FG/F1JXQ > Ham Radio Amateur 2.0 & DXpedition 10m, 6m & 2m

Sunspot numbers pulled up from 0 this week, but barely. Average daily sunspot numbers rose over nine points to 12.9. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet. Conditions have been quiet for so long that we may not appreciate this, as many of us wish for more solar activity and sunspots.

It wasn't long ago when we had more sunspots, but the accompanying geomagnetic activity made conditions difficult. Check the Planetary A index in October 2002, April, June, September and December 2003, and into January 2004. For 2003, check http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpdir/indices/old_indices/2003_DGD.txt. For any other year, just change 2003 toward the end of the URL, and to check sunspot numbers change DGD to DSD at the end of the URL.

If you read ARRL Propagation Bulletins from back then, in addition to complaints about the higher geomagnetic activity, you'll find stories of better VHF propagation during periods of geomagnetic disturbance. You can see old bulletins back through 1995 at, http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/.

The Australian Ionospheric Prediction Service sent out a warning of increased geomagnetic activity centered on September 1 due to a wind stream from a solar coronal hole. They predict, August 31, will be quiet with increasing activity late in the day, unsettled to active conditions with possible minor storm on Saturday, September 1, and mostly unsettled conditions September 2.

Geophysical Institute Prague predicted earlier that August 31 would be quiet to unsettled, September 1 unsettled to active, unsettled conditions September 2-3, quiet September 4-5, and unsettled to active again on September 6.

Over the same period the US Air Force predicts a Planetary A index of 15, 25, 12, 12, 8, 5 and 15 for August 31 through September 6.

From the same prediction, it looks like September 8-17 may see a return of 0 sunspot days.

QST de W1AW Propagation Forecast Bulletin 36 ARLP036 From Tad Cook, K7RA Seattle, WA August 31, 2007 To all radio amateurs

With tears in eyes I sad announce to you that FG5JK Gerard passed silent key on August 13 2007 due to a cardiac attack.

FG5JK proposed original hiring of bungalow in Guadeloupe with a radio shack, and others things. I wrote a article before to know him and meet him by chance on a beach in Guadeloupe Island thanks to his wife who, while passing on the road, saw the antennas that I had deployed on a beach towards La Pointe des chateaux.

Then Gerard come and asks me “Radio ham? ”, I answer a little surprised "Yes !". It was really my lucky day, precisely the day when my IC 706mkIIG breaks down on HF bands.

Gerard then proposes me, by an extraordinary chance, a same icom ic 706mkiig, that it had bought on ebay and never used.

Without its help I would never be able to continue activation TO1USB thanks to his assistance.

We will activate in homage to his memory with other OM' S here on guadeloupe, on Thursday 16 August 2007 on 20m and 10m.

Gerard, the life did not have leave us enought time to know you more each other and it is my greater regret. I send you last once my 73 QRO and to your family.

ARLP032 Propagation de K7RA

Average daily sunspot numbers rose very little this week, less than 6 points to 7.3. There were no major geomagnetic upsets, only slightly unsettled conditions on the first day of August.

We saw eight straight days of no sunspots, then a spot or two over four days, then no spots on the first two days of August.

A week from now, August 10, we may see the beginning of several days with a few sunspots every day.

Expect unsettled geomagnetic conditions centered on August 7 and again on August 10.

Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions August 3-5, quiet to unsettled August 6, unsettled to active August 7, and back to quiet August 8-9.

With July over, we can spin some numbers and look for trends. Looking at 3-month smoothed sunspot numbers, now the July numbers we can add to May and June to show the three-month average centered on June. These numbers are based on data from the past 21 months :

November 2005 through July 2007:

Dec 05 40.6
Jan 06 32.4
Feb 06 18.1
Mar 06 27.7
Apr 06 38.5
May 06 39.7
Jun 06 28.9
Jul 06 23.3
Aug 06 23.5
Sep 06 21.2
Oct 06 24.1
Nov 06 23.1
Dec 06 27.3
Jan 07 22.7
Feb 07 18.5
Mar 07 11.2
Apr 07 12.2
May 07 15.8
Jun 07 18.7