‰ Now 18 WPM transition file follows ‰


A new sunspot, number 1001, emerged on Thursday, September 11.  It
is actually a single group with two small magnetic disturbances, and
we hope not another like the last sunspot, a weak one barely
emerging on August 21 and 22.  It was so small that some
observatories didnt count it, but it was a Cycle 24 spot.  August
was much ballyhooed as the first time since 1913 that there was a
month or more between the most recent sunspot appearances.  Actually
it was the first time that a whole calendar month went by with no
spots.  Of course, this doesnt really mean anything more than any
other 30 day period with no spots, because the calendar is based on
arbitrary beginnings and endings.  The US Air Force predicts a
planetary A index for September 12 to 17 at 5, 8, 20, 12 and 8.
Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions September 12,
unsettled September 13, unsettled to active September 14, unsettled
September 15, quiet September 16, quiet to unsettled September 17,
and quiet September 18.  John Shannon, K3WWP of Kittanning,
Pennsylvania has made it a point to work at least one station a day
for over 14 years, so far, using QRP CW and simple wire antennas.
He notes that although he can work more DX at solar cycle maximum,
propagation on a day to day basis is more reliable at solar minimum
because it lacks the extreme geomagnetic storms which appear more
often during greater solar activity.  For more information, see his
personal page.  Reg Beck, VE7IG of Williams Lake, British Columbia
writes that he had a productive 6 meter summer season, including
working 20 JA stations from 0113z to 0143z on July 12, and 368 6
meter contacts overall from July 8 through August 16.  Reg says
propagation is great recently, and he has been running pileups of
Europeans in the morning on 20 meter SSB and CW.  August 26 to 29 he
worked 41 to 45 stations a day, then 106 on August 30 and 84 on
September 3, all in sessions from 20 minutes to less than an hour.
Reg is north of 52 degrees north latitude, far enough north that
around the Summer Solstice, sunrise to sunset is 1200z to 0421z.
Flavio Archangelo, PY2ZX of Jundiai in northeast Brazil says he has
been having good luck with just a 20 meter dipole.  Last Saturday,
September 6, he worked several EA stations around 1830z, then some
OZ stations at 2000z.  All were loud portable stations working Field
Day.  Around 1930z he heard DL stations much stronger, also heard HB
stations, then signals faded after 2015z, but SM and F stations
still heard.  Sunspot numbers were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0 with a
mean of 0.  10R7 cm flux was 65R9, 65R2, 65R8, 66R6, 67R1, 67R1, and
67R2 with a mean of 66R4.  Estimated planetary A indices were 33, 7,
7, 8, 8, 6 and 4 with a mean of 10R4.  Estimated mid latitude A
indices were 17, 7, 7, 7, 9, 4 and 2 with a mean of 7R6‚


‰ End of 18 WPM transition file ‰