Let the sunspots begin! https://www.weather.gov/news/201509-solar-cycle Sporadic E has been nice, but I'm ready for some good 10-meter openings and for late night activity on 20...
Unfortunately the prior prediction of increasing prop conditions--beginning now-- look like they are off by six months to a year....
Well, I'm looking forward to it. I've only been a ham for 3 1/2 years, and have never seen a Solar Maximum. I'm looking forward to working some serious DX!
It should be good. Here are some contacts made with 5w SSB pedestrian mobile half way across the world during the last cycle.
Rather disappointing as most was about flares and not much about propagation or solar flux. They predicted a cycle similar to the last one and did not think we are entering into a prolonged minimum.....time will tell. Their math is a bit fuzzy though as they said er just entered into cycle 25 and the peal will be in 4 to 5 years.....maybe a new kind of solar cycle?
I worked VK6LW on 12 Sep...long-path on 80 CW an hour before my sunset and an hour after his sunrise. That was amazing.
Seems everyone is ignoring our declining magnetosphere. Lot of documentation out there that is being ignored. Just the south Atlantic anomaly alone should warrant some concern. On the radio side nothing about this is being discussed yet we now know that weaker solar storms we glanced off will have greater impact during the process today and into the future. I am not holding any fantasies that radio will improve but instead it will be come much less predictable.
I got a new radio and all the bands above 20 meters are dead. Is my radio at fault or are those bands just dead?==N3TM