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w1aw 2024 winter operating schedule.  w1aw transmits morning fast
and slow code practice Tuesday through Friday at 1400z, or 9 am est.
visitor operations are Monday through Friday, at 1500 to 2045z, or
10 AM to 345 PM EST.  the revolving schedule of code practices and
bulletins, both digital and phone, begin Monday through Friday at
2100z, or 4 PM EST, until 0500z, or 12 AM EST.  Audio from W1AWs CW
code practices, CW/digital bulletins and phone bulletin is available
using EchoLink via the W1AW Conference Server named W1AWBDCT.  The
monthly W1AW Qualifying Runs are presented here as well.  The audio
is sent in real time and runs concurrently with W1AWs regular
transmission schedule.  All users who connect to the conference
server are muted.  Please note that any questions or comments about
this server should not be sent via the Text window in EchoLink.
Please direct any questions or comments via email to, w1aw at
arrl.org .  The weekly W1AW and monthly West Coast Qualifying Runs
are sent on the normal CW frequencies used for both code practice
and bulletin transmissions.  West Coast Qualifying Run stations may
also use 3590 kHz.  Please note a W1AW Qualifying Run replaces a
regularly scheduled code practice transmission on any particular day
and time.  The complete w1aw operating schedule may be found on page
28 in the November 2024 issue of QST or from the W1AW web page at,
www.arrl.org/w1aw .  Solar activity increased this week. Average
daily sunspot number went from 127.7 to 197.4 and average solar flux
from 170.5 to 240.2.  Predicted solar flux is 270 on November 1 and
2, 265 and 260 on November 3 and 4, 250 on November 5 to 7, 214, 195
and 182 on November 8 to 10, 172, 168, 174 and 165 on November 11 to
14, and 162 on November 15 and 16.  Predicted planetary A index is
5, 8, 15, and 10 on November 1 to 4, 5 on November 5 to 15, then 5,
8, 5, 12, and 8 on November 16 to 20, and 5 on November 21 through
December 5 Weekly Commentary on the Sun, the Magnetosphere, and the
Earths Ionosphere, October 31, 2024 from OK1HH We know only
approximately what the Earths ionosphere looked like between March
1755 and June 1766 thanks to observations of the Sun in Solar Cycle
1. But we do know what it looked like in Solar Cycle 19, which ran
from April 1954 to October 1964. Although I was a novice radio
amateur at the time, I can testify that the shortwave propagation
conditions at the peak of Solar Cycle 19, in 1958, were wonderful.
As of December 2019, Solar Cycle 25 is in operation. It was supposed
to be low, fortunately it is not. Its maximum is now underway,
perhaps a second will follow next year. It is fabulous, judging by
the above and the many interesting effects, including, for example,
auroras. But unfortunately, not if we judge them by the current
conditions of ionospheric shortwave propagation. An explanation of
why this is now the case will surely be forthcoming, but perhaps
Solar Cycle 26 will be underway.  A week ago, as expected, large
active regions and corresponding groups of spots appeared at the
southeastern limb of the solar disk.  We are now seeing them near
the central meridian. This has increased the likelihood of Earth
being hit by particles that will eject subsequent flares. It seems
that not only these, but also disturbances in the geomagnetic field
and then fluctuations in the ionospheric propagation field can be
counted on with certainty in the coming days. Given that we have
already seen simultaneously observed active regions on the Sun
during the last solar rotation, presumably a 27 day recurrence will
be a good aid to prediction.  Sunspot numbers were 138, 157, 181,
198, 288, 220, and 200, with a mean of 197.4. 10.7 cm flux was
196.6, 209.3, 238.4, 246.2, 255.5, 265.6, and 269.8, with a mean of
240.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 13, 3, 14, 10, 17, 12, and
15, with a mean of 12. Middle latitude A Index was 10, 2, 11, 8, 11,
10, and 10, with a mean of 8.9.

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