SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP036 ARLP036 Propagation de K7RA ZCZC AP36 QST de W1AW Propagation Forecast Bulletin 36 ARLP036 From Tad Cook, K7RA Seattle, WA September 4, 2020 To all radio amateurs SB PROP ARL ARLP036 ARLP036 Propagation de K7RA I goofed last week and did not attribute that wonderful narrative about solar cycle 19, which was written by Bill Hawkins, W5EC, who is currently at the top of the DXCC Honor Roll. As of Thursday night, no sunspots have appeared for the past 13 days. I know we are all hoping for more sunspots, which I am sure will return soon. I have no special knowledge, but the trends for this newly awakening solar cycle seem to favor it. One event to look forward to this month is the autumnal equinox on Tuesday, September 22, which should favor worldwide HF propagation. Average daily solar flux declined this reporting week (August 27 through September 2) from 70.4 to 69.6. Geomagnetic indicators showed quite a bit more activity than they have in some time now. Average daily planetary A index rose from 5.1 to 13.1. The most active day was August 31, when the planetary A index reached 26. The cause was a vigorous solar wind spewing from holes in the solar corona. Predicted solar flux is 70, forecast for every one of the next 45 days. Predicted planetary A index is 5 on September 4 to 17, 8 on September 18 and 19, 5 on September 20 to 22, then 8, 10 and 14 on September 23 to 25, 10 on September 26 and 27, then 12 and 10 on September 28 and 29, then 5 on September 30 through October 18. This article says the solar minimum most likely occurred last December: http://www.sidc.be/silso/node/166 F. K. Janda, OK1HH has returned from vacation with his geomagnetic activity forecast for the period September 4 to 29, 2020. "Geomagnetic field will be Quiet on: September 5 to 8, 10 to 13, 16 and 17, 20 and 21 Quiet to unsettled on: September 4, 9, 14, 29 Quiet to active on: September 15, 18 and 19, 22 to 24, 26 Unsettled to active: September 25, 27 and 28 Active to disturbed: Not expected Solar wind will intensify on: September (4, 15, 19,) 22 and 23 Parenthesis means lower probability of activity enhancement." OK1HH wrote to us about his river cruise: "As a captain, I sailed on the M / Y 'Daisy' (LOA 8 meters, 0.4 tons) on the Czech rivers Elbe and Vltava on the route Melnik - Zernoseky Lake, Usti, Melnik, Luzec, Melnik, a total of 217.4 km. And it was a beautiful week!" https://pujcovna-plavidel.cz/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMAG1260-1-min.jpg Thanks to K9LA for this link to a fascinating and informative RSGB lecture about sporadic-e propagation: https://youtu.be/wn5as91ndG4 An article about Europe's most powerful solar telescope: https://bit.ly/2ETMA75 Tamitha Skov has a new video: https://youtu.be/bTkkmrhxMfU I love Dr. Skov's enthusiasm: "Whamo!" And also of course her expertise, which she shares so generously. For more information concerning radio propagation, see http://www.arrl.org/propagation and the ARRL Technical Information Service at http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an explanation of numbers used in this bulletin, see http://arrl.org/the-sun-the-earth-the-ionosphere. An archive of past propagation bulletins is at http://arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-propagation. More good information and tutorials on propagation are at http://k9la.us/. Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins. Sunspot numbers for August 27 through September 2, 2020 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0, with a mean of 0. 10.7 cm flux was 70, 70.1, 70.2, 70, 69.2, 69.5, and 68.3, with a mean of 69.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 10, 14, 9, 26, 16, and 9, with a mean of 13.1. Middle latitude A index was 7, 8, 14, 8, 19, 16, and 8, with a mean of 11.4. NNNN /EX