The
Eastern Iowa DX Bulletin
Number
198, December 1, 2023
Craig Fastenow, KØCF, Editor
This bulletin is a compilation of currently active DX operations (or those that will become active within the current week) from recent issues of the three DX bulletins listed below and other sources. Credit for the source is given at the end of each article.
Articles are ordered by the entity's callsign prefix from the ARRL DXCC Entities List. Callsigns used are in bold with dates of operation highlighted in red. Clickable links are provided for QSL and other information wherever possible. Articles will remain in The Bulletin while active, but with a 5-week maximum.
Also included is a Propagation section, updated daily; and a Contest Calendar of upcoming popular contests.
DX News
items are courtesy of:
The ARRL DX Bulletin
The bulletin is available at http://www.arrl.org
425 DX News, A.R.I. DX Bulletin (425DXN)
Edited by Mauro Pregliasco, I1JQJ
& Valeria Pregliasco, IK1ADH
425 DX News Home Page: https://www.425dxn.org/
425 DX News Google Group: https://groups.google.com/g/425eng
DX Newsletter (DXNL)
Edited by Andreas Salder, DK5ON
A weekly service of DARC Committee
"DX", http://www.darcdxhf.de
Propagation data is from
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Space Weather Prediction
Center
Contest data
courtesy of the WA7BNM
Contest Calendar
DX
News
3W, VIET NAM.
Jacek,
SP5APW is QRV as 3W9C
from Con Son Island (AS-130) until
December
9th. Activity is on 20, 17, 15, 10, and 6 meters using SSB
and FT8. QSL
to SP5APW.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-1208)
4S, SRI LANKA.
Peter, DCØKK is active again as 4S7KKG
from Sri Lanka (AS-003, grid MJ96xk) until March 30, 2024.
He operates FT8, FT4, RTTY and possibly CW on 20-6 meters. QSL via
LoTW, ClubLog's OQRS,
or direct to DCØKK.
-[425DXN # 1697 November 11, 2023] (1110-1215)
4W, TIMOR-LESTE.
A large group of operators will be QRV as 4W8X from Dili from November 6th to December 5th.
Activity will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, and FT4.
This includes being entries in the upcoming WAEDC RTTY and CQ WW DX CW
Contest (November 25th-26th). For more information see: http://timor-leste-dx.de/.
QSL via DJ4MX or ClubLog’s OQRS.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 44 November 2, 2023] (1103-1208)
5H,
TANZANIA. Ferdy, HB9DSP is QRV as 5H3FM from Zanzibar
Island (AF-032) until
December 5th. Activity is on the HF bands using SSB, FM,
and FT8. QSL to HB9DSP.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-1208)
5H, TANZANIA.
Maurizio, IK2GZU will be active again as 5H3MB from Tanzania
from November 8th to
December 8th,
while doing volunteer work at the Ikelu Hospital and Ilembula
Orphanage. In his spare time he will operate SSB, CW and digital modes
on 80-10 meters. QSL via ClubLog's OQRS,
LoTW and eQSL, or via IK2GZU.
-[425DXN # 1690 September 23, 2023] (1103-1208)
5R,
MADAGASCAR. Moise, F4EZG is QRV as 5R8VE from Nosy Fali
(AF-057)
until December 3rd,
and from the main island of Madagascar (AF-013) December 5th to January 3rd,
2024. Activity is on 20 to 10
meters using SSB and FT8. QSL to F4EZG.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-0105)
7Q, MALAWI.
Don, K6ZO is QRV as 7Q6M
from Embangweni until
May 13, 2024, and has been active on 160 meters. QSL via
LoTW.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-0105)
9L,
SIERRA LEONE. Shabu, MØKRI is QRV as 9L5M from Freetown until December
5th. Activity is on 80 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, and FT8.
This
includes being active on Satellite QO-100. QSL via LoTW.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-1208)
A6, UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES. Special callsign A6ØND is the for the
Emirates Amateur Radio Society to celebrate the UAE National Day (December 2nd).
QSL via EA7FTR. Also
expected to take part in the celebrations are the Bahrain Amateur Radio
Society as A91UAE
(November 26th -
December 2nd), the Saudi Amateur Radio Society as HZ1UAE (November 26th - December 2nd),
the Kuwait Amateur Radio Society as 9K9UAE
(November 30th -
December 6th), and possibly the Royal Omani Amateur Radio
Society as A43UAE.
