The ARRL Letter
"Solar activity significantly affecting ionosphere, FCC opens docket for comments on impact."
Views expressed in this Amateur/Ham Radio News update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 30 May 2024, 2124 UTC.
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Russ Roberts (KH6JRM), Public Information Officer, Hawaii County (ARRL Pacific Section).
John E. Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor | May 30, 2024
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Solar Activity Significantly Affecting Ionosphere, FCC Opens Docket for Comments on Impact
The auroura borealis visible in The Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts on May 11. [Photo courtesy of Sierra Harrop, W5DX]
Aurora Propagation, Northern Lights
The sun has been busy, and it’s been a mixed bag for radio amateurs. Earlier this month, millions of people got a chance to see the aurora borealis for the first time, as the northern lights were active farther south than they had been in decades. The brilliant displays, visible as far south as Mexico, were a result of a series of coronal mass ejections. The energy from our star interacted with particles in the upper atmosphere, causing them to glow in dancing curtains of multicolored light.
VHF aurora activity was up significantly, according to DX spotting clusters and activity heard on the air. The 2- and 6-meter bands were especially active, as the aurora acted like a reflector in the sky to enable signals to propagate much farther than they normally can on those bands.
G5 Storm Significantly Impacted Ionosphere
ARRL Central Division Director Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, is a leading expert on propagation. He’s provided the following analysis of the situation:
May 10, 11, and 12 of 2024 may go down as one of the greatest space weather storm periods of our lifetimes. It all started with two big sunspots in early May. These two big sunspots were identified as AR3663 (in the northern solar hemisphere) and AR3664 (in the southern solar hemisphere). AR stands for Active Region.
Both of these sunspot regions produced multiple M-class and X-class solar flares, which caused radio blackouts (signals were significantly attenuated) on the sunlit side of Earth. Typically, a radio blackout lasts for an hour or so, is most severe on the lower frequencies, and is due to the x-ray radiation from the solar flare increasing D-region absorption.
Not only did the big solar flares cause radio blackouts, they also caused solar radiation storms due to energetic protons that increased ionospheric absorption in the D region in the polar caps (the area inside the auroral ovals). Solar radiation storms can last for a couple of days and can result in degraded propagation on over-the-pole paths.
But the biggest impact to propagation started on May 8, when AR3664 released multiple Earth-directed CMEs (coronal mass ejections). CMEs manifest themselves as geomagnetic storms by significantly increasing the 3-hour K index. The K index indicates the activity of the Earth’s magnetic field and ranges from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extremely disturbed).
The image (from https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/) shows the [data from May 10 - 12]. When the K index is this high for such a long time, the electron density in the F2 region of the ionosphere can be significantly depleted for days, not allowing higher frequencies to be propagated. On-the-air activity confirmed this.
In summary, early May was a very interesting period. We saw all three categories of disturbances to propagation — radio blackouts (x-ray radiation from solar flares), solar radiation storms (energetic protons from solar flares), and geomagnetic storms (elevated K indices).
FCC Opens Comments About CME Comms Impacts
The Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau wants to know if you noticed any impacts to radio communications during the storm. In a public notice, the FCC wrote:
To better understand the impacts of the geomagnetic
storm on the U.S. communications sector, the Bureau is requesting information from communications service providers and the public regarding disruptions in communications between May 7 and 11, 2024, that it believes to be a result of the storm. The Bureau is encouraging commenters to provide any available evidence, particularly electromagnetic spectrum analyses, imagery, or chronological logs relating the storm’s impacts. Where possible, the Bureau asks that commenters include the description of the impacts; make and model of affected communications equipment, which could include transmitters, receivers, transceivers, switches, routers, amplifiers etc.; make, model, and type of affected antennae and their composition; frequencies affected; type and composition of cable adjoining communications equipment and the antennae, if applicable; duration of the impact; and any residual effects observed in the hours following restoration.
The public notice is at this link (PDF). Comments may be submitted using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs and referring to PS Docket No. 24-161. ARRL’s guide to filing comments is at this link: https://www.arrl.org/arrl-
How to Find a Field Day Site
2024 ARRL Field Day is June 22 – 23. The annual event is part emergency communications exercise, part operating event, and part open house for amateur radio. No matter what your local club makes of Field Day, it is sure to be a good opportunity for hams and members of the public to gather socially in a public place and celebrate the joy of radio and wireless communication.
ARRL’s Field Day locator -- at www.arrl.org/field-day-locator -- is an interactive tool to help you find a Field Day site near you, or to list your club’s Field Day location so that members of the public and the media may attend.
