The K7RA Solar Update
Tad
Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Each of the weekly solar and geomagnetic
indicators that we track were lower this week. The average daily sunspot
number dropped 10.6 points to 25.1, and the average daily solar flux
was 4.5 points lower than the previous week at 76.9.
We
have not witnessed a day with zero sunspots since April 17. The average
planetary and mid-latitude A indices were both 5.6, down from the
previous week, when the numbers were 26.4 and 18.4, respectively.As of May 3, the predicted solar flux is 75 on May 4-7; 74 on May 8; 75 on May 9-11; 73 on May 12; 75 on May 13-14; 80 on May 15-18; 85 on May 19-21; 80 on May 22-23; 77 on May 24-27; 75 on May 28-30; 73 on May 31-June 8; 75 on June 9-10; and 80 on June 11-14.
Predicted planetary A index is 12, 8, 8, 5, and 10 on May 4-8; 5 on May 9-14; 8, 15, 30, and 25 on May 15-18; 45, 50, 15, 10, and 8 on May 19-23; 5 on May 24-27; 12 and 8 on May 28-29; 5 on May 30-June 1; 8 on June 2-4; 5 on June 5-10; 8, 15, 30, 25, 45, and 50 on June 11-16.
Bob Kile, W7RH, of Las Vegas, Nevada, took advantage of a 6-meter sporadic-E opening on May 3, working stations in Texas, Wyoming, Idaho, and Colorado. Two Wyoming stations were "solid copy for several hours" before the band closed. (Bob also has a 160-meter remote base in the Northern Arizona desert. More information is on his website.)
Sunspot numbers for April 27 through May 3, 2017 were 23, 35, 34, 33, 11, 25, and 15, with a mean of 25.1. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 78.2, 78, 77, 77.4, 75.3, 77.2, and 74.9, with a mean of 76.9. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 6, 6, 6, 5, 5, and 4, with a mean of 5.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 10, 6, 6, 6, 5, 4, and 2, with a mean of 5.6.
