wrote in message
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It was recently reported that zero sunspots were recorded in August of
this year. However, there must be some charged material up there since
I consistently hear CQ's from Europe in the morning hours and Western
states (and sometime Europe in the afternoons) on 20m. The Maritime
Mobile net is alive and well. I know there's nothing on 10m, which I
believe should be more more utilized in the FM mode with repeaters to
promote local utilization. Otherwise the unlicensed 18 wheeler
transportation industry will take it over for us.

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I have only been on HF for a year and a half, so my history with propagation
is limited. However, I understand that the sunspots augment/boost the
charged material which will always be there at a minimum baseline value. A
common measurement is the 10.7 cm solar flux level, now running in the 60s.
This level of solar radiation will provide us functional propagation, but
solar flux can jump into the hundreds. http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/
[solar flux numbers at the end]

I'm no great DXer but I tune around and pay attention. (I have a simple
wire dipole laying on my garage roof for 20m, my usual hangout.) Just
yesterday, I worked two Japan stations and a Spanish station from San Diego
with 100W into that wire dipole. There were many others doing the same
thing and it took me quite a while to get those three in the log.

My point: HF still works at the bottom.