Populating your group’s information into the database is easy. ARRL Radiosport and Regulatory Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, says social media should also be used to let interested people know where you’re going to be. “Use social media before and during 2024 ARRL Field Day to help people find you. Let them know what your plans are, who is going to be there, and what they can expect if they visit,” he said.
Making newcomers feel welcome and getting them involved is important. “Get them on the air! Show them how to make contacts with the GOTA (Get on the Air) station,” encouraged ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE. “People may not remember what you show and tell them, but they will always remember how you made them feel welcomed and involved by allowing them to participate. Your time in showing a newcomer what radio is all about is an investment in the future of ham radio.”
To encourage visitors to come to the event, Jahnke recommends contacting local dignitaries or served agency partners who frequently attend Field Day events.
For complete rules and promotional materials for 2024 ARRL Field Day, visit the Field Day landing page at www.arrl.org/field-day. We hope to hear your club on the air!
Section Manager Election Results
The most recent Section Manager (SM) elections ending on May 10 resulted in two incumbent SMs being reelected for another 2-year term. Both will continue with the work that they have been doing in their Sections.
In the Northern Florida Section, Scott Roberts, KK4ECR, held a lead over challenger James Kvochick, K8JK. This will be Roberts second term as SM. The vote count for the election was 657 for Roberts and 308 for Kvochick.
In the Indiana Section, incumbent Bob Burns, AK9R, defeated challenger Brian Jenks, W9BGJ. The vote count ended with Burns receiving 684 votes and Jenks receiving 161 votes.
Congratulations to both returning Section Managers.
Cliff Ahrens, KOCA, former ARRL Midwest Division Vice Director, Silent Key
Hon. Clifford Ahrens, K0CA, passed away on May 22, 2024. He served as Vice Director and Director of the ARRL Midwest Division. He was a Life Member of ARRL and the Hannibal Amateur Radio Club, and held an Extra-class amateur radio license.
Longtime friend and current ARRL Midwest Director Arthur Zygielbaum, K0AIZ, said Ahrens’ death is a great loss for amateur radio. “He was kind, always available to give advice, and was proud of the hobby,” said Zygielbaum.
Services for Ahrens will be held Friday, May 31 at the Holy Family Church in Hannibal, Missouri. Read more about Ahrens and his noted career as a judge on ARRL News.
SEA-PAC Hosting ARRL Northwestern Division Convention May 31 – June 2
Hams in the Pacific Northwest have an exciting opportunity this weekend, as many radio amateurs will descend on the Seaside Convention Center for SEA-PAC, the Northwest’s largest ham convention. The event is hosting the 2024 ARRL Northwestern Division Convention.
ARRL will have a presence at the event, with ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR; Second Vice President Mike Ritz, W7VO; Northwestern Division Director Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, and Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, among the representatives.
The event will host many informative seminars, workshops, commercial exhibits, a flea market, and plenty of opportunities to visit with fellow radio enthusiasts. Information is available on the SEA-PAC website at www.seapac.org.
Ground is a Myth!
Every ham knows about grounding, right? What if what you’ve been told isn’t exactly true? ARRL First Vice President Kristen McIntyre, K6WX, tackles this topic in a compelling presentation called “Ground is a Myth!” She lays out the case that ground means different things at different times and in different cases, and that much of what many operators have accepted as fact may just be legend. The presentation was a part of the 2024 ARRL National Convention forums hosted at Dayton Hamvention and may be seen on YouTube.
Amateur Radio in the News
ARRL Public Information Officers, Coordinators, and many other member-volunteers help keep amateur radio and ARRL in the news.
“Ham radio operators put the USS Montrose on the air” / Montrose Daily Press (Colorado) May 24, 2024 -- The Montrose Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
“In the age of satellites, cell towers and web servers, CMU offers amateur radio course” / WESA Radio (Pennsylvania) May 23, 2024 -- Carnegie Mellon University.
“Joplin HAM radio club donates setup to Camp Childress” / KSNF - TV (Missouri) May 25, 2024 – The Joplin Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
“Local Ham Radio operators prep for Field Day” / WJBK - TV (Michigan) May 26, 2024 – The Motor City Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
Share any amateur radio media hits you spot with us.
ARRL Podcasts
On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
The 2024 ARRL National Convention at Hamvention took place May 17-19 in Xenia, Ohio. ARRL Director of Marketing & Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, joins this month's podcast to share details about ARRL-sponsored activities at the show, including several ARRL forums and the Youth Rally. Listen to the On the Air podcast now.