-[425DXN # 1700 December 2, 2023] (1201-1208)
A6,
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Special callsign
A6ØWRC will
be used by members of the Emirates Amateur Radio Society during the
ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) taking place in
Dubai from November
20th to December 15th. QSL via EA7FTR.
Individual operators may
append a serial number to the special callsign, and be QRV as A6ØWRC/Ø,
A6ØWRC/1,
etc. (see qrz.com for the QSL routes).
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1124-1215)
A9,
BAHRAIN. Celebrating the Kingdom of Bahrain's National
Day, the Bahrain
Amateur Radio Society will be active as A91ND on December 1st-16th.
QSL
via EC6DX.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1124-1222)
CE9,
ANTARCTICA. Dave, VK2JDS will be active occasionally as VKØDS from
Davis Station, Antarctica from December
2023 until November 2024. The
bands that he hopes to be on are "some HF bands, possibly WSPR on 6
meters (depending on local science projects), 2 meters EME (only on
occasions when I get time off and conditions are favorable), possibly
23cm EME". Nothing is certain, he says, as "weather conditions and
station duties will take precedence". QSL direct to VK2JDS
and LoTW.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1201-1229)
CEØY,
EASTER ISLAND. Jorge, CEØYHF
is QRV until
December 10th while working
at a hospital on Pascua Island (SA-001). Activity is in his spare
time on 30 to 6 meters using some CW and SSB, but mostly FT8. QSL
direct to CEØYHF.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-1215)
CN,
MOROCCO. Yannick, F6FYD will be active as CN2YD from
Marrakech, Morocco
from December 1st to
March 15, 2024. He plans to operate as CN2YD/p
from IOTA group AF-065 sometime during his stay. QSL via F6FYD.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1124-1229)
DXCC TOP TWENTY.
Here are the top 20 entities on ClubLog’s "DXCC Most Wanted" list as of
December 1, 2023:
1. P5 DPRK (North
Korea) 11. 3Y/B Bouvet Island
2. BS7H Scarborough
Reef 12.
ZS8 Prince Edward & Marion Islands
3. CEØX San Felix
Islands 13. KH4
Midway Island
4. BV9P Pratas
Island 14.
VKØM Macquarie Island
5. KH7K Kure
Island
15.
PYØS Saint Peter And Paul Rocks
6.
KH3 Johnston
Island 16.
PYØT Trindade & Martim Vaz Islands
7. FT/G Glorioso
Island 17.
KP5 Desecheo Island
8. 3Y/P Peter 1
Island 18.
VP8S South Sandwich Islands
9. FT5/X Kerguelen
Island 19.
KH5 Palmyra & Jarvis Islands
10. YVØ Aves
Island
20.
ZL9 New Zealand Subantarctic Islands
For
the complete
list, see https://clublog.org/mostwanted.php
-[KØCF December 1, 2023] (1201-1215)
EA, SPAIN.
Celebrating Christmas and the New Year, members of Radio Club Lliria
(EA5RCL) will be active as EH5XMAS
from December 7th to
January 7th. QSL via the bureau to EA5RCL, LoTW
and eQSL.
-[425DXN # 1700 December 2, 2023] (1201-0105)
F, FRANCE.
Members of the Radio-club de Lyon (F8KLY) will be active as TM1AB from November 25th to December 9th.
The special callsign commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first
transatlantic amateur two-way contact between Leon Deloy, F8AB and Fred
Schnell, 1MO (November 28, 1923).
-[425DXN # 1698 November 18, 2023] (1117-1208)
F, FRANCE.
Michel, F8GGZ will be active as TM1ØØLTB
from November 25th
to December 3rd. The special callsign commemorates the
100th anniversary of the first transatlantic amateur two-way contact
between Leon Deloy, F8AB and Fred Schnell, 1MO (November 28, 1923). QSL
via the bureau.
-[425DXN # 1697 November 11, 2023] (1124-1208)
F, FRANCE.
The Radio Club de Wingles (F4KLR) will be active as TM125ED from November 4th to December 31st.
