Vibroplex sent to Nick UR6QV / UT5Q

28 Dec

Recently, Brian Summers VE7JKZ successfully mailed a Vibroplex key to an amateur – Nick UR6QV / UT5Q – in Zaporizhia, Ukraine. Even with winter storms, one scary war, and general airline incompetence it took just three weeks. The key was … Read More »

Sunspots, CMEs and HF

27 Aug

If the prognosticators for increasing numbers of sunspots and the ramp up of the new sunspot cycle are correct, then those radio amateurs who enjoy HF will be dusting off their rigs, keys and microphones in anticipation of good DX.

Here’s a link to the Sunspot Index and Long-term Solar Observations which gives us a taste of what’s to come for sunspot numbers. Today’s numbers can be found at Space Weather Live.

There’s always a possible fly in the sunspot ointment and they’re called Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) which can disrupt communications. A nice CME was observed on Tuesday August 4th. Check out this GIF.