Backward sunspot "sign"?

[rickak]

August 15, 2006: On July 31st, a tiny sunspot was born. It popped up from the sun's interior, floated around a bit, and vanished again in a few hours. On the sun this sort of thing happens all the time and, ordinarily, it wouldn't be worth mentioning. But this sunspot was special: It was backward.

We've been waiting for this," says David Hathaway, a solar physicist at the Marshall Space Flight in Huntsville, Alabama. "A backward sunspot is a sign that the next solar cycle is beginning."

Source: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/15aug_backwards.htm

Rick

 

[nexus]

AWESOME! I Can't wait... I'm building a directional 10 meter Delta loop to put up 30 feet.
If this is true, that would mean we've now entered Cycle 24 for the next 11 years. And can
look forward to a lot of activity on the radio.

For those who read this that don't really understand whats taking place, just on the basic side of
things, Sunspot activity has a great deal as to how well skip happens at the higher frequencies in
the HF band, like 10 meters. When there is a lot of sunspot activity the band is good and comms is
possible all over the world. The bands haven't been anything like that since late 90's early 2000. As
we were on the downward slope of cycle 23's 11 year cycle. For the past 5 years or so the band has
been in the mud. Now, if this "sign" is true, and we're finally starting cycle 24, gradually for the next
couple of years things are going to only get better. More solar activity means better conditions on the
higher HF bands, meaning hearing more stations all over the world.

So here's looking to a very active solar cycle (24) and for me, many many DX contacts on 10 meters.

This current cycle's (23) high was Sunspot number 401 on 20 Jul 2000
Today's (Aug 16 06) count is currently 32

So you can see a big difference there...

 

[oceans777]

Space Wx Links

Let the good times roll - for those long, sleepless nights when even
The Weather Channel just isn't edgy enough...

Space Wx Eye Candy
http://sec.noaa.gov/SWN/index.html

(play the Real Time Solar Wind data loop for premium thrills...)


Current Warnings
http://sec.noaa.gov/alerts/warnings_timeline.html
http://sec.noaa.gov/alerts/index.html


The Meaning Of It All
http://sec.noaa.gov/info/FAQ.html
http://sec.noaa.gov/radio/
http://sec.noaa.gov/Education/index.html



D Region Absorption Prediction
(or 'follow the yellow lit diamond' -graphically it's a huge yawn but D Region is useful info..)
http://sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/dregion.html
http://sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/dregionDoc.html

Visual Space Weather and Propagation (hfradio.org)
http://hfradio.org/visual_propagation.html


Current Solar Data (N3KL's charts from NOAA - good for a quick graphical look at activity)
http://www.n3kl.org/sun/noaa.html

There's a ton of Space Wx info out there - these are just a few I have.

 

[nexus]

cool links, thanks

 

[oceans777]

I didn't even realize the sunspot activity was good for higher freq HF DX until reading your post - had it backwards and thought it caused all HF to decline.
After re-reading the layer and solar effect info on the NOAA space wx site I understood - so thank you.

 

[nexus]

Glad that little bit helped... Yes... The propagation on 10 meters is incredible when the sunspots are several. I can remember back in the 80's and late 90's talking all over the country damn near 24 hours a day day or night and several countries too. 10 meters was INSANE CRAZY with skip.. All due to the number of sunspots. So yes it will have a serious affect on HF but a positive one on the upper portion, and on 6 meters too.


Hey Oceans, check this link out, I think you and anyone else might find it interesting wanting a real easy way to learn about propagation and solar activity.
It's done up as a ppt file, most updated versions of MSIE 6 should be able to read it just fine.. It's a bit animated, very easy to follow...

http://w7saa.org/classes/G3.ppt

 

[oceans777]

Very cool - thanks!