SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP033 ARLP033 Propagation de K7RA ZCZC AP33 QST de W1AW Propagation Forecast Bulletin 33 ARLP033 From Tad Cook, K7RA Seattle, WA August 13, 2021 To all radio amateurs SB PROP ARL ARLP033 ARLP033 Propagation de K7RA Solar activity continues to be very weak, and the latest 45-day outlook seems to indicate more of the same. Sunspots only appeared on three out of the seven days in our reporting week (August 5 to 11) and they were not consecutive. Average daily sunspot numbers actually rose a little, from 6 to 9.9. Average daily solar flux softened from 74.8 to 73.7. Average daily planetary A index went from 8 to 6.3, while middle latitude averages were 7, down from 8.7 last week. Predicted solar flux over the next few weeks shows a predicted maximum of only 75 on just one day, September 11. The solar flux forecast from USAF and NOAA shows 73 on August 13 and 14, 72 on August 15 to 19, 73 on August 20, 74 on August 21 through September 1, then 73, 72, 72, 74 and 74 on September 2 to 6, 73 on September 7 to 10, 75 on September 11, 72 on September 12 to 15, 73 on September 16, and 74 on September 17 and beyond. Predicted planetary A index is 8 on August 13 to 15, 5 on August 16 to 22, 8 on August 15 and 16, 5 on August 17 to 22, then 8, 12 and 8 on August 23 to 25, 5 on August 26 through September 1, then 8 and 12, on September 2 and 3, then 8 on September 4 to 6, 5 on September 7 to 11, then 12, 10, and 10 September 12 to 14, and 5 on September 15 to 18. Strangely, the planetary A index for September 5 is listed as 58, which I was certain was an error. This outlier value was repeated in Thursday's forecast. Wednesday's prediction was done by Stover and Houseal and Thursday's was from Trost and Houseal. I have not checked earlier forecasts to see when this value first showed up. New forecasts appear daily at ftp://ftp.swpc.noaa.gov/pub/forecasts/45DF/ OK1HH is gone for another week, so we present geo-forecasts from two of his colleagues: "Solar activity forecast for the period August 13-August 19, 2021 Activity level: mostly very low X-ray background flux (1.0 to 8.0 A): in the range A3.5 to A7.0 Radio flux (10.7 cm): a fluctuation in the range 70 to 75 Events: class C (0 to 2/period), class M (0/period), class X (0/period), proton (0/period) Relative sunspot number (Ri): in the range 0 to 55 Geomagnetic activity forecast for the period August 13 to 19, 2021 Quiet: August 13 to 16, 19 Unsettled: August 16 to 18 Active: possible August 16 and 17 Minor storm: 0 Major storm: 0 Severe storm: 0 Geomagnetic activity summary: Next week, we expect quiet to unsettled conditions generally. Till the next Sunday, August 15, we expect the quiet to unsettled level closer to the lower level. Since Monday, August 16, more unsettled conditions are possible. Between Monday, August 16, and Wednesday, August 18, more unsettled conditions are probable. Within this interval, an isolated active event is also possible." Interesting item from Southgate Amateur Radio News: https://bit.ly/3sd5LNr For more information concerning shortwave radio propagation, see http://www.arrl.org/propagation and the ARRL Technical Information Service 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-ionosphere. An archive of past propagation bulletins is at http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation. More good information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/. Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins . Sunspot numbers for August 5 through August 11, 2021 were 36, 0, 0, 11, 0, 0, and 22, with a mean of 9.9. 10.7 cm flux was 74.3, 74.4, 73.7, 73.5, 73, 73.3, and 73.8, with a mean of 73.7. Estimated planetary A indices were 3, 7, 11, 5, 5, 7, and 6, with a mean of 6.3. Middle latitude A index was 3, 9, 9, 6, 6, 9, and 7, with a mean of 7. NNNN /EX