‰ Now 18 WPM transition file follows ‰ Audio from W1AWs CW code practices and CW/digital bulletins is available using EchoLink via the W1AW Conference Server named W1AWBDCT. The 945 PM ET phone bulletin is currently unavailable via W1AWBDCT. The audio is sent in real time and runs concurrently with W1AWs regular transmission schedule. All users who connect to the conference server are muted. Please note that any questions or comments about this server should not be sent via the Text window in EchoLink. Please direct any questions or comments to w1aw at arrl.org. The averages of daily sunspot numbers and solar flux over the reporting week, February 28 through March 6, both rose, with sunspot numbers up nearly 36 points to 93.3 and solar flux up nearly 12 points to 112.6, in comparison to the previous seven days. The most active geomagnetic day was Friday, March 1, when the planetary A index was 27 and the mid latitude A index was 23. Alaskas high latitude college A index was a whopping 64. The upset was sparked by a stream of high speed solar wind. The latest forecast from NOAA/USAF puts average solar flux for the next five days, March 9 to 13, at 118.2, higher than average solar flux for the reporting week, which was 112.6. Predicted solar flux is 112 and 118 on March 8 and 9, 120 on March 10 and 11, 118 on March 12, 115 on March 13 and 14, 105 on March 15, 95 on March 16 and 17, 100 on March 18 to 20, 105 on March 21 to 24, 110 on March 25 through April 1, and 105 on April 2 to 5. The predicted planetary A index is 8 on March 8, 5 on March 9, 8 on March 10 to 12, 5 on March 13 to 20, 8 on March 21, 5 on March 22 to 27, then 18, 10, 5 and 10 on March 28 to 31 and 8 on April 1 to 4. If you go to //www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly/pdf/prf1957.pdf for the latest Preliminary Report and Forecast and turn to page 15, you can check the numbers for the latest prediction from Boulder. It shows a peak in September and October 2013, with levels about twenty seven percent higher than solar activity last month, February 2013. See also that the peak in activity at the end of 2011 is represented by the higher numbers, smoothed, so the peak is not pronounced, then gradually declining. The averaging function seems to have moved that peak out to February and March of 2012. But the predicted peak this year is quite a bit higher than the previous peak. Lets hope that the second peak is indeed much more robust, as predicted. At //www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly/pdf/prf1953.pdf the forecast from last month shows higher values for the end of 2012 and the first few months of 2013. These reflect estimated future sunspot numbers, which would drag the average down. Sunspot numbers were 63, 88, 90, 115, 103, 106, and 88, with a mean of 93.3. 10.7 cm flux was 105.5, 112.5, 111, 112, 114.3, 118.4, and 114.3, with a mean of 112.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 27, 12, 7, 4, 4, and 3, with a mean of 9.1. Estimated mid latitude A indices were 8, 23, 14, 6, 4, 3, and 4, with a mean of 8.9. ‰ End of 18 WPM transition file ‰