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From: rjr@mgweed.UUCP (Bob Roehrig)
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: arrl propagation forecast bulletin nr 21
Message-ID: <17483@mgweed.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-May-85 19:30:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: mgweed.17483
Posted: Tue May 28 19:30:36 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 31-May-85 00:47:41 EDT
Organization: AT&T Consumer Products - Montgomery Illinois
Lines: 38


qst de k9eui
hr propagation forecast bulletin nr 21  from arrl headquarters
newington ct  may 26, 1985
to all radio amateurs bt

may brought a marked reversal of the downward  trend  in  solar
activity  that  began last fall.  in fifteen days ending may 22
the solar flux was 80 or higher  daily.   the  major  disturbed
periods  of  april  did not recur in may, so hf propagation was
generally better  than  had  been  expected.   if  similar  sun
conditions  prevail  in  the fall, the dx picture could improve
markedly, especially on frequencies above 14 mhz.

at bulletin time the sunspot groups responsible for the  higher
solar  flux  had  gone  around  the west limb, or had shrunk in
size.  the solar flux dropped from 93 on the 16th to 74 on  the
26th.   an  area  that  was active april 28 to may 1 is in view
again, but showing no important activity thus far, so no  major
hf propagation change is expected this week.

sporadic e skip was much in evidence on 28 and 50 mhz, and this
upward  trend  will  continue.  since may 14, kf4ms, a 10 meter
beacon in st. petersburg, fl, has been  heard  in  the  writers
connecticut  location  daily  since may 14, usually for several
hours at a time.  the bermuda beacon, vp9ba,  has  been  logged
nearly  as  often.   the  50  mhz  band has been waking up, and
multihop contacts out to 2000 miles or more have been reported.
the  number  and  duration  of e openings will increase through
june.  high density sporadic e  can  affect  lower  frequencies
adversely,  but it is great for 28, 50 and possibly 144 mhz, in
the summer months.  transatlantic qsos may be  possible  on  50
mhz  now  that  several  european countries permit operation on
that band after about 2200 utc.

american sunspot numbers for may 16 through 22 were between  43
and 21 with a mean of 30.3  ar