The special callsign commemorates the 125th anniversary since radio
pioneer Eugene Ducretet gave a public demonstration of wireless
communication between the Eiffel Tower and the Pantheon 4 km away
(November 5, 1898). All CW and SSB QSOs will be confirmed automatically
via the bureau and eQSL, FT8 QSOs will be confirmed via eQSL only;
direct cards via F4KLR.
-[425DXN # 1693 October 14, 2023] (1103-1208)
FJ, SAINT
BARTHELEMY. Phil, K2LIO is QRV as FJ4WEB until December 31st.
Activity is holiday style on 40 to 10 meters. QSL to K2LIO.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 44 November 2, 2023] (1103-1208)
FK,
NEW CALEDONIA. Jean-Louis, F5NHJ is active again as FK/F5NHJ from New
Caledonia's main island (Grande Terre, OC-032), with side trips to
nearby Ile des Pins (also OC-032) until
mid-January 2024. He operates
digital modes, CW and SSB on 80-6m. He will upload his log to ClubLog
and LoTW.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1124-1229)
FS, SAINT MARTIN.
FS4WBS, K9NU, N9EP, W9AP, and K9EL operate as TO9W from Saint
Martin from November
26th to December 8th. For more information see: http://www.k9el.com/TO9W/TO9W.htm.
QSL via W9ILY, ClubLog's OQRS,
LoTW.
-[DXNL # 2381 November 22, 2023] (1124-1208)
G,
ENGLAND. Special callsigns GBØWHO, GB1WHO, GB2WHO, GB4WHO, GB5WHO, GB6WHO, GB8WHO and
GB9WHO
are for members of the Chertsey Radio Club
to celebrate the 60th anniversary of science fiction cult series
"Doctor Who" until
December 20th. QSL via LoTW and eQSL. Broadcast by the
BBC, "Doctor Who" has been listed in the Guinness Book of Records as
the TV's longest-running sci-fi show in the world. The series began on
November 23, 1963, and the original run aired 694 episodes
consecutively across 26 seasons until 1989; it was revived in 2005
after 16 years off the screen.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1124-1222)
HB9, SWITZERLAND.
Special callsign HB8DELOY
is the for members of the Swiss Air Force Museum's Radio Club (HB4FR)
to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first transatlantic amateur
two-way contact between Leon Deloy, F8AB and Fred Schnell, 1MO
(November 28, 1923). Look for activity from November 1st to December 31st.
QSL via HB9ACA (bureau
preferred).
-[425DXN # 1696 November 4, 2023] (1103-1208)
HR, HONDURAS.
Team HQ9X
(K1XM, KQ1F, N9NC, NG7A and W1UE) will be active from Roatan Island
(NA-057) from November
20th to December 4th,
including entries in the CQ WW DX CW Contest (November 25th-26th), the
ARRL 160-Meter Contest (first night only), and the FT Roundup (complete
information can be found on https://www.rttycontesting.com/ft-roundup/).
QSL via KQ1F.
-[425DXN # 1698 November 18, 2023] (1117-1208)
HR, HONDURAS.
Gerard, F2JD will be active again as HR5/F2JD from Copan,
Honduras from November
25th to March 21st, 2024. He will operate CW, SSB and FT8/
FT4 on the HF bands. QSL via F6AJA; log search
on http://LesNouvellesDX.fr/voirlogs.php.
-[425DXN # 1695 October 28, 2023] (1124-1229)
HR, HONDURAS.
K1XM, KQ1F, W1UE, N9NC, and NG7A are currently active as HQ9X. They will stay
until December 4th,
covering participation in the CQ WW DX CW Contest (November 25th-26th)
and the ARRL 160m Contest. QSL via KQ1F.
-[DXNL # 2381 November 22, 2023] (1124-1208)
HS,
THAILAND. Brad, VK2BY will be active again as HSØZNR from the Nam
Yuen
district in northeastern Thailand from December 6th to January 14th.
He
will be QRV on 160-10 meters and will focus on working stations "that
contribute to LoTW and eQSL". QSL direct to VK2BY and LoTW.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1201-1205)
HZ, SAUDI ARABIA.
Special callsign HZ3ØEXPO
is the for the Saudi Amateur Radio Society (HZ1SAR) to celebrate the
election of Saudi Arabia as host country of World Expo 2030, which will
take place in Riyadh. Look for activity from November 30th to December 9th.
