The average daily sunspot numbers this week were about the same as last week, while the average daily solar flux declined a little more than eight points to 128.9. Geomagnetic indicators were quiet. The average daily sunspot numbers of 95.3 for the week is considerably below the average for the previous 90 days, which was 120.8. Sunspot numbers for December 15-21 were 44, 60, 95, 103, 133, 139 and 93, with a mean of 95.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 124.2, 121, 119.6, 127.4, 128.2, 137.4 and 144.5, with a mean of 128.9. The estimated planetary A indices were 0, 0, 0, 1, 4, 3 and 3, with a mean of 1.6. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 2, 2, 3, 6, 5 and 5, with a mean of 3.6.
The solar flux has been climbing over the past week, after a low of 119.6 on December 17. The predicted flux values for the near term are 145 on December 23, 140 on December 24-27, 145 on December 28-30, then dropping suddenly to 120 on December 31-January 2, 125 on January 3-4, 128 on January 5-8, and then peaking at 130 on January 9-17. The predicted planetary A index is 5 on December 23 through January 4, 8 on January 5-6, and 5 on January 7-21. This is from NOAA and the U.S. Air Force Space Weather Operations. There is another opinion, of course: Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions December 23, quiet to unsettled December 24, active conditions December 25, unsettled to active December 26, quiet to unsettled December 27 and quiet again on December 28-29.
Active conditions are quite different from an A index of 5, although the NOAA/USAF outlook is at least eight hours newer than the Prague prediction. But looking back 24 hours earlier to the December 21 prediction, USAF/NOAA has nothing different on December 25, although they do show an A index of 8 on December 29. You can check here for the latest prediction, which is updated daily after 2100.
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Category: News
ARISSat-1 -- the latest Amateur Radio satellite -- began its education-based mission after deployment from the International Space Station in August 2011. The ARISSat-1 mission is to provide a variety of information through its many broadcast modes promoting STEM-based education initiatives in the classroom. In an effort to help realize this mission, the ARRISSat-1 Team is sponsoring a CW contest.
To participate, listeners need to copy and submit any six of the more than 200 call signs transmitted during ARISSat-1’s multiple satellite passes. Once you have at least six call signs, submit them via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ">e-mail to receive a special certificate. Along with your six call signs, please include your name, your call sign (if you have one), the time (in UTC) and date of reception of each call sign and your city, state and ZIP Code.
A number of radio amateurs have made significant strides in developing space communications via ham radio. To celebrate their accomplishments, the call signs of more than 200 of these hams have been digitally stored on board ARISSat-1 and are being transmitted in rotation using Morse code at 145.92 MHz. The call signs can be heard between the RS01S CW identification and the CW telemetry in the repeated code transmission sequence.
According to the ARRISSat-1 Team, one of the major goals of this contest is to promote interest in learning CW, especially by students: “Morse code continues to play an important role in emergency communications, and it is a fun way of sending messages using ham radio. In that spirit, we ask that participants copy the code by hand and refrain from using artificial means, such as electronic decoders, to decode the call signs. Due to the possibility of interference or excessive ambient noise that might be present during the pass, recording the code for playback and deciphering after the pass is permissible.” For more detailed information on how to receive and decipher the CW transmissions, visit the “Receiving ARISSat-1” web page.
The ARISSat-1 Team asks that all ARISSat-1 listeners should refrain from publicly disclosing any call signs they copy. Posting the contest call signs on the Internet, amsat-bb, other bulletin boards or any areas for public viewing will result in the listener or group being disqualified from the contest, along with the disclosed call signs.
Please refer any questions about this contest to Rod Walin, KC0ZHF, via Email. Complete rules can be found here.