"Jack Painter" wrote in message news:PUikd.39$IC3.17@lakeread02...
"gil" wrote
Over the last few days stations have slowly faded away with lots of
flutter and increasing static like noise almost like if someone were
running a motor non-stop. I am aware of the solar storm going on but
is the static like noise normal with this kind of conditions?

:Product: Geophysical Alert Message wwv.txt
:Issued: 2004 Nov 10 0603 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center
#
# Geophysical Alert Message
#
Solar-terrestrial indices for 09 November follow.
Solar flux 127 and mid-latitude A-index 91.
The mid-latitude K-index at 0600 UTC on 10 November was 7 (296 nT).

Space weather for the past 24 hours has been severe.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G4 level occurred.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S2 level occurred.
Radio blackouts reaching the R3 level occurred.

Space weather for the next 24 hours is expected to be moderate.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level are expected.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S1 level are expected.
Radio blackouts reaching the R2 level are expected.

http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpmenu/latest.html

Other forecasts comment "M-Class flares likely, X-class possible". Yeh, like
the last two X'rs tonight that just shut down most SSB comms on the lower
frequencies!

Jack

I cannot speak for everyone, and YMMV - but here in California,
reception from 6 MHz down has been stellar the last few nights, with
tiny Latin American stations and several Africans all the way down to
90m coming through like crazy. Lots of noise, no doubt, but the
signals have been wonderful and ham reception on 3.5-4 MHz has been
gangbusters (mostly).

Above 6 MHz, a different story. Utterly dead, except for Radio Havana
Cuba.

Bruce Jensen

Bruce Jensen