= NOW 18 WPM transition file follows = Hard for me to believe, I had to blink to make sure, but on Wednesday, June 8 for the first time this calendar year there were no sunspots, even though two new sunspot regions appeared on June 4. Average daily sunspot number declined to 44 from 52.9 last week. Average daily solar flux was only 99.4, down from 104.3 last week and 158.8 the week before. News about the first spotless day can be found online on //bit.ly/ . I am grateful that on Thursday, June 9, a new sunspot group emerged, bringing the sunspot number for the day to 17. Predicted solar flux is 105 on June 10, 110 on June 11 to 16, 115 on June 17, 120 on June 18, 125 on June 19 and 20, 150 on June 21, 110 on June 22, 100 on June 23 through July 3, 105 on July 4 and 5, 110 on July 6 to 10, then 115 on July 11 to 13, 120 on July 14, and 125 on July 15 and 16. Assuming the above prediction is true, this would mean average daily solar flux rising from 99.4 to 109 over the next reporting week and 123 the next. Predicted planetary A index is 5 on June 10 to 14, then 8, 12 and 8 on June 15 to 17, 5 on June 18 to 22, then 12, 18, 10 and 8 on June 23 to 26, 5 on June 27 through July 9, then 12, 8, 12, 10 and 8 on July 10 to 14, and 5 on July 15 to 19. Despite the recent downturn, Solar Cycle 25 activity exceeds the official forecast. The forecast can be found at, //helioforecast.space/solarcycle . According to Spaceweather.com, May 2022 sunspot activity was the highest its been in eight years. In addition, NASAs STEREO A spacecraft is monitoring a probable group of sunspots approaching beyond the northeastern edge of the Sun. You can see it at, //stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov . It should be followed by other groups of spots, which will increase solar activity again. The Earths magnetic field was largely quiet, except for an increase in activity on June 6. The result was an improvement in the propagation conditions on June 6 and a degradation on June 7 and the morning of June 8. Gradual improvement can be expected in the coming days. Made a couple of contacts late this afternoon into Texas and Louisiana S5/S6 and nothing else on the band, until a ZL called me from New Zealand about 620 PM local time. He gave me an S9, and he was S5. Just like the good old days on 10 meters. The ionosphere has to be working, I think, to get over to New Zealand. On June 4, at 1745 UTC on 6 meter FT8 I worked KB1EFS/2 in Cape Vincent, New York. On pskreporter.info I saw that my signal was propagating along a very narrow arc at 72 to 74 degrees received only by a concentration of stations in the northeast USA. No real 6 meter antenna here, just a 32 foot end fed wire, 4 to 1 UnUn and autotuner, mostly indoors on the second floor of my 1907 all wood Craftsman home. Just prior to that at 1730 UTC I seemed to be monitored only by stations 2000 to 2500 miles from me in an arc with bearings 77 to 79 degrees with WA9WTK at the south and VE3TTP at the north. On June 9 at 2300 UTC on 12 meters FT8 I am only heard by N4DB at 91 degrees, 2292 miles and K4BSZ at 94 degrees, 2276 miles. Then at 2320 UTC, WB4EVH at 2326 miles and 103 degrees bearing, at 2330 UTC, VK5PJ at 8306 miles, 250 degrees. An article about aurora can be found on //bit.ly/ . Sunspot numbers were 59, 52, 75, 57, 45, 23, and 0, with a mean of 44.4. 10.7 cm flux was 100.9, 100.7, 100.9, 98.7, 96.4, 98.4, and 99.9, with a mean of 99.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 5, 4, 4, 4, 10, 8, and 5, with a mean of 5.7. Middle latitude A index was 5, 4, 4, 5, 10, 11, and 5, with a mean of 6.3. = END OF 18 WPM transition file <