The NW7US Beacon

I am the 1%

I watch the Sun, both night and day, and listen for faint whispers of Human Communications…

And I cast my voice and my thoughts out to the world by way of the Ionosphere, sharing and educating about shortwave radio, space weather, and the propagation of radio signals — the freedom of Human Communication.

I #OccupyShortwave

Help me reach the 99%

… the 99% who are not connected by the Ionosphere and the Sun … the 99% who are not YET Amateur Radio Operators and who are not yet shortwave radio-enabled …

I’m the 1% … educating and enabling THAT 99% … to communicate … outside of the establishment…

One of my shortwave radio (and fellow amateur radio) acquaintances, a fellow who blogs over at Shortwave America, Tweeted some sentiment along the lines of wanting to have our own ‘movement’ to change the world, at least the world of shortwave radio.  A type of “occupy shortwave” where we could stem the tide against the eroding away of shortwave relevance in a communications world tied together by fiber optics, satellite links, and instant gratification.

As he wrote:

Early on in the evening of November 6th, 2011, after watching a fast decline in amateur radio use, shortwave broadcast, and growing fatigue by members of the radio community on both ends of the spectrum, hastag #OccupyShortwave started showing up on twitter. Before a complete hour could elapse, pirate operators started showing up on 6945Khz and then the famed NW7US almost immediately joined the quickly-growing movement.

Why occupy shortwave? To bring about a new growth, awareness, and popularity to both the amateur radio and shortwave / HF radio communities. Members of the movement want to get the message through that there is more than just studying a license manual and going to class, and earning a license. There is more than being an SWL who sits at the radio receiver spinning a dial, chasing QSL cards and free swag from shortwave stations and amateur operators.

#OccupyShortwave members are the 1% trying to reach the 99% who are not yet amateur operators or SWL’s. There is a whole lot of science and learning involved in radio. There is truly something for everyone, whether it be those of you who are math geniuses who love electronic component level work, those of you who like to enjoy the science of antenna feedlines, antennas, power supplies, and radio propagation which in turn gets you into space weather, or those of you who like to engineer sound, learn about geography and culture, radio / satellite communications, maritime radio operations, etc.

Communicate outside the establishment, become a convert from the 99% to the 1% who educate and enable people to become involved in radio. Radio involvement could be an avocation for you, or a career. It could be a volunteer experience on the weekends or during times of distress, it could be whatever experience you are looking to have; but you have to actually take that initiative. Together, if we all get “radio active”, we CAN be the 99% instead of the 1% who are hardly noticed or cared about anymore.

Together, we can put radio on the map again! #OccupyShortwave on FACEBOOK and Twitter. The Internet is only a tool, a promotion medium. The Internet relies upon an infrastructure that can always have the plug pulled. Occupying shortwave and amateur radio lawfully, means that we all get behind the mic in the studio or in our shacks and fire up the bands according to license class privilege to make a difference!

WE WILL Occupy!

My friend is on to something.  The shortwave radio slice, starting from just above the AM Broadcast band (say, 1800 KHz) up to 30 MHz, is still a critical slice of the radio spectrum.  You will find it occupied by trans-continental air traffic control (pilots aboard airliners flying over the oceans, talking with ground control about their flight plans, for instance), Arctic fishing vessels, Military air traffic, Amateur Radio operators, science expeditions, ships navigating rough seas, sailing vessels seeking the help of a coast guard because pirates have started the chase… and so much more.  Shortwave radio is not just the spectrum of International Broadcasters like the Voice of America or the BBC.  It even gives voice to clandestine and pirate broadcasters…

Shortwave radio is not dead.  Shortwave radio is viable.  But, International Shortwave Broadcasting is becoming more and more challenged because of the current World Economy.  More and more International Broadcasting stations are cutting back or even going off the air permanently because they simply do not have a budget to continue broadcasting.

But, perhaps Shortwave Radio is not dying.  Perhaps Shortwave Radio just needs to become a priority again, to the masses.

I believe we must each do our part. We must reach out to each other, assisting, educating, encouraging. We who are part of the 1% must help expand our ranks, because freedom to communicate using technology must remain a skill and an option for all peoples. And, this mode of communication is possible by way of the Ionosphere, without the need for satellites, cables, fiber optics, or any other infrastructure, but with only radio waves with the help of the Ionosphere under the influence of the Sun.

#OccupyShortwave

Feel free to visit my shortwave page: http://swl.hfradio.org

#OccupyShortwave

Another Sunspot, Following Active Sunspot Region 1302…

Though it appears smaller when compared with the highly active sunspot region, NOAA 11302 (or, just 1302), there is a ‘new’ sunspot region just now rotating into view on the solar northeastern limb.  This will add to the overall solar activity and EUV (extreme ultraviolet) levels.

The high 10.7-cm radio flux of 190, reported for September 24, 2011, was likely enhanced by all of the back-to-back x-ray flare activity that occurred throughout September 24th. The flux at the official recording site has since fallen back to the upper 160s. However, the story is not yet over.

The active region, 1302, is not yet fully facing Earth. And, we have more sunspots coming into view, possibly. At least, we have this new, smaller one, which will add to the existing source of the ionizing EUV that contributes to the propagation of radio waves via the F2-region of the ionosphere.

Remember, the 10.7-cm radio flux is used to give us a general idea of the level of solar activity that affects the ionosphere. The higher the 10.7-cm radio flux, the ‘better’ the ionospheric F2 propagation. A better, more direct measure is actually the Background X-ray (1 to 8 Angstroms) level. And, we know that those levels are now in the C-class range, for a number of days, now. That’s pretty much a first, for this new Cycle 24. We’ve had moments of C-class background x-ray energy, but not consistently, as we’re now having.

