‰ Now 18 WPM transition file follows ‰

the us house of representatives has passed the communications
opportunity, promotion and enhancement act of 2006, hr 5252, leaving
intact language requiring the fcc to study the interference
potential of bpl systems. arkansas democrat mike ross, wd5dvr,
sponsored the bpl study requirement. the bill now goes to the us
senate, where a separate telecoms bill, s 2686 is still in
committee. Sunspot counts were lower this week, but it is surprising
what has happened on the ham bands. Operators are still having fun,
and still working long distances, even on VHF, during this low part
of the sunspot cycle. Most of this is due to seasonal sporadic E
propagation. Average sunspot numbers dropped 35 points to 19R3
between the last week in May and the first week of June. Geomagnetic
indexes were a little higher. In 6 meter news, Scott Avery, WA6LIE
in Salinas, California, in CM96, says that on June 1 he worked four
stations in Florida from 0000 to 0100z. Jim Henderson, KF7E near
Phoenix, Arizona said on June 2 that 6 meter conditions on the
previous weekend were exceptional, with propagation to the Carolinas
on May 27 and New England on May 28. May 29 saw openings to
Vermont, Connecticut, Maine and New York, and then a huge opening to
the Pacific Northwest. Jim also sent along an interesting web site
to a map of electron densities, along with plots of reported 6 meter
propagation. Shelby Ennis, W8WN of Elizabethtown, Kentucky sent a
web site that shows real time maps of VHF propagation. You can
select maps for different bands and various regions. Alan Benoit,
WQ5W wrote, Yes, we had an amazing opening into JA on Sunday evening
from here in EM12, near Fort Worth. I worked NL7Z at 2218z on SSB
and then noticed in the 6M chat room that JH2COZ was going to call
CQ on 50R096 MHz CW. Not expecting anything, I listened for his CQ
and to my amazement, I heard him 559. He came back immediately to my
call and I worked my first JA ever on 6M. Sunspot numbers were 11,
0, 0, 17, 23, 36 and 48 with a mean of 19R3. 10R7 cm flux was 77R2,
75R3, 75R9, 75R6, 77R9, 78, and 82R7, with a mean of 77R5. Estimated
planetary A indices were 13, 8, 4, 2, 4, 23 and 24 with a mean of
11R1. Estimated mid latitude A indices were 10, 5, 2, 1, 2, 15 and
18, with a mean of 7R6‚

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