QST de W1AW
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 7 ARLP007
From Tad Cook, KT7H
Seattle, WA February 16, 1996
To all radio amateurs
SB PROP ARL ARLP007
ARLP007 Propagation de KT7H
It may be hard to believe, but solar activity has edged even lower. There have been no visible sunspots since the beginning of the month, and the sunspot number was zero every day last week. Solar flux was at or below 70 each day also. We should expect more periods of no sunspots as the current cycle bottoms out over the next year.
Unfortunately the geomagnetic field has been acting up a little. The worst period was around 0900Z on February 13 when the K index was five. 160 and 80 meters are really best when the solar flux is low, but an active geomagnetic field can disturb the low bands greatly.
For the DX contest this weekend, a recurring coronal hole could bring more geomagnetic disturbances. The solar flux should also edge above 70. The flux should peak at or just below the mid- seventies from February 25 through the first of March. No big geomagnetic upsets are foreseen.
Sunspot Numbers for February 8 through 14 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0, with a mean of 0. 10.7 cm flux was 67.5, 70, 69.8, 70, 69.1, 68.7 and 68.9, with a mean of 69.1.