SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP017   
   ARLP017 Propagation de K7RA   
      
   ZCZC AP17   
   QST de W1AW     
   Propagation Forecast Bulletin 17  ARLP017   
   From Tad Cook, K7RA   
   Seattle, WA  April 29, 2011   
   To all radio amateurs    
      
   SB PROP ARL ARLP017   
   ARLP017 Propagation de K7RA   
      
   Geomagnetic conditions are quiet this week, but may become slightly   
   unsettled over this weekend.  Average daily sunspot numbers were   
   down over 18 points to 74.9, while average daily solar flux was off   
   less than four points to 113.4.   
      
   Predicted solar flux values for today and tomorrow, April 29-30 are   
   110, May 1-8 is 105, 110 on May 9 and 115 on May 10.  The next peak   
   in solar flux is May 11-13 with a value of 120.  This is actually   
   higher than the flux values over the last month, except for one day,   
   April 15, at 129.  Over the last three days five new sunspot groups   
   emerged. Daily sunspot numbers fell over April 22-27, then rose to   
   71 on April 28.   
      
   Predicted planetary A index for April 29 to May 3 is 5, 10, 12, 10   
   and 8, then 5 on May 4-7, then 8, 15, 15, 7 and 5 on May 8-12.  So   
   the two periods in the short term with unsettled to active   
   geomagnetic conditions are May 1 and May 9-10.   
      
   Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions on April 29,   
   unsettled to active on April 30, unsettled May 1-2, quiet to   
   unsettled May 3, and quiet May 4-5.   
      
   Angel Santana, WP3GW of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico feels that the   
   good old days are back for twenty meters.  He wrote, "On World   
   Amateur Radio Day at 0304-0630 UTC on 20 meters, worked 22 stations   
   from Europe and the Pacific, including VK, ZL, FO and NH7 all on SSB   
   (and so on to get my WARD Award). When working Europe it looked like   
   it was 3-4pm local time, something I have not experienced for a long   
   time! Then on this past holiday weekend I deliberately lost sleep to   
   see how the band was, and it worked the same way: worked a P29, SV1   
   and a few more Europeans, and also looking at PSK31, wow, seeing the   
   same activity, something not seen two months ago. Propagation is   
   really turning on, making 20 meters the 24 hour band again. Plus on   
   Easter Day at 0845 UTC worked T31A in 40 meters, a new DXCC country   
   for me! Right now at 0850 UTC April 26th I am hearing ON4UN working   
   lots of VKs."   
      
   Rol Anders, K3RA of Elkridge, Maryland (southwest of Baltimore) also   
   likes 20 meters lately.  He wrote, "On Easter Sunday morning (April   
   24), there was an excellent long path opening on 12 meters to VR2   
   and BV from 1200-1230z. I worked VR2XMT on phone with my antenna on   
   the long path, then tuned down to CW and heard BU2AQ working Asiatic   
   Russians and Eastern Europeans. He was moderately strong and very   
   solid. I could not hear the stations he was working, but they were   
   all given 599 reports by BU2AQ. I heard no other USA stations   
   calling him for the first 10 minutes or so. A PY was trying,   
   unsuccessfully, but neither he nor I could break the Asia/Europe   
   'wall.' Eventually several other stations in the US heard him, but   
   we all failed to break through. He started to fade at 1225z in   
   Maryland. However, around 1230z, some W8s and W4s got through, and   
   he worked a number of them, but by that time he was very weak in   
   Maryland.   
      
   "Also, I am hearing a return of the LP on 20 to SE Africa around   
   1200z. I haven't heard that opening for years.   
      
   "Isn't it great to have 20 meters being an all-day DX band again?"   
      
   Rich Dowty, W7EET of St. Paul, Oregon sent info on an interesting   
   tool called "PSK Reporter."  See the web site at   
   http://pskreporter.info and also their map utility at   
   http://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html. The map displays stations using   
   digital modes on HF who are tied into the reporting network. The   
   user can click on any of the balloons to display a callsign for a   
   monitor at that location, then enter that call in a query above the   
   map to display all the stations that it could hear over a specified   
   period of time. You can also click in the balloon on "Show all seen   
   by" link.  With the ability to check links on different bands and   
   over different time periods, this is an interesting and useful tool   
   for observing HF propagation.   
      
   There are some interesting videos showing use of this tool at   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMPUmRG7GqkNR=1,   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7trCDxJMZs, and   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkvOZJIqLTQ.   
      
   Last week's Propagation Forecast Bulletin ARLP016 mentioned Bud   
   Trench, AA3B of Boyertown, Pennsylvania.  At   
   http://www.qrz.com/db/aa3b you can see some detail on his radios and   
   antenna system.   
      
   If you would like to make a comment or have a tip for our readers,   
   email the author at, k7ra@arrl.net.   
      
   For more information concerning radio propagation, see the ARRL   
   Technical Information Service web page at   
   http://arrl.org/propagation-of-rf-signals. For an explanation of the   
   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. Find more good   
   information and tutorials on propagation at   
   http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/k9la/index.html.   
      
   Monthly propagation charts between four USA regions and twelve   
   overseas locations are at http://arrl.org/propagation.   
      
   Instructions for starting or ending email distribution of ARRL   
   bulletins are at http://arrl.org/bulletins.   
      
   Sunspot numbers for April 21 through 27 were 100, 103, 80, 78, 67,   
   57, and 39, with a mean of 74.9. 10.7 cm flux was 113, 114.8, 119.1,   
   117.2, 112.1, 109.4, and 107.9, with a mean of 113.4. Estimated   
   planetary A indices were 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3, and 3, with a mean of 5.   
   Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 4, 3, 4, 6, 2, 1, and 0, with   
   a mean of 2.9.   
   NNNN   
   /EX   
      
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