‰  NOW 18 WPM transition file follows‰

Again this week solar indices crept lower.  Average daily sunspot
numbers declined 8 points to 20.4, and average daily solar flux went
down 2.4 points to 86.4.  Geomagnetic indices softened, with
planetary A index down 3 points to 8.9, and mid latitude A index
down 1.2 points to 7.4.  Just one new sunspot appeared since March
17, and that was one week later on March 24.  Predicted solar flux
values from USAF and NOAA saw a major downward shift on March 28.
Overnight, the predicted average daily solar flux for the 38 days
from April 4 through May 11 dropped from 91.6 to 82.2.  Predicted
solar flux is 82 on April 1, 81 on April 2 and 3, 80 on April 4 and
5, 75 on April 6, 80 on April 7 to 9, 85 on April 10 and 11, 80 on
April 12 to 17, 85 on April 18 to 24, 80 on April 25 to 28, 85 on
April 29 through May 2, and 80 on May 3 to 6.  If the daily solar
flux declines to 75 as predicted for April 6, that will be the
lowest flux value since the other side of this solar cycle, when it
was 74.8 on November 22, 2010.  Predicted planetary A index is 10,
26 and 18 on April 1 to 3, then 8, 18, and 14 on April 4 to 6, 10 on
April 7 and 8, then 5, 15, 24, 22 and 20 on April 9 to 13, then 8 on
April 14 and 15, and 5 on April 16 to 22, 12 on April 23 and 24, 8
on April 25, then 5 on April 26 to 28, then 25 on April 29 and 30, 8
on May 1, and 5 on May 2 to 4.  The A index then rises to 24, 22 and
20 on May 8 to 10.  According to Spaceweather.com, NOAA forecasters
estimate a 45 percent chance of polar geomagnetic storms on April 1
when a CIR is expected to hit Earths magnetic field.  CIRs, co
rotating interaction regions, are transition zones between fast and
slow moving solar wind streams.  Density gradients and shock waves
inside CIRs often do a good job sparking auroras.  I called several
times to test it, said my call one time, let up, heard it every
time.  An echo??  Went down the band and called CN2AA after working
the CU2.  Heard the same deal for a couple of calls, even with just
N0JK, then it was gone by 2100z.  Had strong back scatter on US
stations, WX3B was 57 on backscatter.  Japan Kilowatt is about 2
seconds.  Speed of light is 300,000 km/second.  Earth circumference
is 40,000 km. K index 3.  Weird.  Any ideas?  The moving average
peaked in March, 2014 when it was 148.2.  Since May 2015 the
averages were 77.7, 76.3, 69.1, 67.5, 64.5, 64.6, 58.5, 55.4, 53.5
and 49.  Sunspot numbers were 25, 24, 23, 23, 23, 13, and 12, with a
mean of 28.4.  10.7 cm flux was 86.5, 85.5, 85.5, 88.2, 87.7, 87.8,
and 83.8, with a mean of 88.8.  Estimated planetary A indices were
7, 6, 3, 13, 10, 11, and 12, with a mean of 11.9.  Estimated mid
latitude A indices were 7, 6, 2, 10, 9, 8, and 10, with a mean of
8.6.

‰  END OF 18 WPM transition file ƒ