‰ NOW 18 WPM transition file follows ‰ Sunspot numbers, when looking at only the activity during our Thursday through Wednesday reporting week, peaked at 87 on Wednesday, September 8 and the day before, solar flux peaked at 101.2. Average daily sunspot numbers rose 14, to 64.6, while average daily solar flux increased from 88 to 92.9. New sunspots appeared on September 2, again on September 3, and three more new sunspot groups arrived on September 4. Another new one appeared on September 8, and on that day the total sunspot area was 1000 micro hemispheres. On September 9 I was shocked to see the daily sunspot number at 124 and total sunspot area hit 1030 micro hemispheres. Im not certain, but it looks like we have not seen activity like this in nearly six years, when the daily sunspot number was 125 on September 29, 2015. We saw similar large total sunspot area numbers last November 25 and 26, 1180 and 1020 micro hemispheres. Sunspot numbers were 40 and 43 on those days, but a few days later on November 29 the sunspot number rose to 84. Both the daily planetary and middle latitude A index reached a high of 14 on September 8. The averages were 7 and 7.7, down from 9.6 and 10.7 in last weeks planetary and middle latitude readings. Predicted solar flux seems quite promising, at 100 on September 10 and 11, 98 on September 12 and 13, 95 on September 14 to 17, 85 on September 18, 88 on September 19 to 23, 90 on September 24 to 28, 88 on September 29 through October 1, 86 on October 2, 90 on October 3 to 6, 92 and 90 on October 7 and 8, and 85 on October 9 to 15. Flux values are expected to rise to 90 again after October 20. Predicted planetary A index is 5, 8 and 8 on September 10 to 12, 5 on September 13 to 20, 8 on September 21, 5 on September 22 through October 1, then 8 again on October 2 and 3, and 5 on October 4 to 17. For more information concerning shortwave radio propagation, see //www.arrl.org/propagation and the ARRL Technical Information Service More good information and tutorials on propagation are at //k9la.us/. Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are at //arrl.org/bulletins . In the wake of the disruption caused after Hurricane Ida struck the Gulf Coast of the US as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, August 29, the FCC has announced that it is extending certain filing deadlines for those in Louisiana and Mississippi unable to meet them due to the storm. President Joseph Biden issued an emergency declaration for Mississippi on August 28 and a major disaster declaration for Louisiana on August 29. Pursuant to its authority to waive rules for good cause and to alleviate any additional burden that may be caused by FCC filing requirements and regulatory deadlines, the FCC has extended certain deadlines occurring August 29 to September 30, 2021, inclusive, for affected licensees and applicants in the affected areas. The FCC is defining affected areas as the Louisiana parishes and Mississippi counties that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has designated as eligible for Individual or Public Assistance for the purposes of federal disaster relief as of Friday, September 3, which includes all parishes and counties in those states. The deadline extension does not apply to individuals living elsewhere in the US. ‰ END OF 18 WPM transition file ƒ