ARRL Audio News
Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week's top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other features.
The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts.
In Brief...
ARRL Systems Service Disruption
We are providing updates about the status of several services as we continue to respond to a serious incident involving access to our network and systems. The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC) has resumed the processing of Amateur Radio License applications with the FCC. W1AW, the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, has resumed all scheduled transmissions, including Morse code practice, and code and digital bulletins. Read more and follow updates on ARRL News.
The ARRL Foundation announces the return of the Club Grant Program for 2024
The program is an opportunity for clubs to apply for grants up to $25,000 to fund projects in their community. Emphasis is given to projects that are of a “transformational” nature, such as a club that has a plan to improve the community through education, recruiting, training, and promotion of amateur radio. The application period will open at 9:00 AM Eastern time on June 3 and close at 4:00 PM Eastern time on July 26. Clubs across the country are urged to apply. This program is not restricted to ARRL Affiliated Clubs or 501(c)(3) clubs. Those clubs that are awarded grants will be required to share updates and participate in social media and reporting with ARRL. Information about the Club Grant Program can be found at www.arrl.org/club-grant-
Announcements
The 2024 ARRL Kids Day event will take place June 15 and June 22 - 23
Kids Day is designed to give on-the-air experience to young people and foster interest in getting a license of their own. It is also intended to give older hams a chance to share their station and love for amateur radio with the children in their lives. Kids Day always runs from 1800 UTC through 2359 UTC, and you operate as much or as little as you like. The suggested frequencies for Kids Day are:
10 Meters: 28.350 to 28.400 MHz
12 Meters: 24.960 to 24.980 MHz
15 Meters: 21.360 to 21.400 MHz
17 Meters: 18.140 to 18.145 MHz
20 Meters: 14.270 to 14.300 MHz
40 Meters: 7.270 to 7.290 MHz
80 Meters: 3.740 to 3.940 MHz
You can also use your favorite local repeater with permission of the repeater’s sponsor. Be sure to observe third-party restrictions when making DX QSOs. All participants are eligible to receive a colorful certificate. You can download this certificate and complete it with the participant’s name and date of the contact. Visit Kids Day (arrl.org) for more information.
The K7RA Solar Update
This solar disk image was taken on May 23, 2024. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI]
For this week’s ARRL Propagation Bulletin ARLP0022:
Solar activity was quieter this week. Average daily sunspot number slipped from 155.1 to 124.6, and average solar flux from 198.9 to 164.8.
Geomagnetic conditions were quiet, with average planetary A index going from 13.9 to 7.9, and middle latitude A index from 11.7 to 9.
Eight new sunspot groups emerged, one on May 23, two on May 25, four on May 26, and one on May 28.
The outlook for the next few weeks predicts solar flux at 170 on May 30, 175 on May 31 through June 6, then 210, 200, 195, 190, 185 and 180 on June 7 - 12, 170 on June 13-14, 165 on June 15, 190 on June 16 -17, 185 on June 18, and 190 on June 19 - 20.
Predicted planetary A index is 8, 5 and 8 on May 30 through June 1, 5 on June 2-7, then 10, 12, 8, 12 and 10 on June 8 -12, 5 on June 13 - 19 then 15 and 12 on June 20 - 21.
Spaceweather.com reports NOAA forecasters say a G2 class geomagnetic storm is possible on May 31 when a CME grazes earth. But a NASA forecast suggests a near miss. This is from a coronal mass ejection (CME) at 1433 UTC on May 29 from sunspot group AR3664.
More on sunspot cluster solar flare AR3664 from:
India Today: https://bit.ly/4bAeJKA .
News 9 update on sunspot cluster: https://bit.ly/3wY48tT
Newsweek article on historic sunspot cluster: https://tinyurl.com/2p9c98tm
The latest from Space Weather Worm Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW:
Sunspot numbers for May 23 through 29 2024 were 130, 100, 106, 148, 116, 141, and 131, with a mean of 124.6. The 10.7 centimeter flux was 176.2, 162.8, 152.4, 155.6, 170, 166.4, and 170.5, with a mean of 164.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 10, 9, 6, 10, 8, 6, and 6, with a mean of 7.9. Middle latitude A index was 10, 11, 6, 10, 9, 7, and 10, with a mean of 8.
Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@arrl.net.
A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read "What the Numbers Mean...," and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.
A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.
Share your reports and observations.
A weekly, full report is posted on ARRL News.
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