-[425DXN # 1700 December 2, 2023] (1201-1208)
I,
ITALY. Members of ARI Bergamo will be active as II2GLNO on December
1st-2nd. They will operate SSB and CW on 80, 40 and 20
meters. The
special callsign memorializes the 100th anniversary of the Gleno Dam
disaster (December 1, 1923), when the middle section of the dam
collapsed and caused widespread flooding that killed some 400 people.
QSL via IQ2BG.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1201-1208)
KL7,
ALASKA. Team KL7RRC
(Alex KL5CX, Yuri N3QQ and Tim NL8F) will be active
from St. Paul, Pribilof Islands (NA-028) on December 7th-15th.
They
will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on 80-10 meters with up to four
stations. ClubLog's Live Stream feature will be enabled. QSL via
ClubLog's OQRS;
full LoTW upload after six months. See
https://www.qrz.com/db/KL7RRC
for more information.
-[425DXN # 1696 November 4, 2023] (1201-1215)
OE, AUSTRIA.
Watch for OE1ØØXBB
operating in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Austria's
federal railway system until
December 15th. QSL via bureau.
-[DXNL # 2380 November 15, 2023] (1117-1215)
PA,
NETHERLANDS. Celebrating Christmas and the New Year,
special callsigns
PA23XMAS and
PD23SANTA
will be active on December
1st-31st, while
PD24HNY will
be QRV until January
31st. QSL cards will not be issued,
but a certificate will be available (see
https://www.qrz.com/db/PA23XMAS).
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1124-1229)
PJ2,
CURACAO. Jeff, K8ND is QRV as PJ2ND. Activity is
on the HF bands. He
plans to be QRV as PJ2T
in the ARRL 160 Meter contest (December
1st-3rd), and the upcoming ARRL 10 Meter (December 9th-10th),
Stew
Perry Topband DX Challenge (December
30th-31st), and the CQ World Wide
160 Meter CW (January
26th-28th) contests. QSL PJ2ND to K8ND, and PJ2T
via KU9C.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-0105)
PJ7, SINT
MAARTEN. After the CQ WW DX SSB Contest, Ed, N2HX will
move from St. Kitts to Sint Maarten (NA-105). He will be QRV as PJ7PL, including
entries in the CQ WW DX CW Contest (November 25th-26th) and the ARRL
10- Meter Contest (December 9th-10th). QSL via N2HX.
-[425DXN # 1694 October 21, 2023] (1103-1215)
PZ,
SURINAME. Nobu, JAØJHQ plans to be active as PZ5NH from December 7th to
11th operating on 160 to 6 meters, using CW, SSB and FT8.
QSL direct to
JAØJHQ or LoTW.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 45 November 9, 2023] (1201-1215)
S7, SEYCHELLES.
Operators G4IKRN, G3WPH, G4IRN and G4PVM will be QRV as S79/home calls beginning November 21st.
This includes being an entry in the upcoming CQ WW DX CW Contest
(November 25th-26th) with a yet to be determined call sign. QSL via
operators' instructions.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 46 November 16, 2023] (1117-1208)
SP, POLAND.
Special callsign SN15AXI
honors the memory of Janek Bonikowski, SP3AXI, a scout leader and
amateur radio Elmer, who died in 2008. QRV until the end of January 2024.
QSL via bureau or eQSL.
-[DXNL # 2379 November 8, 2023] (1110-1215)
SV,
GREECE. Special callsign SX25GTC will be in
use on December
1st-15th to
celebrate the 25th anniversary since the formation of the Greek
Telegraphy Club (https://raag.org/gtc-club-en/).
Look for activity on
160-6 meters CW. QSL via LoTW. Certificates will be available, see
qrz.com for information.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1124-1215)
T32,
EAST KIRIBATI. Members of the Rebel DX Group are QRV as T32TT from
Christmas Island (OC-024) until
December 21st. Activity is on 160
to 6 meters using CW, SSB, FT8, and FT4. QSL via OQRS.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-1222)
V5,
NAMIBIA. Marc, ZS6DOT is QRV as V51NA from Walvis
Bay. Activity is on
40, 20, 17, and 15 meters using mostly SSB. QSL to ZS6DOT.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-0105)
V5, NAMIBIA.
