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Here is this week’s space weather and geophysical report, issued 2015 Jul 27 0117 UTC.

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 20 – 26 July 2015

Solar activity reached low levels this period. Region 2389 (S11, L=164, class/area=Dai/80 on 25 Jul) produced three low-level C-class flares throughout the period which were the largest observed events. Region 2389 produced a C1 flare at 24/0315 UTC, a C2/Sf flare at 24/1444 UTC, and a C1 flare at 26/1234 UTC but none of these events resulted in coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that were Earth-directed. Region 2390 (S15, L=198, class/area=Dac/130 on 26 Jul) underwent moderate penumbral development and increased in magnetic complexity late in the period, but remained largely unproductive. No Earth-directed CMEs were detected in SOHO/LASCO coronagraph imagery throughout the period.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels on 20, 26 Jul with moderate levels observed on 21-22, and 24-25 Jul. The electron flux decreased to normal levels on 23 Jul in response to enhanced geomagnetic field activity attributed to a combination of CME and coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) influence.

Geomagnetic field activity reached active to G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 23 Jul due to a combination of the arrival of the 19 Jul CME (filament eruption) and the onset of a weak positive polarity CH HSS. Active conditions were observed at 23/0300-0600 UTC and 23/1800-2100 UTC and G1 storm conditions were observed at 23/0600-0900 UTC. The geomagnetic field was at quiet or quiet to unsettled levels for the remainder of the period under an ambient solar wind environment followed by weak CH HSS influence.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 27 July – 22 August 2015

Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels throughout the period with a slight chance of M-class (R1-R2/Minor-Moderate) flare activity between 28 Jul-10 Aug due to the return of Region 2381 (N14, L=074) which produced two M-class flares last rotation.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal to moderate levels on 29 Jul, 01, 07, and 17 Aug with high levels expected throughout the remainder of the period.

Geomagnetic field activity is likely to reach G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 07 Aug with active levels expected on 29 Jul, 02, 08-09, and 19 Aug, all in response to the influence of recurrent CH HSS. Quiet to unsettled geomagnetic field activity is expected throughout the remainder of the period under an ambient solar wind environment.

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

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 I've written multiple times in this space about the magic of ham radio. It will always be magic to me.

This past weekend I was testing portable configurations for a trip I will be taking to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico next week. I am the President of the Alamo Area Council of the Boy Scouts and will be going through some training there. So, this trip I will not operating from a summit, but rather I need to work an IOTA Island that I need that will  QRV the week I am there.

I use EFHW's from summits all the time, but at QRP power levels, this time I will be running ~100 watts from a battery, so I thought an on air test would be a good idea. I conduct such tests in my backyard "Outdoor Radio Laboratory". I test portable configurations in an outdoor environment to simulate the conditions I will be operating in. I was running ~100 watts from an old Yaesu FT-100D to the EFHW  on a 30' pole tied off in a tree. I was tuning on 17m and I found and was able to work VK2SSI on OC-194, Solitary Island. So a portable to portable QSO would bode well for the capability of the set up.

Below is a video of the set up.


I think I have more fun in my backyard than in my regular shack.
Mike Crownover, AD5A, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Texas, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

 I've written multiple times in this space about the magic of ham radio. It will always be magic to me.

This past weekend I was testing portable configurations for a trip I will be taking to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico next week. I am the President of the Alamo Area Council of the Boy Scouts and will be going through some training there. So, this trip I will not operating from a summit, but rather I need to work an IOTA Island that I need that will  QRV the week I am there.

I use EFHW's from summits all the time, but at QRP power levels, this time I will be running ~100 watts from a battery, so I thought an on air test would be a good idea. I conduct such tests in my backyard "Outdoor Radio Laboratory". I test portable configurations in an outdoor environment to simulate the conditions I will be operating in. I was running ~100 watts from an old Yaesu FT-100D to the EFHW  on a 30' pole tied off in a tree. I was tuning on 17m and I found and was able to work VK2SSI on OC-194, Solitary Island. So a portable to portable QSO would bode well for the capability of the set up.

Below is a video of the set up.


I think I have more fun in my backyard than in my regular shack.
Mike Crownover, AD5A, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Texas, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Greetings! We have a super episode for you this time around. It's 151 Proof and packed with information on the Dayton Hamvention, NASA launches, lightweight Linux distributions that might be great in your ham shack, Android apps for amateur radio use and a whole lot more. Thanks for tuning in, and we hope you enjoy this episode. If you have comments or questions, please don't hesitate to send us voice mail or e-mail feedback. We'd love to hear from you.

73 de The LHS Guys

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].

Ham College episode 7 is now available for download.

Ham College, the new show for those new to the hobby and those wishing to get into Amateur Radio.

In episode 7 we talk about and demonstrate Radio Waves. More questions and answers from the Technical class question pool.

52:28

Download
YouTube

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].

In this episode, Martin M1MRB / W9ICQ is joined by Chris Howard  M0TCH / N4CTH and welcome to a debut news appearance for Edmund Spicer M0MMG to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episodes feature is Final interviews from Friedrichshafen.

• BBC Nano Computer's Final Design Confirmed
• European Common Allocation Table
• HamShield for Arduino (VHF/UHF transceiver)
• Friedrichshafen informal C5 meeting
• Radio Amateur’s Antenna Mast Planning Victory
• 1900-2000 kHz to become Primary Ham Band
• WIA Drafting 2-metre and 70-centimetre Band Plans

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 Chris Howard  M0TCH / N4CTH and welcome to a debut news appearance for Edmund Spicer M0MMG to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episodes feature is Final interviews from Friedrichshafen.

• BBC Nano Computer's Final Design Confirmed
• European Common Allocation Table
• HamShield for Arduino (VHF/UHF transceiver)
• Friedrichshafen informal C5 meeting
• Radio Amateur’s Antenna Mast Planning Victory
• 1900-2000 kHz to become Primary Ham Band
• WIA Drafting 2-metre and 70-centimetre Band Plans

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