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#79
Issued on Tuesday April 4, 2017 at 1330 UTC
Global Daily HF Radio Wave
Propagation Forecast-.
Global generalized HF radio wave propagation
conditions
are
poor on 17-80 (15-75) meters
and
very
poor on 12-10 (11) meters.
HAMATEUR & SW BROADCAST HF
BANDS:
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION-
80-60
(75-60) meters- fair at night and poor at day,
40-30 (41-25) meters-
fair at night and fair at day,
20-17 (22-16) meters- very poor at
night and fair at day,
15 (13) meters- very poor at night and poor at
day,
12-10 (11) meters- very poor at night and very poor at
day.
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE RADIO WAVE PROPAGATION-
80-60
(75-60) meters- fair at night and poor at day,
40-30 (41-25) meters-
fair at night and fair at day,
20-17 (22-16) meters- very poor at
night and fair at day,
15 (13) meters- very poor at night and poor at
day,
12-10 (11) meters- very poor at night and very poor at
day.
Received RF signal strength scale-
Very Good- +1 over S9
Or Greater
Good- S7-9
Fair- S4-6
Poor- S1-3
Very Poor-
S0
Meter Band Equivalents
Ham & SWL
160->
90
80-> 75
60-> 60
40-> 49, 41
30-> 31,
25
20-> 22, 19
17-> 16, 15
15-> 13
12,10->
11
Please keep in mind that this is a relatively simplified HF radio
wave
propagation forecast, so as to keep it easily understandable by the
average
radio enthusiast.
Globally HF radio wave propagation
conditions are most evenly balanced
during the fall and spring equinoxes and
most diametrically opposed during
the summer and winter
solstices.
Conditions also change daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and by
decade, as the
sun rises and sets at different times and at different angles
from the
ecliptic, as well as by radio wave frequency. This is due to changes
in the
maximum usable frequency (MUF), lowest usable frequency (LUF) and F
layer
critical frequency (FoF2).
The D and E layers also come into
play through RF radio wave signal
absorption and refraction. And then there
is sporadic E (Es) radio wave
propagation that can really throw a wrench into
the gears so to speak.
Things like sporadic E (Es) radio wave propagation
and lightning storm
static can impact HF radio wave propagation in an
unpredictable manner and
mostly bad.
Ongoing solar, space and
geomagnetic weather goings on also impact HF radio
wave propagation
conditions in a negative
manner.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solar,
Space & Geomagnetic Weather Conditions On-
Monday April 3,
2017-
Solar activity was high.
Earth's geomagnetic field was
quiet.
The three daily solar flux index (SFI) numbers were 111.0 107.9
106.0.
The official daily sunspot number (SSN) was 97.
We had 15
consecutive days with a daily sunspot number of 0. Then suddenly
the sun
awoke from it’s slumber and has since then sent the daily solar flux
index
and daily sunspot number to levels that haven’t been seen in many many
months.
In 2017 officially there were 27 days with a daily sunspot
number (SSN) of
0.
Considering that solar minimum won't occur for
approximately 2 more years,
+/- 1 year, observations daily SSN's of 0
occurring now is unusually early.
Sunspot group #12644 was located near
N13W80 with a twisted beta-gamma-delta
magnetic signature capable of
producing a moderate in size M class solar
flare.
Sunspot group
#12645 was located near S09W37 with a twisted beta-gamma-delta
magnetic
signature capable of producing a moderate in size M class solar
flare.
Sunspot group #12648 was located near S03E51 with a simple
beta magnetic
signature.
Newly numbered sunspot group #12649 was
located near N15W58 with a simple
beta magnetic signature.
There were
22 small in size earth facing C class solar flares and 2 moderate
in size
earth facing solar flares. The M class solar flares
were
M5.8,
M1.2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In
2016 officially there were 32 days with a daily sunspot number (SSN) of
0.
Considering that solar minimum won't occur for approximately three
more
years, seeing daily SSN's of 0 occurring now is unusually
early.
As we move forward towards the next solar minimum between solar
cycle #24
and #25 the number of days with a 0 daily SSN will steadily
increase.
Eventually every day for many, many, many months will see a 0, the
big goose
egg.
In 2008 I fore casted solar cycle 24 to be the weakest
in the past 100 years
and that forecast verified. I also fore casted that
solar cycle 25 would be
virtually non existent, similar to the Dalton type
solar minimum that
occurred in the early 1800's. It will probably be very
difficult to
determine when solar cycle 24 ended and solar cycle 25
began.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1
earth directed coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred but most of the
material
was not (geoeffective) directly earth facing. It erupted from the
M5.8 class
solar flare.