Gunter, DK2WH will be active again as V51WH (V55Y in contests)
from Namibia starting on November
16th through April 2024. He operates SSB, CW and FT8 on
160-10 meters. QSL via DK2WH; he does
not use LoTW.
-[425DXN # 1697 November 11, 2023] (1117-1215)
V6,
MICRONESIA. A group of operators will be QRV as V6EU from Chuuk
Island
(OC-011) from December
4th to 16th. Activity will be on 160 to 10
meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8. QSL via DL2AWG.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-1215)
V6, MICRONESIA.
After spending nine full days on Satawal Atoll (V62S),
Cezar VE3LYC commenced operations as V62P from Puluwat
Atoll (OC-155)
just before 0600 UTC on November 24th. As of November 21st, the
situation appeared rather uncertain: "I have specifically requested a
minimum of four operating days from Puluwat but will see what happens
in the end. Please refrain from making multiple contacts with V62P, so
that more hams can have a chance at logging the rare OC-155. All this
change of schedule has a pretty negative effect on me, amplified by the
fact that I didn't feel well for the past couple of days". As an added
inconvenience, Cezar's laptop failed a few days ago, and now he is
logging manually on paper.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1124-1215)
VK9C, COCOS
(KEELING) IS. Yuris, YL2GM and Eugene, EA5EL will be
active as VK9CY
from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (OC-003) from November 29th to December 7th.
They will operate CW, SSB and FT8 on 160-6 meters with two stations.
QSLs via ClubLog's OQRS
(direct and bureau), or direct to YL2GN. See https://www.lral.lv/vk9xy_vk9cy/index.html
for information.
-[425DXN # 1697 November 11, 2023] (1124-1208)
VK9X, CHRISTMAS
ISLAND. Chris, GM3WOJ and Keith, GM4YXI will be active as VK9XGM from
Christmas Island (OC-002) from November
21st to December 5th,
including a M/2 entry in the CQ WW DX CW Contest (November 25th-26th).
They will operate SSB, CW and FT8/FT4 on 160-10 meters with two
stations. QSL via LoTW, or N3SL; log search
on ClubLog. See https://www.vk9xgm.com/
for more information.
-[425DXN # 1687 September 2, 2023] (1117-1208)
VP2V,
BRITISH VIRGIN IS. Look for VP2V/AG9A, VP2V/K2KW, VP2V/KD4D and
VP2V/W9RE to
be active holiday style from Anegada, British Virgin
Islands (NA-023) on December
4th-12th. They will operate CW, SSB and
digital modes mostly on 20- 10 meters. Main activity will be during the
ARRL 10-Meter Contest (December 9th-10th) as VP2VMM. QSL via
LoTW,
ClubLog's OQRS,
or via KU9C.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1201-1215)
VP8,
FALKLAND IS. Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the
Falkland Islands
Government Aviation Service, special event station VP8FLY will be
active from the northeast end of Stanley airport, Falkland Islands
(SA-002) during the
month of December, and especially on December 19.
QSL direct to VP8LP.
-[425DXN # 1699 November 25, 2023] (1201-1229)
VU, INDIA.
Datta, VU2DSI will be active once again as AU2JCB from November 23rd to December 11th
to commemorate the birthdate (November 30, 1858) of Indian physicist
and radio pioneer Jagadish Chandra Bose. He will operate SSB on 80, 40,
20, 15 and 10 meters, and FM on 50800, 51500 and 29700 KHz. QSL direct
to VU2DSI. Also
QRV are expected to be AU3JCB
(operated by VU2EVU) and AU5JCB
(operated by VU2XPN).
-[425DXN # 1697 November 11, 2023] (1117-1215)
XT, BURKINA FASO.
Harald, DF2WO will be active again as XT2AW from Burkina
Faso on December 6th
– 19th. He operates all modes on the HF bands, 6 meters
and via QO-100. QSL via MØOXO's OQRS and
LoTW.
-[425DXN # 1700 December 2, 2023] (1201-1222)
YB, INDONESIA.
Operators YB9IPY and
YC9GBO,
along with Burkhard, DL3KZA
being active as YB9/DL3KZA,
are QRV from Sumbawa Island (OC-150)
until December 4th.
