth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJDK3fGmVXg

Predicted solar flux over the near term is 74, 78 and 82 on October 20-22, 86
on October 23-26, 72 on October 27 through November 2, 70 on November 3-14, 72
on November 15-29, then 70 on November 30 through December 3.

Predicted planetary A index is 8 on October 20-21, then 10, 5, 35 and 45 on
October 22-25, 15 on October 26-27, then 10, 8, 5 and 5 on October 28-31, then
8 and 10 on November 1-2, 5 on November 3-6, then 28, 30, 40, 28, 26, 18 and 10
 on November 7-13, then 12 on November 14-15, 8 on November 16-18, then 5, 35
and 45 on November 19-21, 15 on November 22-23, then 10 and 8 on November
24-25, 5 on November 26-27, then 8 and 10 on November 28-29, and 5 on November
30 through December 3.

Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period October 20 to November 15, 2017
from F.K. Janda, OK1HH.

"Geomagnetic field will be:
Quiet on October 20, 30-31, November (19)
Quiet to unsettled on October 22, 28-29, November 1-6, 13-15
Quiet to active on October 21, 23-27, November 7, 9-12
Active to disturbed on November 8

"Amplifications of the solar wind, mostly from coronal holes, are expected on
October (22, 24,) 25-26, November 7-12

"Remarks:
- Amplifications of the solar wind-prediction is less reliable at present.
- Parenthesis means lower probability of activity enhancement and/or lower
reliability of prediction."


Jeff, N8II of Shepherdstown, West Virginia wrote on October 13:

"Punk conditions with K as high as 6 and almost always at least 4 last 3 days,
but heard VU7T Lakshadweep Island around 2000z with S5-7 signal and worked
Spain and Gibraltar on 15 CW in the morning on Oct. 12. Today many EU we
readable calling 3C0L, Annobon Island, Africa on 20 CW today who was S9 and I
did work (a huge pile up)."

On October 19 Jeff wrote:

"Surprisingly with the SFI running 69-72 recently, 15 meters has been open to
at least southern Europe the past 4 days. I have also worked Reunion Island,
FR4QK on October 11 and heard 9J2BO in Zambia on 15 CW a few days. Two ops from
 Lithuania have been doing an outstanding job of decreasing worldwide demand
for Annobon Island off the west coast of Africa operating as 3C0L.

"They had a good signal on all bands 160 through 12 meters here and I have made
 QSOs with them on all HF bands except 40, 30, and 10M. They were very good
copy on 160M throughout the evening here both Oct 16 and 18. They were S9+20-25
 dB on 15M SSB on October 18 around 2100z and easily working to the west coast.
 Conditions on 15 have also been good to the Middle East around 1300-1500z most
 days with recent QSOs with Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab
Emirates, and Qatar."


K2CHM from Framingham, Massachusetts wrote on October 13:

"Much to my surprise and pleasure I worked ZD7FT on St Helena Island SSB at
1950 UTC October 11 on 28.489.  My QTH is FN42 in eastern Massachusetts and I
am only running 60 watts to a dipole about 20' off the ground."


David Moore sent this:

http://bit.ly/2zBkuWV


Jon Jones, N0JK in Kansas sent these notes on October 16:

"Sporadic-E is rare in October, the only month of the year with less is March.
Any Es in October is a Halloween treat.

"There has been sporadic-E on 6 Friday 10/13, Saturday 10/14 and Sunday 10/15
this weekend. Perhaps associated with the high geomagnetic activity. Sunday was
 probably the best.

"From work, I logged KM4SEG EL88 at 1648z October 15 on SSB 50.145 MHz. I was
using the old MFJ-9406 10W and a 1/4 wave mag mount whip. Solid contact and
received a 5x5 - 5x7 report. Heard but didn't work AE2DX. Saw Florida stations
had Es from 1500z to after 1900z to Texas.

"Most activity initially old school CW and SSB. Later some on the new FT8 mode.

"That afternoon - the Es - TEP link path opened from New England to CE and LU.

"LU5FF       2206Z  50105.2 FF99 FN42 599                   NK1K
LU5FF        2206Z  50105.2 FF99>FN42 599                  NK1K
LU5FF        2202Z  50105.0 s5 FN44 MAINE                   K1TOL

"Both CW and FT8 QSOs were logged.  Great to see some F-layer DX this late in
the solar cycle.

"More 6 meter sporadic-E on October 16.

"KD4ESV in Florida spotted the HI8W/b and some domestic station spots:

"KD4ESV      1811Z  50125.0 EM57ESEL87RL                  WA4Q
K8TV         1809Z  50125.0 EN81 EL87 58 52                 KD4ESV
W3DOG/b      1802Z  50071.0 469 QSB IN (LOWER ALABAMA)      WB4JPG
W4IMD        1759Z  50125.0                                 K1TTT
N9RD         1757Z  50125.0 EN61 EL87 57                    KD4ESV

"More 50 MHz activity:

"Some weak Es October 16 allowed links to TEP. I heard LU5FF on .105 CW and had
 audible tones on CE2AWW around 2300z. Es - link to TEP.

"CE2AWW worked stations from W1, W2, W4, W5 west to California. K5CM EM25 had
CE2AWW S9+ at 2352z.

"Both LU5FF and CE2AWW operated CW and FT8."


Another piece on Hisako Koyama:

http://to.pbs.org/2yUqKfi


There is an Athens Astronomical Association in Athens, Georgia and Athens
Astronomical Society in Athens, Ohio, but I believe this is the Ohio
organization:

http://bit.ly/2iocdl0

Looks like a useful event of interest to Sun watchers.


If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers, email the
author at k7ra@arrl.net.

For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL Technical
Information Service web page at, http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. 
For an explanation of numbers used in this bulletin, see
http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosph...

An archive of past propagation bulletins is at
http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propag... More good information and
tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/.

Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve overseas
locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation.

Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are at
 http://arrl.org/bulletins.

Sunspot numbers for October 12 through 18, 2017 were 0, 0, 0, 12, 0, 0, and 0,
with a mean of 8.4. 10.7 cm flux was 70.2, 69.7, 69, 70.3, 70.9, 70.3, and
73.2, with a mean of 76.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 29, 42, 31, 26,
9, 6, and 5, with a mean of 8.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 20, 26,
26, 31, 6, 4, and 4, with a mean of 8.

NNNN
/EX

)\/(ark

Always Mount a Scratch Monkey
Do you manage your own servers? If you are not running an IDS/IPS yer doin' it
wrong...
... He yammered on about blasphemous pagan marshmallow crucifixes.
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