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Average daily sunspot numbers dropped from 19.3 last week to 10.7 in
the current reporting week, July 28 through August 3. Average daily
solar flux declined from 82.5 to 72.1.  Geomagnetic indices were
more active this week, with average daily planetary A index
increasing from 8.7 to 13, and mid-latitude A index rising from 8.9
to 11.9.  Sunspot numbers were low all week, and on Wednesday August
3 the sunspot number dropped to 0, as in no sunspots. And there were
still no sunspots the next day, August 4.  Predicted solar flux is
80 on August 5 to 7, then 85, 90 and 95 on August 8 to 10, 100 on
August 11 and 12, 95 on August 13 to 15, 90 on August 16 and 17,
then 85 and 80 on August 18 and 19, 75 on August 20 to 22, 70 on
August 23 to 27, 72 on August 28 to 30, 75 on August 31, 85 on
September 1, 90 on September 2 and 3, then 95 on September 4 to 11
and 90 on September 12 and 13.  Predicted planetary A index is 15 on
August 5 and 6, then 10, 20, 8, 12, 10 and 8 on August 7 to 12, 5 on
August 13 and 14, 12 on August 15 and 16, 5 on August 17, 8 on
August 18 and 19, 5 on August 20 to 23, 15 on August 24 and 25, 5 on
August 26 and 27, 8 on August 28, 20 on August 29 and 30, 15 on
August 31, 12 on September 1, 10 on September 2 and 3, then 8 and 5
on September 4 and 5, 12 on September 6 and 7, 8 on September 8, 5
on September 9 and 10 and 12 on September 11 and 12.  Geomagnetic
activity forecast for the period August 5 to August 31, 2016 from
OK1HH of the Czech Propagation Interest Group.  The "Times of India"
has an article on solar flares at, //bit.ly/2aCj0Sn .  "On 20
Meters, each day between midnight local time 0500z to about 0630z or
0700z, PSK is almost completely dead, less than a handful of
stations and most very weak and broken up.  "However, the surprising
exception is that in the midst of that I have been able to work VKs,
ZLs and other South Pacific stations from my home in New York with
good to excellent signals, sometimes 10,000 miles away and the only
signal on the PSK spectrum.  We both marvel at the propagation and
how odd it is yet how strong our signals are.  I do not understand
propagation beyond a very fundamental level.  Nonetheless, there it
is and I'm up way past my bedtime almost every night calling into a
blank noisy band, with surprising results." Often when a band seems
dead, you can call CQ and find out there is good propagation, but
you haven't heard anyone calling, so it seems like there is no
propagation.  Around that time from your place to ZL on 20 meters
should be an excellent path, according to some path projections I
ran with W6ELprop.  Looks like the path opens up about 0230 UTC, and
an hour later is about 5 dB better. Signals slowly climb til 0530,
then level off, and then start to fade after 0700. But on some days
there could be strong signals til 1130 UTC.  Sunspot numbers were
13, 13, 13, 12, 13, 11, and 0, with a mean of 10.7. 10.7 cm flux was
70.3, 70.5, 71, 71.5, 71.9, 74.9, and 74.8, with a mean of 72.1.
Estimated planetary A indices were 15, 14, 6, 3, 3, 17, and 33, with
a mean of 13.  Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 13, 16, 7, 2,
4, 17, and 24 with a mean of 11.9.

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