‰ Now 18 WPM transition file follows ‰

Solar activity declined somewhat this week. The average of daily
sunspot numbers retreated nearly 21 points from 134.4 to 114.6, and
average solar flux was off nearly 21 points to 138.8.  Geomagnetic
indices were quiet.  These comparisons are between the recent seven
day reporting period and the previous week, December 12 to 18, 2013.
Predicted solar flux according to the most recent forecast on
Thursday, December 26 from NOAA/USAF is 125 on December 27 and 28,
then 130, 135 and 140 on December 29 to 31, then 145, 150, 155, 165,
170, 175 and 170 on January 1 to 7, 165 on January 8 to 10, 155 on
January 11 to 15, and 150 on January 16 and 17. Solar flux is
predicted to drop to a low of 125 on January 22 to 25, and peak at
175 on February 2.  Predicted planetary A index is 7 on December 27,
5 on December 28 through January 2, then 10 and 20 on January 3 and
4, then 5 on January 5 to 9, then 15 on January 10, and 5 on January
11 to 20, then 10 and 8 on January 21 and 22.  F.K. Janda, OK1HH
shares his geomagnetic predictions this week, and sees quiet to
active conditions December 27, mostly quiet December 28, quiet to
unsettled December 29, active to disturbed December 30, quiet
December 31 and January 1, mostly quiet January 2 and 3, active to
disturbed January 4, quiet to unsettled January 5, quiet January 6
to 9, quiet to unsettled January 10, quiet to active January 11,
quiet to unsettled January 12, and mostly quiet January 13 to 17.
Don Kalinowski, NJ2E of Cary, North Carolina sent us a tip on space
weather coverage by the British Met, Meteorological, Office, which
will begin in Spring 2014. You can read about it online at,
//www.bbc.co.uk/news/ and
//www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2013/ .  Rich Zwirko,
K1HTV of Amissville, Virginia sent this interesting report,
Saturday, December 21 had some very interesting conditions on the
higher HF bands.  I was watching solarham.com around 1545 UTC and
noticed a sharp peak in the density, or proton maybe, reading on the
ACE solar wind real time display. I switched to 10 meters and found
3W1T in Vietnam with a strong signal on CW coming in via long path
from the south. In a few minutes he was in the log. That was around
1545Z.  His signal continued to build to almost S9 on the K3 S meter
over the next 15 minutes. I called Ed again on CW with my 100W,
asking if he could switch to SSB, but he said that he had to QRT in
a few minutes.  Sunspot numbers were 138, 137, 131, 111, 108, 96,
and 81, with a mean of 114.6. 10.7 cm flux was 153.4, 149.2, 144.2,
137.9, 136.1, 128.3, and 122.7, with a mean of 138.8.  Estimated
planetary A indices were 5, 6, 4, 3, 3, 2, and 7, with a mean of
4.3. Estimated mid latitude A indices were 4, 6, 4, 2, 2, 2, and 6,
with a mean of 3.7.

‰ End of 18 WPM transition file ‰