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Watch this amazing explosion on the Sun. From sunspot complex 1226-1227 comes an X-ray Flare peaking at a magnitude of M2.5 at 0640 UTC on 7 June, 2011.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQMrRu8BWDo

This X-ray flare hurled a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) toward the Earth. This not-squarely Earth-directed CME is moving at 1400 km/s according to NASA models. The CME did not deliver even a noticeable glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field late June 8th or June 9th.

What can be seen clearly in this movie is one of the most spectacular prominence eruptions ever observed. In fact, one could call it a “prominence explosion”. The prominence material expanded to a volume some 75 times as big across as the earth!

This X-ray flare also triggered an S1-level solar radiation storm, causing a long-lasting polar cap absorption (PCA) event. A polar cap absorption (PCA) event affects the propagation of a shortwave radio signal as it makes its way over the polar regions. In short, radio communications on lower shortwave radio frequencies become more difficult, as those radio signals are absorbed by the ionosphere (in the D-region) over the polar regions.

What does this mean in real-world communications? Trans-polar airline pilots may find it more difficult to communicate with regional air traffic control, shortwave radio listeners who want to hear a broadcast from a country by receiving a transmission from a country by way of a transmission beamed over the pole (like, from Europe into the USA via the North Pole), or other such communications, will find those signals all but gone. The stronger the PCA event, the higher the frequencies absorbed over the polar regions, with the greatest absorption occurring at the lower frequencies.

This movie spans the period of time from 0300 UTC through 1556 UTC, and is composed of the 171-Angstrom, 304-Angstrom, and 335-Angstrom wavelength views as captured by the filters of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). In this movie, the AIA instruments capture the Sun’s extreme ultraviolet light and reveal a very large eruption of cool gas. It is somewhat unique because at many places in the eruption there seems to be even cooler material–at temperatures less than 80,000 K.

The following is a linked video that is part of this event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4CsjcUGoaw

Watch as we zoom out to see a total view of the June 7, 2011 moderately-powerful X-ray Flare and Prominence Eruption. This movie will give you a full perspective of the immense size of this prominence eruption as it spews out away from the Sun.

The X-ray Flare peaked at a moderate magnitude of M2.5 at 0640 UTC, but unleashed a huge prominence eruption. The massive cloud of plasma was ejected out into interplanetary space, but missed the Earth. This movie stars with a “close-up” view by the Solar Dynamics Observatory at a combined wavelength view at 94 and 304 Angstroms. Then, the movie views the event further back through the eyes of the COR1 spacecraft (with the SDO AIA 304 image superimposed in the middle). Next, we zoom out to the COR2 spacecraft and superimpose the COR1 and SDO views. Then, we zoom further back to the H1 view… and finally look again at the event close-up.

More info: http://sunspotwatch.com/

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Source: SDO AIA NASA SOHO

If you do follow me on twitter (and if you don’t – you really should) you will have no doubt seen my recent tweets about constructing  a CW decoder. After a number of retweets, and favorites from other very interested hams – I did promise that I would collate all my knowledge into a blog posts and share the details with you all.

So, for those who have not been following me on twitter – here is the sales pitch. I recently started looking at some projects that I could get my Arduino Uno involved in with the radio hobby. I have a number of reasons why I want to combine radio, Arduino and some electronics – more about this later.

I stumbled across a video on YouTube where Budd Churchward showed his Arduino copying and decoding CW straight off the HF band and at a reasonably high speed. I ventured further and wanted to know what electronics Budd was using to achieve this excellent little project.

I used the limited shared knowledge and discovered that the electronics is basally a LM567 – Tone decoder chip that (I have since discovered the chip is used in the ARRL book for Arduino Projects) I discovered takes an audio input and converts this to a HIGH / LOW output suitable for the Arduino to use as a signal for decoding.

Finding a suitable project for the LM567 and trying to work out how fellow constructors had configured their LM567s was not an easy task. This did indeed take quite a lot of chasing and head scratching.  I will go into more technical detail on the next post – but for the reason why I wanted to complete this ? very simple. I w
ant to create a project that would “inspire” young electronically minded students that might have an interest in radio – (i.e the morse code) some coding experience and some construction / electronic interest. This project covers all 3 areas, and only lightly covers each subject area.

In the next post – I show the LM567, the schematic and give you the list of parts required.

If you do follow me on twitter (and if you don’t – you really should) you will have no doubt seen my recent tweets about constructing  a CW decoder. After a number of retweets, and favorites from other very interested hams – I did promise that I would collate all my knowledge into a blog posts and share the details with you all.

So, for those who have not been following me on twitter – here is the sales pitch. I recently started looking at some projects that I could get my Arduino Uno involved in with the radio hobby. I have a number of reasons why I want to combine radio, Arduino and some electronics – more about this later.

