The K7RA Solar Update

SEATTLE, WA, Feb 10, 2006--Our sun is very quiet. The daily
sunspot reading was zero each day from January 29 through
February 7! The last time we saw 10 consecutive days with a
sunspot number of zero was way back on the other side of the
solar cycle, from December 24, 1996 to January 3, 1997. Prior to
that, from September 13, 1996 through October 20 1996 were 38
days with a sunspot number of zero. Perhaps a year from now we'll
again see a whole month with no sunspots.

Compared with last week, the average sunspot number declined by
more than 7 points to 1.7. Average daily solar flux was down more
than 4 points to 76.

Sunspot numbers and solar flux should rise over the next few days,
but not by much. Geomagnetic conditions also look quiet, with the
next period of high geomagnetic activity set for February 22. This is
based upon the previous rotation of the sun.

A fascinating e-mail arrived this week from Larry Putman,
WB3ANQ, of Pasadena, Maryland. He described working VK6DI in
Western Australia on 30 meters using very slow-speed CW
(QRSS), while running just 961 microwatts--less than 1 mW--over
an 11,558-mile path. Larry used an old Hewlett-Packard HP-3336
signal generator as a transmitter feeding a 30-meter half-wave
inverted V. To achieve the low output power and measure it
precisely, he used a precision attenuator and measured the signal with an
HP-3586C selective
level meter.

But Larry didn't depend on the station at the far end to copy by ear. In QRSS
mode Morse code
elements are extended considerably, so the speed can work out to less than one
WPM.
Deciphering QRSS is accomplished by feeding the audio into a computer sound
card, and
detecting it with ARGO software. This is the same technique that many very
low-frequency
(VLF) operators use.

There's more information on this mode of communication on the "QRSS and You" Web
page.
Larry details his operation on his own Web site. You can see the Web page of
VK6DI on the
receiving end too. And you can learn about the efforts of a group called the
QRSS Knights. Also
check out ON7YD's page on extreme narrowband techniques.

For more information concerning propagation and an explanation of the numbers
used in this
bulletin see the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. An archive
of past
bulletins is on the ARRL Web site.

Sunspot numbers for February 2 through 8 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 and 12, with a
mean of 1.7. The
10.7 cm flux was 77.3, 78.7, 77, 76.3, 74.9, 74, and 74, with a mean of 76.
Estimated planetary
A indices were 3, 4, 4, 3, 12, 4 and 3, with a mean of 4.7. Estimated
mid-latitude A indices were
1, 3, 3, 3, 11, 4 and 2, with a mean of 3.9.
(K7RA, ARRL)

dxAce
Michigan
USA