What's Up with the Solar Cycle?

[NL7W]

Now that's funny!

What an absured idea. There are actually people who think that if the Sun puts out more energy the Earth will warm up, how silly. Everyone knows the Earth warms up if people don't pay enough Carbon Credits to Al Gore.

[KA7NIQ]

I am so excited that my 55 ft tower and Hy Gain Explorer 14 tribander are about to go up.
But mainly because of the 40 meter add on kit, LOL
That will give me a rotatable dipole up at 55 ft for 40 meters.
NOT as high as I would like a 40 meter dipole, but the best I can do, for now.
I am also exploring how to get an 80 meter vertical working on a very very small lot.
If the sunspots cooperate, fine. I will have a tribander ready.
But IF not, there is always 40 and 80 meters.

I too remember the great cycles of years past, perhaps we all got spoiled ?

[K2NCC]

I too remember the great cycles of years past, perhaps we all got spoiled ?

I haven't been a ham long enough to see one cycle. Even in the "low" point of this one, you can still work the world if you're patient. I'm actually a little concerned that we'll hardly have any room to operate if conditions are so good we can hear everything on a wet-noodle.

But I'll take that chance, so sun-spot me already!

[KB0MMB]

A lot of noise on 40!

[K0RGR]

SFI is at 16, but 10 isn't open... drat... 15 looks like it is coming to life, though.

[AC0H]

Current Solar Flux report:
SFI: 122 A-index: 8 K-Index: 1
Report last updated: 15:11utc 19 Apr 12
Current Sunspot Count: 96

[N8CPA]

A drunk radiator increases one's chances for "scatter" propagation!

Not to mention spurious emissions.

[K0RGR]

SFI is at 16, but 10 isn't open... drat... 15 looks like it is coming to life, though.

That was a typo - it was 126 earlier. 10 still isn't open, but I heard some Europeans on 15 and 12 was open to South America. 10 ought to be open at this level of SFI, but I'm not even hearing beacons. Overall, the bands sound too quiet up here.

[K9ASE]

That was a typo - it was 126 earlier. 10 still isn't open, but I heard some Europeans on 15 and 12 was open to South America. 10 ought to be open at this level of SFI, but I'm not even hearing beacons. Overall, the bands sound too quiet up here.

It's the same here although we're not that far apart. I've been watching the spotters and looking around the bands I barely heard a beacon around 28.226

[K0BG]

Well, solar is what solar does!

There are a few things newcomers will eventually discover when the Maunder Minimum is finally over......

The bands will be very crowded, and finding a slot to work will be dicey.
The lower bands will be so noisy, you won't be able to work in some areas of the country.
Working DX will be easier in some cases, but splits will become the norm.
And about a dozen more.

So, quit complaining, and roll with the flow!