starman wrote in message ...
It's true, right now reception is not its all-time best. There is
also the 11-year solar cycle that plays a significant role in altering
propagation, and we're shortly about to hit the "deep null" - or most
mediocre reception. There are still good days, but they are fewer.
Patience will be rewarded, though, when the cycle goes on the upswing
again in 3 or 4 years.

There is some evidence that the current solar cycle #23 may turn out to
be shorter (end sooner) than the average 11-year period. If so, cycle
#24 could begin in less than 3-years.

http://www.spacetoday.org/SolSys/Sun...TwinPeaks.html

Very interesting, thanks. As I read it, though, this website seems to
focus on the apparent, and maybe real, "double-peak" that the
sunspot/solar cycle exhibits, rather than an actual shortening of the
traditionally-accepted 11-year cycle. Either way, it is probably good
news, as the peak is either longer or more frequent than originally
thought, and therefore better for cool DX.

This past peak was particularly fascinaitng from an observational
astronomical perspective - there were massive clusters of sunspots
crossing Sol's face on a regular basis, including some that were
"naked-eye," that is, without magnification but using appropriate
solar filters (NEVER NEVER look at the sun directly without the
absolutely correct filter in excellent condition).

Bruce Jensen