SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP013
ARLP013 Propagation de K7VVV

ZCZC AP13
QST de W1AW  
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 13  ARLP013
From Tad Cook, K7VVV
Seattle, WA  March 28, 2002
To all radio amateurs 

SB PROP ARL ARLP013
ARLP013 Propagation de K7VVV

This is coming out a day early because the ARRL is closed for the
Good Friday holiday.

Average daily solar flux was down 10 points this week.  Average
sunspot numbers were up a bit, by 35 points.  Sunday, March 24 was a
very active geomagnetic day.  Planetary A index was 47, with several
periods of five and six K index, indicating a robust geomagnetic
storm, the kind that causes dramatic auroral displays.  The high
latitude College A index, (from Fairbanks, Alaska) was 68, with K
index at seven over two periods.  Mid-latitude A index was 29.  This
activity was due to a coronal mass ejection on Saturday.

The outlook for the CQ Worldwide SSB WPX Contest this weekend is
rather dicey, because there is the possibility of an eruption from
sunspot 9878. The sunspot is earth-facing, and magnetic fields above
this area have grown more complex recently.  Next week earth will
enter a solar wind stream from an unusual coronal hole.  This
coronal hole is odd because it has now appeared during four
consecutive 27.5 day solar rotations.  For the weekend, contesters
will hope that any solar eruptions are later, rather than early.
Because there is some delay (which can vary) with the different
events that cause high geomagnetic activity, any solar activity this
weekend might miss the contest.

Several readers requested path projections for the contest weekend,
but it is far better if you download W6Elprop from
http://www.qsl.net/w6elprop/ and do one for yourself.  This way you
can see it from your own station location, and look at paths
projected toward anywhere.  W6EL has a slightly new version 2.60 on
his site.  A good solar flux number to use is the current one
averaged with the previous four or five days or so.

The latest projection as of Thursday had solar flux around 170 for
Friday and Saturday, then flux below 170 until April 5-6.
Geomagnetic conditions will probably be stable through the weekend,
but become at least unsettled on Monday and Tuesday.

Sunspot numbers for March 21 through 27 were 160, 194, 176, 169,
162, 145 and 179 with a mean of 169.3. 10.7 cm flux was 174.1,
171.6, 170.4, 175.3, 170, 165.7 and 169.1, with a mean of 170.9, and
estimated planetary A indices were 8, 8, 9, 47, 5, 11 and 5 with a
mean of 13.3.
NNNN
/EX