‰ Now 18 WPM transition file follows ‰

Teased again, on Wednesday, April 22 we saw sunspot 1015 fade away,
just as it was about to slip over our Suns western limb.  It emerged
only briefly, late on April 21, and by Thursday it had disappeared.
10R7 cm solar flux, 2R8 GHz radio energy, measured in Penticton,
British Columbia with a parabolic antenna that tracks the Sun, rose
slightly with the sunspot appearance, to 71 and 71R1.  Average solar
flux for the week increased slightly over the previous week, from
69R3 to 70R2.  Both planetary and mid latitude average A index
declined, from 6R6 to 5R1 and 4R6 to 3R9, respectively.  Sunspots
have become so rare that many of us were happy to see anything at
all, and of course a low geomagnetic index is welcome.  One thing
about this extended solar minimum, with solar wind declining and not
much to upset our earths magnetosphere, it is great for 160 meters.
Calvin Branch, KA1WOR of Hudson, Florida sent a link to an
interesting BBC item about the extended solar minimum.  You can read
it on the news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature site.  Some interesting
observations in the article include the assertion that the twentieth
century saw high solar activity, and perhaps that is now quieting
down.  Many of us were hoping that the activity fifty years ago
during Cycle 19 was normal, and had hoped that it might return, but
that doesnt seem to be the case.  Too bad, because most of us get to
experience only a few solar cycles.  I was licensed as a Novice when
I was a pre teen, so Ive seen four complete cycles, and I will
probably see five.  But six, or seven?  One can hope.  The BBC seems
to do a good job of science reporting, but Im still seeing lots of
confusion about what the solar cycle is actually doing.  Tonight I
read a blog post making fun of climatologists which claimed the
current solar minimum has been ongoing for nine years now.  Of
course, this is nonsense.  The average daily sunspot number for each
year since 1999 can be found in teleprinter and packet versions of
Propagation Forecast Bulletin ARLP017.  Those numbers were derived
by adding up each years daily sunspot data presented in this
bulletin, then diving by 365, or 366 in the case of 2000, 2004 and
2008.  I queried the blogger for more info on his data, but havent
seen anything yet.  For more information concerning radio
propagation, see the ARRL Technical Information Service web page.
For a detailed explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin, see
the k9la prop link off the TIS web page.  An archive of past
propagation bulletins is also available.  Monthly propagation charts
between four USA regions and twelve overseas locations are at the
qst/propcharts link off the ARRL web page.  Sunspot numbers were 0,
0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 11 with a mean of 1R6.  10R7 cm flux was 69R9,
69R8, 69R9, 70R1, 69R8, 71, and 71R1 with a mean of 70R2.  Estimated
planetary A indices were 6, 5, 8, 4, 4, 5 and 4 with a mean of 5R1.
Estimated mid latitude A indices were 3, 4, 8, 4, 3, 3 and 2 with a
mean of 3R9‚

‰ End of 18 WPM transition file ‰