QSL direct to home calls.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 48 November 30, 2023] (1201-1208)
ZF, CAYMAN ISLANDS.
Stan, K5GO will be QRV as ZF9CW
until February 15th,
2024, on the HF bands, using mostly CW, with some SSB. QSL
direct to K5GO.
-[ARRL DX Bulletin # 45 November 9, 2023] (1110-1215)
Propagation (Updated daily)
The Weekly Solar Data chart plots Solar Flux
Index (SFI), Sunspot number (SSN) and Planetary K-Index (K-Idx) for the
past 8 days. With 8
Planetary K-index readings each day, only the minimum, average and
maximum K-index values are plotted. Note: You may click here or on the chart above to see
the same data for the past month.
The Daily Solar Flux Index, Sunspot number, Planetary
K-index,
Solar Flux predictions and Solar Flare data used in this bulletin have
been collected by
KØCF from from the U.S. Department of Commerce's NOAA
Space Weather Prediction Center.
The propagation graphs above are the creations of KØCF and are unique
in space weather reporting.
|
NASA's current view of the Sun at a wave- length of 131 Angstroms. This wavelength shows incredible solar detail. Click here or on the image to view as a full screen 48-hour video loop. It is fascinating! |
 |
Propagation
Summary
For the 8 day period from Saturday, November 25th through yesterday,
December 2nd.
The average solar flux was down 1 point from the previous week, with a
weekly high of 187 on Monday, November 27th, followed by a low of 148
on December 2nd.
The average sunspot count was down by 5 for the week, peaking at 179 on
Saturday, November 25th followed by a weekly low of 92 on December 2nd.
The Planetary K-index weekly average was 3.8 with a maximum of 7.0 on
Friday, December 1st, resulting in strong geomagnetic storm conditions.
Solar flare activity since November 25th has been quiet with only 4
major flares, the largest of which was an M 9.8 event on Tuesday,
November 28th.
Propagation
Data
Major solar flares, Saturday, November 25th through 1434 UTC, December
3rd.
| # | Date | UTC | Mag. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 01 | 2120 | M 1.0 |
| 2 | Dec 01 | 0439 | M 1.1 |
| 3 | Nov 28 | 1950 | M 9.8 |
| 4 | Nov 28 | 1932 | M 3.4 |
From the NOAA Space Weather Prediction
Center,
here are the probabilities of major solar flares and the predicted 10.7
cm Solar Flux for the next 3 days. NOAA updates this information daily.
| Date | M-Flares | X-Flares | Solar Flux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 3 | 35% | 10% | 145 |
| Dec 4 | 35% | 10% | 142 |
| Dec 5 | 35% | 10% | 138 |
Looking farther ahead, here is the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center forecast of 10.7 cm radio flux and maximum Planetary K-index (Kp) for the next 12 days. This data is updated by NOAA only once a week, on Monday.
|
|
|
Highs
for Cycle 25
Solar Flux: 234 on
January 15, 2023.
Sunspots: 227 on July 11, 2023.
Favorite
Propagation web sites
Excellent Maximum Usable Frequency
map: https://prop.kc2g.com/
https://www.spaceweather.com/
https://www.solarham.net/
https://dx.qsl.net/propagation/
A Propagation
Tutorial
The solar X-ray flux tracks solar activity and solar flares.
Solar
flux, which can vary from as low as 50 to as high as 300, influences
the level of ionization in the F2 region of the ionosphere, providing a
very good prediction of HF DX conditions. The higher the solar flux,
the better conditions will be for the higher HF frequencies and even 6
meters. However, the levels need to be maintained for some days to
allow ionization in the F2 layer to build up. A solar flux of 150
results in good HF band conditions, while levels of 200 and up can
provide great conditions.
Large X-ray flares on the sun can
increase the ionization of the D layer of the ionosphere (a lower
layer) on the sunlit side of the Earth, greatly attenuating or blocking
HF radio transmissions for up to a half hour. Solar flares often
produce Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) which, if Earth directed, can
lead to geomagnetic storms. Some large flares are also accompanied by
strong radio bursts that may interfere with other radio frequencies and
cause problems for satellite communication and radio navigation (GPS).
