‰ Now 18 WPM transition file follows ‰

Lee C. Wical, KH6BZF, of Kaneohe, Hawaii, died May 2 after a period
of declining health. He was 79 and had not been active on the air in
recent years. Growing up in Ohio, Wical became interested in radio
after getting an old Atwater Kent from his grandfather in 1938,
becoming a BCL and, later, an SWL. His uncle and a cousin both were
hams. His early aspirations were to become a minor league baseball
player, but he opted eventually for a career in electrical
engineering.  Wical said on his //www.qrz.com page that he learned
Morse code while in the Boy Scouts, and that his knowledge of the
code attracted the interest of the US Army Signal Corps when he was
in the service during the Korean Conflict. He got his Novice ticket
in 1955 while in Hawaii and almost immediately became interested
into DXing.  While attending college on the GI Bill, he got his
first class FCC Radiotelephone License and went to work for
broadcast stations in Ohio. After graduation he moved to Hawaii and
was employed in various engineering positions before signing on with
the federal government for 36 years. Following that, he resumed his
career at ATT and Lucent Technologies, working around the world
before finally retiring in 1997.  From 1962 until 1972, Wical served
as ARRL Section Communications Manager, now called SM, for Hawaii.
He also was a state MARS director.  Wical was an ARRL VEC and W5YI
volunteer examiner to put something back into radio, which gave me a
great vocation and a great hobby, as he explained. He was an ARRL
Charter Life Member as well as a life member of the QCWA and of
AMSAT. He was a charter member and co founder of the Honolulu DX
Club and on the clubs Board of Directors.  Wical had attained the
ARRL DXCC Honor Roll with 358 entities confirmed. He belonged to the
A 1 Operators Club and ARRLs Old Timers Club. He edited and
published the KH6BZF Reports HF propagation forecast and
occasionally prepared the ARRL Propagation Bulletin for W1AW.  An
ARRL Diamond Club member, Wical also belonged to the ARRL Legacy
Circle and had included the ARRL in his estate.  Solar and
geomagnetic activity slackened over the past week, with average
daily sunspot numbers declining from 202.7 to 73.4, and average
daily solar flux dropping from 160.4 to 122.6.  The latest outlook
has solar flux at 125 on May 2, 130 on May 3, 135 on May 4 to 6, 140
on May 7 to 9, 150 on May 10 to 13, 145 on May 14, 140 on May 15 to
17, 135 on May 18, 130 on May 19 and 20, and 125 on May 21.  It then
reaches a low of 115 on May 24 and 25, then bounces back to 140 on
May 31, and looking way, way out, 184 on June 9.  But June 9 is 37
days out, perhaps too far to rely on a forecast.  Predicted
planetary A index is 5 on May 2, 8 on May 3 and 4, 5 on May 5 to 13,
10 and 8 on May 14 and 15, and 5 on May 16 to 20, 10 and 8 on May 21
and 22, 5 on May 23 to 25, and 8 on May 26 and 27.  With April now
over, we can look at the 3 month moving average of daily sunspot
numbers centered on March.  Even with the softening of activity over
the past week, the moving average is higher than ever for this solar
cycle, demonstrating that this second, or third, peak is stronger
than the first.  Sunspot numbers were 71, 73, 46, 84, 79, 80, and
81, with a mean of 73.4.  10.7 cm flux was 130.1, 124.7, 120.7,
118.1, 120.8, 120.1, and 123.6, with a mean of 122.6.  Estimated
planetary A indices were 10, 9, 6, 4, 6, 6, and 18, with a mean of
8.4.  Estimated mid latitude A indices were 8, 7, 8, 4, 7, 7, and
12, with a mean of 7.6.

‰ End of 18 WPM transition file ‰