 Previous: Space&Beyond: The Many Little Beeps Heard 'Round the World |  Next: The Magic Band is acting like David Copperfield this Week! |
SEATTLE, WA, Nov 2, 2001-- Conditions were excellent on HF going into the CQ Worldwide DX SSB Contest, but the bands deteriorated by Sunday. The predicted planetary A index for Sunday was 30, as reported in last week's bulletin. The actual planetary A index was 41, which was worse for absorption of HF signals.
Geomagnetic indices had been very low for days, but early Sunday UTC the planetary K index jumped from 2 to 6, and mid-latitude values went from 1 to 6, indicating a severe geomagnetic storm. This was Saturday evening in North America.
Another less severe geomagnetic storm began on Thursday November 1, as the interplanetary magnetic field tilted south. This lowered earth's resistance to solar wind. For more information on the interplanetary magnetic field check NASA's Space Weather site at http://spaceweather.com/glossary/imf.html.
There were reports of fantastic conditions on six meters this week. W4AWI reported that six meters has never been this good, and he was working half the world from South Florida on October 30 and 31. He and his friends K4SUS and K2RTH worked Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Siberia and Ukraine.
Average sunspot numbers this week were up 3 points over last, and average solar flux was off by 4.4 points.
Solar activity was high in September. Average daily solar flux in October was down by nearly 26 points and average sunspot numbers were off by nearly 32 compared to the previous month. The monthly averages of daily sunspot numbers for January through October were 142.7, 131, 166.7, 163.6, 135.1, 196.7, 124.6, 159.4, 229.1 and 197.4. Average daily solar flux for January through October was 166.6, 147.2, 177.7, 178.2, 148.7, 173.7, 131.3, 163.1, 233.8 and 208.1. September had the high values for this year, although there was a peak in activity spread over the last part of March and first part of April. Average sunspot numbers for the 31 days from March 20 to April 19 was 195.6 and average solar flux for the same period was 197. This was quite a bit higher than the average for the two months, because the peak in activity straddled March and April.
For the next few days solar flux is expected to be around 225 or 230. Planetary A index predicted for Friday through Monday is 12, 10, 10 and 8.
Here are some path projections for this weekend's ARRL November CW Sweepstakes.
From Seattle to California, 80 meters open all the time, strongest 0200-1400 UTC, weakest 1900-2030 UTC, 40 meters open all hours, strongest 0200-0930 and 1230-1330 UTC, weakest 1830-2100 UTC, 20 meters 1630-0100 UTC, 15 meters 1900-2100 UTC.
From Seattle to Dallas, 80 meters 0000-1400 UTC, 40 meters open all hours, strongest 0130-1230 UTC, weakest 1730-2000 UTC, 20 meters 1300-0530 UTC (strongest later in the session), 15 meters 1500-0200 UTC, 10 meters 1600-2330 UTC.
From Seattle to Atlanta, 80 meters 2330-1330 UTC (very strong 0330- 1100 UTC), 40 meters open always, best 0130-1200 UTC, weakest 1700- 2000 UTC, 20 meters 1100-1330 and 1500-0630 UTC, 15 meters 1400-0200 UTC, 10 meters 1500-0000 UTC.
From Seattle to Cleveland, 80 meters 2330-1330 UTC, 40 meters open always, strongest 0130-1130 UTC, weakest 1700-2000 UTC, 20 meters 1230-1400 and 1530-0400 UTC, 15 meters 1430-0100 UTC, 10 meters 1600- 2300 UTC.
From Seattle to Boston, 80 meters 2330-1230 UTC, 40 meters 2100-1500 UTC, 20 meters 1430-0030 UTC, 15 meters 1630-2200 UTC, 10 meters 1830-1900 UTC.
From Seattle to Hawaii, 80 meters 0300-1500 UTC, 40 meters 0200-1700 UTC, 20 meters 1530-0500 UTC, 15 meters 1700-0300 UTC, 10 meters 1830-0030 UTC.
From Seattle to Alaska, 80 meters 0000-1700 UTC, 40 meters open always, strongest 0230-1430 UTC, weakest 1900-2230 UTC, 20 meters 1600-0430 UTC, 15 meters 1730-0200 UTC, 10 meters 1930-0000 UTC.
From California to Dallas, 80 meters 0000-1400 UTC, 40 meters open always, strongest 0130-0330 UTC, weakest 0600-1300 and 1700-2100 UTC, 20 meters 1330-0530 UTC, 15 meters 1500-0130 UTC, 10 meters 1630-2300 UTC.
From California to Atlanta, 80 meters 0000-1300 UTC, 40 meters open always, strongest 0130-1130 UTC, weakest 1700-2000 UTC, 20 meters open always, strongest 0130-0800 UTC, weakest 1400-1500 and 1730-1930 UTC, 15 meters 1400-0200 UTC, 10 meters 1500-0000 UTC.
From California to Cleveland, 80 meters 2330-1330 UTC, 40 meters always open, best 0130-1130 UTC, weakest 1700-2000 UTC, 20 meters always open, strongest 0100-0530 UTC, weakest 1700-2000 and 0830-1000 UTC, 15 meters 1400-0200 UTC, 10 meters 1500-0000 UTC.
From California to Boston, 80 meters 0000-1230 UTC, 40 meters 2230- 1430 UTC, 20 meters 1400-0100 UTC, 15 meters 1530-2230 UTC, 10 meters 1700-2000 UTC.