No earth directed collapsing magnetic filament eruptions
occurred.
The twenty four hour period 3 hour interval planetary K index
(Kp) was at
quiet geomagnetic conditions of
0 1 1 1 2 2 0
1.
The Kp geomagnetic indices are-
0-2- quiet
3- unsettled
4-
active
5- minor geomagnetic storming
6- moderate
7- strong
8-
severe
9- extreme
10- our atmosphere just got cooked off like on Mars and
we are all dead.
The 24 hour period maximum and minimum planetary A index
(Ap) ranged between
6 and 2,
which was at quiet geomagnetic
conditions.
The Ap geomagnetic indices are-
0-7- quiet
8-15
unsettled
16-29- active
30-49- minor geomagnetic storm
50-99-
major
100-400- severe
>401- our atmosphere just got cooked off like on
Mars and we are all dead.
The daily averaged background x-ray flux was
M5.83.
The daily averaged vertical component (Bz) of earth's magnetic
field was at
+13.5 nT north.
The 24 hour period maximum and minimum
Dst ranged between
-30 and -6 nT.
The 24 hour period maximum and
minimum solar wind speed ranged between
460 and 375 km/s.
There
were no earth facing (CH) coronal
holes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL
GUIDELINES CONCERNING CORRELATION OF PROPAGATION INDICES TO ACTUAL
HF
PROPAGATION CONDITIONS-
NOTE!!! The propagation indices
"interpretations" are my personal
intellectual property. Therefore the radio
wave propagation indices
interpretations contained herein is copyrighted ©
1988-2017 by Thomas F.
Giella, W4HM, all rights reserved. Reproduction of
information herein is
allowed without permission in advance as long as proper
credit is given.
All 14 of the following indices have to occur as
described below in order to
see the best global high frequency radio wave
propagation possible,
something that happens rarely.
1.) Dropping
geomagnetic field indices numbers are better, Kp of 0 best.
2.) A daily
sunspot number of 150 or higher, 200 or higher best.
3.) A daily sunspot
number of greater than 100 for routine stable formation
of the E Valley/F
Layer ducting mechanism.
4.) Previous 24 hour Ap index under 10, fewer
than 7 for several days
consecutively are best.
5.) Previous 3 hours
Kp index fewer than 3 for mid latitude paths, fewer
than 2 for high latitude
paths, 0 for several days consecutively is best.
6.) Energetic protons no
greater than 10 MeV (10+0).
7.) Background x-ray flux levels greater than
B1 for several days
consecutively, greater than C1 best.
8.) No
current STRATWARM alert.
9.) Interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz with
a (positive number) sign,
indicates a lesser chance of high latitude path
aurora
absorption/unpredictable refraction or scattering of medium frequency
RF
signals, when the Kp is above 3.
10.) A -10 or better towards a
positive number Dst index during the recovery
time after a geomagnetic storm,
as related to the equatorial ring current. A
positive number is
best.
11.) Rising positive T index number. The T Index tracks with the F2
layer
critical frequency (foF2) and sunspot number (SSN) and indicates
the
capability of the F2 layer to refract RF signals.
12.) Galactic
cosmic rays decrease to -3 units below zero and trending
towards
zero.
13.) Energetic electron flux levels no greater than 2 MeV
(2+0).
14. A solar wind speed of less than 300 km/s for several days
consecutively.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard
Disclaimer-
Note! I use error prone RAW public domain data from the NOAA
Space
Environment Center, other U.S. government entities and
educational
institutions, to produce my comprehensive HF radio wave
propagation
forecast. This data is gathered and made public by the U.S.
Government using
taxpayer $$$ (including mine).
However the
propagation forecast that I produce from the RAW public domain
data is my
personal intellectual property. Therefore this radio wave
propagation
forecast contained herein is copyrighted © 1988-2017 by Thomas
F. Giella,
W4HM.
Feel free to redistribute this solar, space and geomagnetic
weather
discussion and HF radio wave propagation forecast, as long as
you
redistribute it in it's entirety and give me credit for it.
Also
solar, space and geomagnetic weather forecasting is still an inexact
science.
The forecasts are not official but for educational and hobby
related purposes
only and are subject to human error and acts of God,
therefore no guarantee
or warranty implied.