I stumbled across a video on YouTube where Budd Churchward showed his Arduino copying and decoding CW straight off the HF band and at a reasonably high speed. I ventured further and wanted to know what electronics Budd was using to achieve this excellent little project.

I used the limited shared knowledge and discovered that the electronics is basally a LM567 – Tone decoder chip that (I have since discovered the chip is used in the ARRL book for Arduino Projects) I discovered takes an audio input and converts this to a HIGH / LOW output suitable for the Arduino to use as a signal for decoding.

Finding a suitable project for the LM567 and trying to work out how fellow constructors had configured their LM567s was not an easy task. This did indeed take quite a lot of chasing and head scratching.  I will go into more technical detail on the next post – but for the reason why I wanted to complete this ? very simple. I w
ant to create a project that would “inspire” young electronically minded students that might have an interest in radio – (i.e the morse code) some coding experience and some construction / electronic interest. This project covers all 3 areas, and only lightly covers each subject area.

In the next post – I show the LM567, the schematic and give you the list of parts required.

Stories you’ll find in our August, 2015 issue:

HF Air Monitoring: Understanding NOTAM Information
By Tony Roper

International air-route safety is everyone’s concern, no more so than with those who use the world’s air space daily—military, commercial and civilian aircraft. To help, the world’s aviation authorities make available Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) widely available. These notices tell all pilots what to expect along their regular routes across oceans and continents. But, they also give clues to air monitoring enthusiasts as to what type of aircraft may be in the air and on the air. Tony explains how to unravel NOTAM information to learn when and where to listen.

TSM Reviews: Whistler WS-1080 P-25 Phase I and II Scanner
By Chris Parris

The last few years have been revolutionary for the world scanning radios. In additional to the great technical strides that the manufacturers have pushed to the electronics market, some names in the scanner world have disappeared and new names have come to the forefront. One name new to the world of scanning is Whistler, of Bentonville, Arkansas. Prior to this, Whistler had previously been known for their line of radar detectors, GPS devices and power inverters, but no scanners. Chris takes a close look at this very capable scanner.

Advanced Radio Noise Filtering using DSP
By Geir Laastad LA6LU

Using the signal of a Norwegian Non-directional Aeronautical Beacon (NDB) Geir shows us how it is possible, in some cases, to achieve almost 100 percent noise-free radio reception with advanced use of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology. Using a combination of built-in filters and outboard DSP speakers, Geir describes techniques that are most effective for narrow band CW reception, but will also improve the reception of SSB or AM signals.

Digitally Speaking: Digital Voices on HF Part 1
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

When most hams think of digital voice operation, they think of VHF and UHF repeaters. To be sure, that covers where the vast majority of digital voice QSOs take place. While simplex 2-meter and 70-cm activity is out there, in most areas it subsides once one or two repeaters are established in a given area. But, there are plenty of frequencies on HF where proponents of each digital methodology have established a foothold. Cory tells us where those frequencies are and what you need to get on the air.

Multiple Satellite Reception from a Single Ku-Band Dish (Part 2)
By Mike Kohl

Last month Mike walked us through the theory behind multiple feed horns on a stationary Ku-band dish for reception of Free-to-Air satellite signals. In Part 2 he shows how it’s done; crowding as many as 12 feed horns on one 1.8-meter Ku-band satellite dish that can see 12 satellites positioned from 89 degrees West to 119 degrees West. It requires making a custom feed support and takes meticulous adjustment to get it all right, but so worth it!

Scanning America By Dan Veenaman
Scanning Wisconsin; FCC Field Office Shuffle

Federal Wavelengths By Chris Parris
US Navy HYDRA Systems

Utility Planet By Hugh Stegman NV6H
What’s up with SKYKING?

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
Irish Navy HF Operations

HF Utility Logs By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Amateur Radio Insights By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Gensets and UPSs: Play it Smart!

Radio 101 By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
2015 Field Day Report and the C64 Today

Radio Propagation By Tomas Hood NW7US
Sunspots Got You Down? You Can Still Work the World

The World of Shortwave Listening By Robert Wagner VK3VBW
Radio Verdad – Small Voice, Big Heart

The Shortwave Listener By Fred Waterer
Kid’s Shows, BBCWS and CRI

Amateur Radio Astronomy By Stan Nelson KB5VL
Noise in Radio Astronomy

The Longwave Zone By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
You Have Questions…

Adventures in Radio Restoration By Rich Post KB8TAD
A Classic Pair of Heathkit Hi-Fi Twins
Part 1: the AJ-11 Tuner

The Broadcast Tower By Doug Smith W9WI
What Happened to WOWO

Antenna Connections By Dan Farber AC0LW
Soldiering on after a Microburst

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