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Here is this week’s space weather and geophysical report, issued 2016 Mar 28 0122 UTC.

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 21 – 27 March 2016

Solar activity was at predominately very low levels with an isolated C1 x-ray event observed on 23/0354 UTC from Region 2524 (N15, L=277, class/area Eho/340 on 19 Mar). No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections were observed in coronagraph imagery.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal levels on 23 March, high levels on 22 March and moderate levels on 21 and 24-27 March.

Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to unsettled levels with an isolated active interval observed early on 23 March. The period began with quiet conditions, but increased to quiet to unsettled levels late on 21 March due to the onset of a weak, positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS). Predominately quiet to unsettled conditions persisted through early on 24 March under the influence of the positive poarity CH HSS. Wind speeds averaged about 425 km/s through midday on 23 March. A gradual increase was then observed to a peak of near 565 km/s early on 25 March before decreasing to about 350 km/s late on 26 March. From 21-25 March, total field (Bt) ranged between 1-10 nT while the Bz component varied between +9 nT to -5 nT.

Quiet conditions persisted from late on the 25th through 26 March. Predominately unsettled levels were observed on 27 March due to the onset of a co-rotating interaction region in advance of another positive polarity CH HSS. On 27 March, wind speeds increased to near 440 km/s, Bt reached a maximum value of 12 nT while the Bz component rotated between +8 nT to -9 nT.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 28 March – 23 April 2016

Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels with a slight chance for C-class flares through the outlook period.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at moderate levels on 28 March and on 01-03, 07-11 and 17-23 April. High levels are expected on 29-31 March, 04-06 and 12-16 April.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be reach G1 (Minor) storm levels on 02-03 and 11-13 April with G2 (Moderate) storm levels expected on 02 and 11 April due to the influence of recurrent, negative polarity CH HSSs. Quiet to unsettled levels are expected on 28-29 March, 04, 08, 14 and 23 April, with isolated active levels expected on 28 March and 23 April, all due to various CH HSSs. Mostly quiet condtions are expected for the remainder of the outlook period.

Don’t forget to visit our live space weather and radio propagation web site, at: http://SunSpotWatch.com/

Live Aurora mapping is at http://aurora.sunspotwatch.com/

If you are on Twitter, please follow these two users: + https://Twitter.com/NW7US + https://Twitter.com/hfradiospacewx

Get the space weather and radio propagation self-study course, today. Visit http://nw7us.us/swc for the latest sale and for more information!

Check out the stunning view of our Sun in action, as seen during the last five years with the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXN-MdoGM9g

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We're back at it again, producing podcasts, drinking, laughing, having way too much fun. We hope you do at least a couple of those things when you listen to the show. This time around the topics include the UK selling spectrum, a California university ham factory, cartoons, a Debian Summer of Code project, tax reimbursement for FOSS developers, Firefox Servo, upcoming hamfests and a whole lot more. Thanks for tuning in--and please don't forget our LHS Hamvention 2016 Generosity Campaign campaign. Hamvention 2016 is less than two months away.

73 de The LHS Crew

 

Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].

This video is ten minutes of coolness.

This cool time-lapse video shows the Sun (in ultra-high definition 3840×2160 – 4k on YouTube) during the entire year, 2015. The video captures the Sun in the 171-angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Our naked, unaided eyes cannot see this, but this movie uses false-colorization (yellow/gold) so that we can watch in high definition.

The movie covers a time period of January 2, 2015 to January 28, 2016 at a cadence of one frame every hour, or 24 frames per day. This timelapse is repeated with narration by solar scientist Nicholeen Viall and contains close-ups and annotations. The 171-angstrom light highlights material around 600,000 Kelvin and shows features in the upper transition region and quiet corona of the sun.

The first half tells you a bit about the video and the Sun, and you can see the entire year 2015 rotate by.  The second half is narrated by a NASA scientist.  It is worth watching all ten minutes.  And, then, sharing!

The sun is always changing and NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory is always watching.

Launched on Feb. 11, 2010, SDO keeps a 24-hour eye on the entire disk of the sun, with a prime view of the graceful dance of solar material coursing through the sun’s atmosphere, the corona. SDO’s sixth year in orbit was no exception. This video shows that entire sixth year–from Jan. 1, 2015 to Jan. 28, 2016 as one time-lapse sequence. Each frame represents 1 hour.

SDO’s Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) captures a shot of the sun every 12 seconds in 10 different wavelengths. The images shown here are based on a wavelength of 171 angstroms, which is in the extreme ultraviolet range and shows solar material at around 600,000 Kelvin (about 1 million degrees F.) In this wavelength it is easy to see the sun’s 25-day rotation.

During the course of the video, the sun subtly increases and decreases in apparent size. This is because the distance between the SDO spacecraft and the sun varies over time. The image is, however, remarkably consistent and stable despite the fact that SDO orbits Earth at 6,876 mph and the Earth orbits the sun at 67,062 miles per hour.

Why This is Important

Scientists study these images to better understand the complex electromagnetic system causing the constant movement on the sun, which can ultimately have an effect closer to Earth, too: Flares and another type of solar explosion called coronal mass ejections can sometimes disrupt technology in space. Moreover, studying our closest star is one way of learning about other stars in the galaxy. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. built, operates, and manages the SDO spacecraft for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C.

For us radio enthusiasts, the study of the Sun helps us understand the dynamics of radio signal propagation.  And, that aids us in communicating more effectively and skill.

Thanks for sharing, voting, and watching.  More information and live Sun content can be accessed 24/7 at http://SunSpotWatch.com

You can also get the Space Weather and Radio Propagation Self-study Course at http://SunSpotWatch.com/swc

 

Visit, subscribe: NW7US Radio Communications and Propagation YouTube Channel

Satellite communications.

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George Thomas, W5JDX, is co-host of AmateurLogic.TV, an original amateur radio video program hosted by George Thomas (W5JDX), Tommy Martin (N5ZNO), Peter Berrett (VK3PB), and Emile Diodene (KE5QKR). Contact him at [email protected].

For a few weeks I have been attempting to use an RTL-SDR and a raspberry Pi 2 as an APRS iGate. Dutifully following a number of tutorials I failed to ‘Kalibrate’ the dongle several times and so put it to one side. Today however I have managed to get the thing running. Not with the original tutorial but with a different application called ‘Direwolf’.

There are quite a few clever sods kicking about and the guy who pulled this together is no exception. John Langer,WB2OSZ has not only produced a cracking application but also one of the most straightforward and detailed installation documents as well. What I particularly liked was the way that there was a step followed by an explanation of what the step was meant to achieve. I’m no great linux fan, partly because I don’t understand what the hell is going on and more importantly for me, why its not doing what I thought it should do and why. This small success may point me more in that direction though.

More to the point see. I told you it was working!

Alex Hill, G7KSE, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, UK. Contact him at [email protected].

A peruse around the web I came across a recent interview with the multitasking amateur radio constructive video producer VK3YE.

This is well worth a listen, when having your midnight cocoa:


http://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/vk3ye

I can only reflect some of the similar things of visiting the dump, or being given old televisons & radios to pull apart that got myself interested in the hobby many years ago..



Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at [email protected].

A peruse around the web I came across a recent interview with the multitasking amateur radio constructive video producer VK3YE.

This is well worth a listen, when having your midnight cocoa:


http://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/vk3ye

I can only relect some of the similar things of visiting the dump, or being given old televisons & radios to pull apart that got myself interested in the hobby many years ago..



Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at [email protected].