Kevin Alfred Strom wrote:
dave wrote:
http://www.solarcycle24.com/pictures/spots5.jpg



Thank you... and that's quite a photograph.

I dispute the generally-held opinion that higher sunspot numbers mean
"better propagation," though.

While the higher bands, say 7 MHz and above, improve -- the lower
frequencies tend to get shorter and absorption gets higher. This bodes
ill for 160 meters, for example, and 75 meters during the day goes
almost silent (though it may be better at night for short to medium
skip). And dramatic DX on longwave and mediumwave becomes less frequent.

No matter what, though, it's interesting, and the clouds we cannot see
bring magic.


With my best,



Kevin, WB4AIO.

You need UV radiation to energize the upper atmosphere. Sunspots are
where the UV rays come from. It's in your Extra Class test.