‰  NOW 18 WPM transition file follows‰

Solar indicators, both sunspot numbers and solar flux, both dropped
this week, in fact on April 8 there were no sunspots. Average daily
sunspot numbers declined from 65.9 to 16.6, and average daily solar
flux went from 96.5 to 73.8, compared to the previous seven days, .
Average daily planetary A index went from 15.6 to 10.6, and average
daily mid latitude A index declined from 13 to 9.3.  Predicted solar
flux shows 75 on April 14 and 15, 85 on April 16 and 17, 80 on April
18, 95 on April 19 to 21, 92 on April 22 and 23, 90 on April 24 to
29, 80 on April 30, 78 on May 1 and 2, 72 on May 3 and 4, 75 on May
5 and 6, 72 on May 7 to 12, 75 and 85 on May 13 and 14, 88 on May 15
and 16, 95 on May 17 and 18, 92 on May 19 and 20, and 90 on May 21
to 26.  Predicted planetary A index is 8, 10 and 8 on April 14 to
16, 25 on April 17 and 18, 12 and 8 on April 19 and 20, 5 on April
21 and 22, then 55, 28, 20 and 22 on April 23 to 26, then 28, 15,
and 8 and 5 on April 27 to 30.  Then it is 20, 10, 8 and 10 on May 1
to 4, 15 on May 5 and 6, 12 on May 7, 8 on May 8 to 10, 5 on May 11
to 13, then 20, 18 and 10 on May 14 to 16, 5 on May 17 to 19, then
55, 28, 20, 22, 28, 15 and 8 on May 20 to 26.  The high solar flux
number for Wednesday, April 5, it was around 95, didnt seem to
translate into good propagation. I was out in my kayak trying to
qualify an island in Northern California for U.S.  Islands on the
Air, running my usual 10w into an end fed half wave wire vertical.
As usual, started operating on 17m SSB. One contact told me I was
the only signal he was hearing on the entire band. Only obtained 3
contacts on 17 using SSB/CW, then went down and tried 20m. I could
hear Europe and South America coming in on SSB, but from my little
pistol setup, I only found 3 more contacts before I rolled up the
rug and went QRT.  But its encouraging that the SF is often
predicted to be running considerably higher for the next 30 days or
so.  Sunspot numbers were 38, 27, 0, 13, 13, 12, and 13, with a mean
of 16.6. 10.7 cm flux was 75.7, 73.9, 73.1, 74.4, 73.6, 74.6, and
71.4, with a mean of 73.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 10,
16, 18, 5, 12, and 6, with a mean of 10.6.  Estimated mid latitude A
indices were 5, 9, 14, 16, 5, 10, and 6, with a mean of 9.3.  The
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, ARISS, packet
digipeater system is again operating on VHF on 145.825 MHz. The
failure of an Ericsson handheld VHF transceiver on board the ISS
last fall had caused ARISS to shift packet operation to 70
centimeters. A cargo resupply mission in February delivered a new
Ericsson 2 meter handheld, to replace the one that had failed, which
had been used in the Columbus module for school group contacts and
for Amateur Radio packet.

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