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: ARRL
June 1, 2009 marked the culmination of a project that had begun over 2 years earlier. In a truly impressive display of cooperation between federal, state, commercial and ham radio organizations the means to provide timely communication from trained weather spotters in the field back to the NWS in Peachtree City, Georgia has been restored.
Over 3 years ago, the Fayette County Amateur Radio Club (FCARC) learned they would lose the use of their 190 foot tower, which stood on private property. The tower supported the FCARC flagship repeater and the hub repeater for the Peachtree City NWS SKYWARN linked repeater system. Numerous hours were spent scouting viable sites to relocate these critical repeaters. The hard work of David Benoist, AG4ZR, Fayette-Coweta County Emergency Coordinator (EC); Robert Burton, KD4YDC, District EC, NWS, Peachtree City, Georgia, and Captain Pete Nelms, Fayette County Emergency Management Coordinator, paid off.\
Location, Authorization and Capitalization
A site was found on Ellis Road just north of the previous location and would provide the necessary coverage for the NWS. Initial efforts to put private Amateur Radio equipment on a state owned tower met with resistance due to the unprecedented nature of the request. To get the project rolling, Lans Rothfusz, KD5EJN, Meteorologist in Charge (MIC) of the Peachtree City office of the NWS, reframed the request as a collaboration between the federal (NWS) and state (Georgia Technology Agency, GTA) entities. That request was approved and, working closely with Jim Mollohan and Ralph Bevins of GTA, we were successful in obtaining permission to put SKYWARN and ARES® repeaters on a 300+ foot state tower.
Having secured permission, we now had to find a way of financing this project. At the suggestion of Captain Nelms, Assistant EC Lynn Bianco, KN4YZ, wrote a grant request for $10,000. We secured letters of support from the federal level (Lans Rothfusz), state level (Charlie Dawson, Director of Operations, Georgia Emergency Management Agency) and the county level (Captain Nelms). Our first try met with failure. A little disappointed, we tried again. This time, we were successful. The Coweta-Fayette EMC Trust came through for the full amount requested.
The next step was actually planning what hardware to install, where on the tower and what incidentals would be necessary. A planning committee was formed consisting of David, AG4ZR; Robert, KD4YDC; Lynn, KN4YZ; Huey Kenmar, KI4NGD; Assistant DEC Jim Burchfield, W4JB; RF Spectrum Engineer Jim Burchfield, W4JB; Brian Haren, FCARC President, and Chuck Federonis, KD4VW, our tower expert. After much discussion and careful planning by Chuck a formal plan was developed. Since it was a state tower, a professional crew was hired for the job. We now have a total of six antennas located at the 200, 250 and 300 foot levels.
Opening Day
A ribbon-cutting ceremony that officially opened the new site on June 1, 2009 was attended by many of the individuals who made this all possible. These new repeaters and associated hardware provide the necessary communication for numerous activities. Most important is the hub repeater for the SKYWARN program. This repeater links 22 other Amateur Radio repeaters to provide storm spotter reports from north and central Georgia to the NWS. These repeaters also support numerous local events, including The March of Dimes Walk America, Peachtree International Triathlon, Tri-PTC Triathlon, American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure and the Peachtree City Classic Road Race.
Service to the community does not end there. SKYWARN and ARES members stand ready to provide backup communication under the direction of the Emergency Management Agency (EMA). We used part of the SKYWARN network to provide emergency communications in 2008 for the American Red Cross (ARC) during the Hurricane Gustav evacuation by linking their Atlanta headquarters with shelters in LaGrange and Gwinnett counties and welfare centers on I-20 and I-85. Locally, we have Amateur Radio backup in the Emergency Operations Center, 911 Center and Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
“SKYWARN is a vital component of the severe weather operations for the National Weather Service,” said NWS Meteorologist in Charge Lans Rothfusz “and this repeater will extend our effective reach throughout the state, helping us keep more citizens better protected from the ravages of severe weather. I commend all the partners for realizing this and working together to make Georgia a safer place.”
For more information about the Georgia SKYWARN Linked Repeater System, please visit www.georgiaskywarn.com. More photos can be seen at fcaresrepeaters.tk.