Latest SWPC 3-day Space Weather Forecast

5 January 2013

The winter drought subsides and the sun is on fire! The current sunspot count is 167 with an SFI at 145 while the A-index is 3 and K is zero.

How come the RTTY enthusiast gets all the sunspots? Enjoy.

Latest SWPC 3-day Space Weather Forecast: Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Geophysical Activity Report and Forecast SDF Number 5 Issued at 2200Z on 05 Jan 2013

IA. Analysis of Solar Active Regions and Activity from 04/2100Z to 05/2100Z: Solar activity has been at moderate levels for the past 24 hours. The largest solar event of the period was a M1 event observed at 05/0931Z from Region 1652 (N20E74). There are currently 14 numbered sunspot regions on the disk.

IB. Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity is expected to be at low levels with a chance for M-class flares on days one, two, and three (06 Jan, 07 Jan, 08 Jan). 

IIA. Geophysical Activity Summary 04/2100Z to 05/2100Z: The geomagnetic field has been at quiet levels for the past 24 hours. Solar wind speed, as measured by the ACE spacecraft, reached a peak speed of 361 km/s at 04/2209Z. Total IMF reached 5.2 nT at 05/1138Z. The maximum southward component of Bz reached -3.5 nT at 04/2306Z.

IIB. Geophysical Activity Forecast: The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet on day 1 (06 Jan). Quiet to unsettled levels are expected on days 2-3 (07 Jan, 08 Jan).

Contest on.

My #hamr Weekend Update

Winter Maintenance

Good evening from the Shell Beach shack as the Kenwood TS850S listens on 20m CW through a trapped vertical between a pair of condominiums. I've noticed a significant uptick in activity as the weekend roller coasters into Sunday. Truly, it is good to hear signals on 15 and 20m with a bangin' sunspot count of one hundred and sixty seven!

If this number remains stable through the night into tomorrow my plan is CW all day long.

In the meantime, our break in weather has allowed time for antenna maintenance and one reflector on the KLM, 3 element 40m yagi, at SL's antenna ranch is going through corrosion treatment. Our local marine environment is terribly corrosive and fighting it is an on going test of patience. The climbing standing wave ratio reached a point of diminishing performance.

We are taking down one element at a time instead of the entire antenna. This afternoon all the hardware on the rear reflector featured in the photograph was removed for cleaning and/or replacement. Additionally, alkaline was removed from tubing intersections and intersections were thoroughly cleaned. Likewise, linear loading hardware was removed with contact at elements given a good scrub with wire brush to remove deposits.

John is going to check intersections for continuity prior to re-installing the removed reflector.

I'm stoked to see best numbers in a long time and looking forward to tomorrow's CW marathon session inside my Shell Beach shack.

Life is wireless.  

ARRL Vintage Amateur Radio Equipment Exhibit

Credit goes to Jeff, KE9V for illuminating this terrific video about vintage Amateur Radio apparatus taped at League headquarters and narrated by ARRL Engineer, Bob Allison, WB1GCM. As mentioned at Smoke Curls, the 4 minute video is well worth your time, if for nothing else, actually hearing what a spark gap transmitter sounds like! It sounds like an electrical shock gone wrong.

ARRL Vintage Amateur Radio Equipment Exhibit: While it's important to look forward to tomorrow, it's equally important to understand the evolution of radio equipment that was used on the Amateur Bands; from the earliest "spark days" to the dawn of digital technology. By delving into the past, one can learn to appreciate the hard work, determination and experimentation that brought us one step at a time, the technology we enjoy today.

73 from the Shell Beach shack.

RadioSport Resource | North American QSO Party Database

Database Contributors KL7RA, K5TR, KM3T, and N5KO

Measuring Continuous Improvement With Help From W6SL

Good morning from my Shell Beach shack with enough radiant solar energy outside to power at least one linear amplifier for a year. I was reading over at Explorersweb an article about 5 ways to get outdoors in 2013 and came across this quote, "what gets measured gets done."

My goals are still fresh and keeping them sticky through the year is a small objective that leads to ultimate success.

In the meantime, the crew over at the National Contest Journal developed the North American QSO Party (NAQP) database and I can take a 'big picture' snapshot in addition to comparing month statistics.

The data suggests that my Q production is up in January and down in August. Is this related to seasonal propagation with skip going long earlier toward the East coast and with solar production on the decrease does this mean moving to the low bands earlier this winter?

Does the data further suggest activity is seasonal with an uptick in operators inside our warm shacks during the winter months in comparison to the summer?

I'll have to answer my question next weekend when the NAQP CW swell livens up wireless wavelengths on a national scale.

73 from my Shell Beach shack.   

2013 #hamr GOALS

First, I want to thank you for supporting and encouraging my efforts through the years because I wouldn't have made it this far without all of you!

Presently, I'm listening to Outlands composed by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo founding member of the French house music duo Daft Punk. The cut is digitally delivered from the Tron: Legacy soundtrack. It is both motivational and inspirational as a year concludes and a future of limitless possibilities opens.

Jeremy Dean wrote a 10 Step Guide for Making Your New Year's Resolution in PsyBlog and his guide is a good schematic for realizing my goals. Dean's first recommendation is, "for big results, think small."

My first goal is to continue experiencing ham radio in the great outdoors. I'd like to visit several locations within our county and, now, with everything in place there are no more excuses. I'm striving for my peak experience on an island in the Santa Barbara channel for later in the new year.

My second goal is to experience at least one digital mode. The 21st Century is here and it ain't going nowhere. My most likely mode is PSK31 or RTTY for hardware and output requirements. It is time for me to join 21st Century ham radio because digital modes continue attracting #hamr innovation.

My third goal is to complete a project started earlier in the year. I own a KLM KT34A four element tri-bander and the antenna is waiting for me like a good teacher. One of the best methods at learning is hands-on experience and I want learn inside this practical classroom. Likewise, there is a 55 foot crank up tower patiently waiting for attention.

What are my impediments? Where is the monster under the bed?

I posted the movie trailer After Earth because Will Smith said, "...[I]f we are going to survive this then you must realize that fear is not real. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real but fear is a choice. Do you know where we are?"

There is much more and that experience is waiting.

Going beyond the shack door and Happy New Year!