The
Planetary K-index is a measure of the magnitude of geomagnetic storms
and is an excellent indicator of disturbances in the Earth's magnetic
field. A level of 1 or 2 represents quiet geomagnetic conditions; a
reading of 3 or 4 may cause some propagation deterioration; 5 and 6 are
minor to moderate geomagnetic storms; and 7 to 9 are strong, severe,
and extreme storm conditions. Strong geomagnetic storms can trigger
Auroral displays and cause HF radio blackouts. Higher geomagnetic
activity also has the adverse effect of lowering maximum usable
frequencies, much like lower solar flux does.
For
best conditions, the solar flux should be above 150 for a few days with
the K index below 2. When these conditions are met, some good DX is
likely!
-[Compiled from information on NOAA.gov and other sources]
Contest Calendar
| Contest | Start | End | Web Site | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARRL 160-Meter Contest | Dec 1 | 2200Z | Dec 3 | 1600Z | Rules |
| ARRL 10-Meter Contest | Dec 9 | 0000Z | Dec 10 | 2359Z | Rules |
| OK DX RTTY Contest | Dec 16 | 0000Z | Dec 16 | 2400Z | Rules |
| Croatian CW Contest | Dec 16 | 1400Z | Dec 17 | 1400Z | Rules |
| ARRL Rookie Roundup, CW | Dec 17 | 1800Z | Dec 17 | 2359Z | Rules |
| RAC Winter Contest | Dec 30 | 0000Z | Dec 30 | 2359Z | Rules |
| Stew Perry Topband Challenge | Dec 30 | 1500Z | Dec 31 | 1500Z | Rules |
| ARRL RTTY Roundup | Jan 6 | 1800Z | Jan 7 | 2400Z | Rules |
| ARRL Kids Day | Jan 6 | 1800Z | Jan 6 | 2359Z | Rules |
| YB DX Contest | Jan 13 | 0000Z | Jan 13 | 2359Z | Rules |
| North American QSO Party, CW | Jan 13 | 1800Z | Jan 14 | 0600Z | Rules |
| Hungarian DX Contest | Jan 20 | 1200Z | Jan 21 | 1200Z | Rules |
| North American QSO Party, SSB | Jan 20 | 1800Z | Jan 21 | 0600Z | Rules |
| ARRL January VHF Contest | Jan 20 | 1900Z | Jan 22 | 0359Z | Rules |
| CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW | Jan 26 | 2200Z | Jan 28 | 2159Z | Rules |
| BARTG RTTY Sprint | Jan 27 | 1200Z | Jan 28 | 1200Z | Rules |
| Winter Field Day | Jan 27 | 1700Z | Jan 28 | 1700Z | Rules |
| Vermont QSO Party | Feb 3 | 0000Z | Feb 4 | 2400Z | Rules |
| 10-10 Int. Winter Contest, SSB | Feb 3 | 0001Z | Feb 4 | 2359Z | Rules |
| Mexico RTTY International Contest | Feb 3 | 1200Z | Feb 4 | 2359Z | Rules |
| Minnesota QSO Party | Feb 3 | 1400Z | Feb 3 | 2400Z | Rules |
| British Columbia QSO Party | Feb 3 | 1600Z | Feb 4 | 2400Z | Rules |
| North American Sprint, CW | Feb 4 | 0000Z | Feb 4 | 0359Z | Rules |
| CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest | Feb 10 | 0000Z | Feb 11 | 2400Z | Rules |
| ARRL School Club Roundup | Feb 12 | 1300Z | Feb 16 | 2359Z | Rules |
| ARRL Inter. DX Contest, CW | Feb 17 | 0000Z | Feb 18 | 2400Z | Rules |
| CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB | Feb 23 | 2200Z | Feb 25 | 2159Z | Rules |
| North American QSO Party, RTTY | Feb 24 | 1800Z | Feb 25 | 0600Z | Rules |
| North Carolina QSO Party | Feb 25 | 1500Z | Feb 26 | 0100Z | Rules |
| ARRL Inter. DX Contest, SSB | Mar 2 | 0000Z | Mar 3 | 2400Z | Rules |
| Open Ukraine RTTY Championship | Mar 2 | 1800Z | Mar 3 | 1359Z | Rules |