Here’s the Background X-ray Level (1-8 Angstroms), Last Six Days: Sept 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, and 19 2011: C1.6, C1.3, C1.4, C1.0, B7.1, B8.0.

As you can see, the background x-ray level for September 24th was the highest of the last six days. This is the true indication of how energized is the ionosphere.

More about Background X-rays

The hard X-ray energy present from the wavelengths of 1 to 8 Angstroms provide the most effective ionizing energy throughout all of the ionospheric layers in our atmosphere. The GEOS satellites measure these wavelengths and the resulting measurements are reported as the ‘background X-ray level’ throughout the day. A daily average is reported, as well.

Just like X-ray flares, the background hard X-ray level is measured in watts per square meter (W/m2), reported using the categories, A, B, C, M, and X. These letters are multipliers; each class has a peak flux ten times greater than the preceding one. Within a class there is a linear scale from 1 to 9.

If one records the daily background X-ray levels for the course of a sunspot cycle, one would discover that the background X-ray levels remained at the A class level during the sunspot cycle minumum. During the rise and fall of a solar cycle, the background X-ray energy levels remained mostly in the B range. During peak solar cycle periods, the background energy reached the C and sometimes even M levels.

Armed with this information, can we discover any clues as to the current status of Sunspot Cycle 24? Below is a graph plotting the background hard X-ray energy reported by the GEOS satellites since the end of Sunspot Cycle 22. Clearly, we see a noticeable rise in Cycle 24 activity. We’re seeing the energy mostly in the B level more often, supporting the view that Cycle 24 is alive and moving along toward an eventual sunspot cycle peak in several years.

Overall, the monthly average background ‘hard’ X-ray level is rising (as seen by the following plot), showing a change from deep solar cycle minimum. We are certainly in the rising phase of Sunspot Cycle 24. While it has been a slow up-tick over the last eighteen months, I expect to see a more rapid rise during mid to late 2011.

Back to this weekend’s high solar activity…

So, even if we see the 10.7-cm flux level fall a bit from this new record high of 190, if the background x-ray level stays in the C-class range as I expect that it will, plan on enjoying higher F2-region Maximum Usable Frequencies (MUFs) on most HF (high frequency, or shortwave) propagation paths. Combine that with the seasonal enhancement for long-range DX, and we’re in for a great season.  That is, when we’re not dodging the momentary radio blackouts during those solar x-ray flares, or dealing with the periodic geomagnetic storms that accompany the coronal mass ejections sometimes triggered by these flares.  That’s all “par for the course” during these excellent days of high solar activity—the good with the bad.  I’ll take it all.  Happy DXing!

73 de NW7US

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

From the U.S. National Weather Service:

Although meteorological, or climatological, fall began in the Northern Hemisphere on September 1, astronomical fall in the Northern Hemisphere (and astronomical spring in the Southern Hemisphere) began this morning at 5:05 a.m. EDT, the time when the equinox occurred. At that point, Earth’s axis, while still tilted 23.5 degrees, was pointing neither towards nor away from the sun, making night and day the same length. Also at that time, the angle of the sun’s rays was perfectly perpendicular to the equator.

The difference in the sun’s relative angle to the equator is apparent in the images below, which use data for incoming shortwave energy at Earth’s surface from NOAA’s Global Forecast System weather model. Darker yellow and orange areas indicate higher levels of incoming shortwave solar energy. On the left is the predicted shortwave energy for this morning’s equinox. The energy from the Sun can be seen to straddle the equator almost perfectly.

On the right is the same data for Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice, which occurred on June 21, 2011, when the Earth’s axis was most directly pointed towards the sun. Because of this, the energy from the sun is noticeably shifted northward, causing the Northern Hemisphere to experience summer. The effect of clouds on blocking and absorbing solar energy is also visible in these images. Areas with high cloud cover have much lower solar energy at the surface than the surrounding areas.

A high-resolution version of this image is available from NOAA’s Environmental Visualization Laboratory…

http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/MediaDetail.php?MediaID=846&MediaTypeID=1

New sunspots are rotating into view, today in the southeastern sector of our local star.  This adds to the sunspot count, and will help raise the overall solar energy levels (background X-ray and 10.7-cm radio flux).  This in turn should raise the ionospheric energy level, thereby improving shortwave propagation to some degree.  However, there is a recurring coronal hole that may elevate the geomagnetic activity.  If so, it will counter the improvements by degrading the ionospheric conditions, over the next 48 hours.

A nicely spotted Sun, today.  Solar activity, however, is low, with only C-class flares.  Sunspot count is near 100 (97, yesterday).

Today: Sun Spots: 97 as of 08/25/2011 :: 10.7-cm Flux: 104 SFU (SFU=Solar Flux Units)

Planetary A-index (Ap): 3 | Planetary K-index (Kp): 1 (9 nT) | Solar Wind: 387 km/s at 2.0 protons/cm3, Bz is -3.0 nT (Aug 26, 2011 at 1604 UT)

X-ray Solar Flares: 6h hi [C2.3][1304Z 08/26] 24h hi [C2.3][1304Z 08/26]

Background X-ray Level, Last Six Days 

• Aug 25 2011 :: B2.9
• Aug 24 2011 :: B2.5
• Aug 23 2011 :: B2.4
• Aug 22 2011 :: B2.5
• Aug 21 2011 :: B2.0
• Aug 20 2011 :: B2.3