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Here is this week’s space weather and geophysical report, issued 2015 Dec 14 0121 UTC.

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 07 – 13 December 2015

Solar activity was at low levels and only C-class flare activity was observed throughout the period, the largest of which was a C7 flare at 12/1346 UTC from Region 2470 (N13, L=087, class/area=Dkc/270 on 13 Dec). No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed this period.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels every day of the summary period with a peak flux of 10,700 pfu observed at 09/1455 UTC.

Geomagnetic field activity was quiet to active levels on 07-08 Dec due to waning coronal hole high speed stream effects prior to the summary period. Unsettled to active field conditions were observed on 10-11 Dec, with an isolated period of G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels observed between 10/0300-0600 UTC, due to the influence of a positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 14 December – 09 January 2016

Solar activity is expected to be at low levels throughout the outlook period with only C-class flare activity expected.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels on 14-20, 29-31 Dec and 03-09 Jan. Low to moderate electron flux levels are expected throughout the remainder of the period.

Geomagnetic field activity is likely to reach G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 16 Dec and 06 Jan due to the influence of recurrent coronal hole high speed streams. Active field conditions are likely on 15, 17-18, 27-28 Dec and 01, 03-04, 07-08 Dec due to coronal hole high speed stream effects. Quiet to unsettled levels are expected for the remainder of the 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/

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Hello, everyone! Welcome to the latest installment of Linux in the Ham Shack. Today your hosts discuss a new, incredibly inexpensive single-board computer, an ARRL contest slated to last all of 2016, politics vs. emcomm, a re-written DOS-based contest logger and much, much more. Thanks as always for tuning in and we hope you have a safe and happy holiday season.

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].

The CQ WW CW contest for 2015 is now in the books and I did participate in it as non assisted, QRP and single band. I find that search and pounce is the way to go when my power is low and my antenna is the MFJ 1788 loop antenna. I figured with what is stacked up against me to add to it calling CQ contest would prove to be very frustrating contact wise. In this last contest I did hear a station who was search and pounce and QRP.......not sure about his antenna though BUT he was adding /QRP to the tail end of his call. I found this to be interesting and the times I ran into him in a pileup he seemed to get the attention of the station he was calling very fast and was able to move on to search and pounce more contacts.  I will be honest I have thought about doing this in the past but for various reasons I did not. So this is just a question to those out there......what's your feeling during a contest about a station that signs "VE3WDM/QRP??


Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

In this episode, Martin M1MRB / W9ICQ is joined by Ed Durant DD5LP, Chris Howard M0TCH, and Edmund Spicer M0MNG  to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. This episodes features is YOTA Month and a special history of the ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast with ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast Founders Martin M1MRB / W9ICQ and Colin M6BOY as we mark our 200th Episode.

• Amateur / Ham Radio License in a Day
• New Raspberry Pi “Zero” Launched
• December is YOTA Month
• 60m Access for Dutch Amateur / Radio Hams
• Receive-Only Radio Scanners Guidance

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

In this episode, Martin M1MRB / W9ICQ is joined by Ed Durant DD5LP, Chris Howard M0TCH, and Edmund Spicer M0MNG  to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. This episodes features is YOTA Month and a special history of the ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast with ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast Founders Martin M1MRB / W9ICQ and Colin M6BOY as we mark our 200th Episode.

• Amateur / Ham Radio License in a Day
• New Raspberry Pi “Zero” Launched
• December is YOTA Month
• 60m Access for Dutch Amateur / Radio Hams
• Receive-Only Radio Scanners Guidance

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

Ham Radio Two-Day License Class

Sat Feb 27 and Sat Mar 5 (8 AM to 5 PM) 2016
Location: Black Forest Fire Station 1, Black Forest, CO

The Technician license is your gateway to the world-wide excitement of Amateur Radio …

• Earn your ham radio Technician class radio privileges
• Pass your FCC amateur radio license exam right in class on the second day
• Multiple-choice exam, No Morse Code Required
• Live equipment demonstrations
• Learn to operate on the ham bands, 10 Meters and higher
• Learn to use the many VHF/UHF FM repeaters in Colorado
• Find out how to participate in emergency communications

There is a non-refundable $30 registration fee for the class ($20 for students under 18).

In addition, students must have the required study guide and read it before attending the two-day class: HamRadioSchool.com Technician License Course $20.95
(make sure you get the most recent edition of this book, updated for the new FCC exam questions)

Advance registration is required (no later than one week before the first session, earlier is better! This class usually fills up weeks in advance.)

To register for the class, contact: Bob Witte KØNR
Email: [email protected]

Sponsored by the Tri-Lakes Monument Radio Association
For more information on amateur (ham) radio visit www.arrl.org or www.wedothat-radio.org

The post Announcing: Technician License Class (Black Forest, CO) appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

I had the opportunity to be a guest operator at WW1USA today. WW1USA is a special event station located at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, MO.

There was a request for operators that I saw on Larry’s List. Larry’s List is an awesome resource for hams in the greater Kansas City area. Not just another email list-serv, but a truly valuable resource in understanding what is happening in the area. From community events, swap-n-shop, club meetings, weekly nets to nearby hamfests – Larry’s List is one stop shopping for everything you need to know about amateur radio in Kansas City.

I read about the opportunity to sign up for operator/logging slots during this weekends activation of WW1USA and thought it would be a neat opportunity.

Arriving about 10 minutes before my shift started, I was immediately directed to a position and asked to start logging for an operator working contacts on 20 meters. The brief instructions I received was to log the callsign, name, and state of the contact. I think I recognized the logging program as N3FJPs logging program for Windows. I had used this program before during Field Day 2009 with my dad, KD6EUG.

As I adjusted into the chair, my ear turned towards a speaker, my fingers pecking away entering callsigns… I noticed there were not any radios here! Each of the operating positions were laptops, using HRD to control a rig at a remote location. Pretty cool. As I believe it would have been fairly difficult to raise antennas on top of the museum and then route feedlines down to an operating room, the planners of this special event used internet connectivity. To be honest, as an operator, the fact that I was not in front of the rig was really not even apparent.

After twenty minutes, I slid into the operators chair and proceeded to work contacts for the next two hours. Again, the planning effort of this operation became evident when I saw a short script in front of me for calling CQ as well as providing answers on how calling stations could QSL the contact. When a station at the distant end asked for more information about the reason for the special event, I was handed another card which talked about commemorating the failed Gallipoli campaign.

I had a great time making contacts: stations all over Canada and the United States. What a fun time!

Scott Hedberg, NØZB, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Kansas, USA. Contact him at [email protected].