Topband: Propagation Info

[Bill Tippett]

        Here are several interesting propagation items (thanks to 
W3UR and The Daily DX for all of these!):

1.  The new Windows version of MiniProp, W6ELProp is now available at
http://www.qsl.net/w6elprop/  The program is free for non-commercial
use.  (de W4ZV...I have used the older DOS MiniProp for years and find
it to be one of the easiest-to-use propagation programs around.  The
new version includes some neat features like realtime greyline projections
on great circle maps and even includes the auroral ovals although they
appear to be fixed and not shown as a function of the K-index as DXAID
does...it is MUCH easier to use however.)

2.  Over the last three days the solar flux has been 264, 273 and 274.
Frank Donovan, W3LPL, points out "The last time the solar flux for a
three day period was higher than the last three days was February
1992."  

3.  HUGE SUNSPOT: The largest sunspot in ten years is crossing the solar disk.
 The fast-growing spot, called AR9393, covers an area of the Sun
equivalent to the total surface area of 13 Earths! Visit spaceweather.com
to learn how this sunspot compares to others in history and how to safely
observe it.

4.  AURORA ALERT: An eruption near sunspot AR9393 hurled a coronal mass
ejection toward Earth on Wednesday.  Forecasters estimate a 15 to 25%
chance of severe geomagnetic storms when the expanding cloud buffets our
planet's magnetic field, most likely on Friday.

For more information and updates, please visit http://www.spaceweather.com

        Thought this would be of interest to some of you!  Should be some
interesting effects on Topband when the solar storm hits.

                                                73,  Bill  W4ZV

        


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