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.
Amateur Radio ARRL ARRL Files Petition with FCC to Deny Applications with ReconRobotics
ARRL Published Date Hits: 288
Category: ARRL
On August 4, 2010, the ARRL filed a Petition to Deny Applications with the FCC to deny 68 pending Public Safety Pool license applications associated with the ReconRobotics Video and Audio Surveillance System. Each license application is accompanied by a waiver request to permit operation of the devices in the 433-445 MHz band. The applications were coordinated by APCO International Inc Licensing Services -- the frequency coordinator for the public safety land mobile radio services -- and would allow the use of the Recon Scout product currently being marketed by ReconRobotics pursuant to an FCC waiver.
“While several issues factor into the ARRL’s Petition to Deny these applications, most notable is that the Commission has not acted on the ARRL’s Petition for Reconsideration in WP Docket 08-63, which has been pending since March of this year,” said ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND. “That petition raises issues that should be addressed prior to any action on the individual applications. Granting applications based on the Docket 08-63 waiver, which is not final, would be premature. There is the potential for significant interference from these devices to licensed operations in the amateur 70 cm band. We urge the FCC to take thoughtful and expedient action on our Petition for Reconsideration.”
The Petition to Deny also noted incorrect technical parameters and frequency ranges in each filed application, stemming from errors in the grant of equipment authorization for the ReconRobotics device, as well as inconsistencies between the applications and the FCC waiver grant for the device in Docket 08-63.