From California to Hawaii, 80 meters 0300-1500 UTC, 40 meters 0130- 1630 UTC (strongest 0430-1330 UTC), 20 meters 1600-0700 UTC, 15 meters 1700-0300 UTC, 10 meters 1800-0030 UTC.
From California to Alaska, 80 meters 0100-1530 UTC, 40 meters open always, strongest 0300-1400 UTC, weakest 1900-2130 UTC, 20 meters 1430-1600 and 1730-0730 UTC, 15 meters 1630-0330 UTC, 10 meters 1730- 0130 UTC.
From Dallas to Atlanta, 80 meters open always, strongest 0000-1100 UTC, weakest 1630-1900 UTC, 40 meters always open, strongest 0030- 1130 UTC, weakest 1530-2000 UTC, 20 meters 1400-0000 UTC, 15 meters 1630-2030 UTC.
From Dallas to Cleveland, 80 meters 2130-1400 UTC, 40 meters always open, strongest 0030-1100 UTC, weakest 1630-1900 UTC, 20 meters 1330- 0100 UTC, 15 meters 1500-2200 UTC, 10 meters 1730-1930 UTC.
From Dallas to Boston, 80 meters 2230-1230 UTC, 40 meters always open, best 0000-1100 UTC, weakest 1700-1830 UTC, 20 meters 1230-0330 UTC, 15 meters 1330-0000 UTC, 10 meters 1500-2130 UTC.
From Dallas to Hawaii, 80 meters 0330-1330 UTC, 40 meters 0230-1430 UTC, 20 meters always open, best 0330-1030 UTC, weakest 1900-2200 UTC, 15 meters 1600-0300 UTC, 10 meters 1700-0130 UTC.
From Dallas to Alaska, 80 meters 0030-1330 UTC, 40 meters 2300-1430 UTC (strongest 0230-1200 UTC), 20 meters 1500-0400 UTC, 15 meters 1730-0100 UTC, 10 meters 1930-2300 UTC.
From Atlanta to Cleveland, 80 meters always open, best 2330-1100 UTC, weakest 1600-1830 UTC, 40 meters 1100-0400 UTC, 20 meters 1430-2130 UTC.
From Atlanta to Boston, 80 meters 2030-1330 UTC, 40 meters always open, best 2230-1100 UTC, weakest 1600-1800 UTC, 20 meters 1300-0000 UTC, 15 meters 1500-2100 UTC.
From Atlanta to Hawaii, 80 meters 0330-1300 UTC, 40 meters 0200-1400 UTC, 20 meters always open, best 0400-1200 UTC, weakest 1830-2300 UTC, 15 meters 1600-0230 UTC, 10 meters 1630-0100 UTC.
From Atlanta to Alaska, 80 meters 0000-1230 UTC, 40 meters 2300-1400 UTC, 20 meters 1400-1530 and 1700-0300 UTC, 15 meters 1730-0000 UTC, 10 meters 1930-2230 UTC.
From Cleveland to Boston, 80 meters open always, best 2300-1030 UTC, weakest 1600-1730 UTC, 40 meters 1200-0230 UTC, 20 meters 1500-2100 UTC.
From Cleveland to Hawaii, 80 meters 0330-1300 UTC, 40 meters 0200- 1400 UTC, 20 meters open always, strongest 0300-1300 UTC, weakest 2000-2300 UTC, 15 meters 1600-0230 UTC, 10 meters 1700-0000 UTC.
From Cleveland to Alaska, 80 meters 2330-1300 UTC, 40 meters open always, best 0100-1200 UTC, weakest 1700-2030 UTC, 20 meters 1500- 0200 UTC, 15 meters 1800-2300 UTC, 10 meters possibly 2000-2130 UTC.
From Boston to Hawaii, 80 meters 0330-1200 UTC, 40 meters 0300-1300 UTC, 20 meters 1230-1500, 1600-1700 and 2330-0200 UTC, 15 meters 1630-2330 UTC, 10 meters 1730-2200 UTC.
From Boston to Alaska, 80 meters 2300-1230 UTC, 40 meters 2100-1430 UTC (best 0000-1200 UTC), 20 meters 1430-1600 UTC and 1730-0130 UTC, 15 meters 1800-2230 UTC.
From Hawaii to Alaska, 80 meters 0330-1630 UTC, 40 meters 0230-1800 UTC, 20 meters 1730-0600 UTC, 15 meters 1830-1330 UTC, 10 meters 2030-0130 UTC.
Sunspot numbers for October 25 through 31 were 225, 239, 225, 229, 224, 205 and 212 with a mean of 222.7. 10.7 cm flux was 238.9, 236.5, 246.5, 227.2, 215.8, 226 and 221.1, with a mean of 230.3, and estimated planetary A indices were 7, 5, 6, 41, 16, 8 and 9 with a mean of 13.1. /EX
Amateur solar observer Tad Cook, K7VVV Seattle, Washington, provides
this weekly report on solar conditions and propagation. This report also is
available via W1AW every Friday, and an abbreviated version also appears in The ARRL Letter. Readers may contact the author via k7vvv@arrl.net.
| Previous: Space&Beyond: The Many Little Beeps Heard 'Round the World | Next: The Magic Band is acting like David Copperfield this Week! |