SB PROP @ ARL $ARLP008 ARLP008 Propagation de KT7H ZCZC AP76 QST de W1AW Propagation Forecast Bulletin 8 ARLP008 >From Tad Cook, KT7H Seattle, WA February 17, 1995 To all radio amateurs SB PROP ARL ARLP008 ARLP008 Propagation de KT7H Recent 160 meter conditions top the news this week. K7SS reports that on January 29 during the CQ WW 160 meter contest, W7XR worked OH7MS on long path at 1428z. This was 80 minutes before local sunrise at W7XR, and signals were strongest on a beverage antenna to the west. K7SS thought that this was the first 160 meter long path contact to Europe from North America, but it now appears that N6SS beat this record by 20 minutes, when he worked OH7MS at 1408z. With W7XR and K7SS in Washington State, and N6SS in Arizona, N6SS worked OH7MS 6 minutes before local sunrise and W7XR worked him 80 minutes before his local sunrise. Congratulations to all. Comments to the author of this bulletin can be sent via packet to KT7H N7DUO.WA.US or via internet to tadssc.com. Solar flux last week was unchanged from the week prior. Conditions were unstable on the 11th through the 14th, with many periods of K indices at 5 or 6. The A index peaked at 33 on the 13th. Solar flux should peak around 96 on the 19th, then head back to the mid eighties region. Active geomagnetic conditions due to recurring coronal holes are expected to begin again around February 26, and gradually increase through mid-March. Sunspot Numbers for February 9 through 15 were 24, 38, 23, 24, 26, 36 and 36, with a mean of 29.6. 10.7 cm flux was 83.7, 81.5, 81.1, 81.1, 85.7, 82.4 and 84.9, with a mean of 82.9. The path projection for this week is from Hawaii and Anchorage, Alaska to Macao. >From Anchorage, 80 meters looks good from 1045 to 1900z, and 40 meters from 0930 to 2030. 30 meters should be good around 1900 to 2000 and again from 2200 to 2300 and around 0800. Check 20 meters from 2230 to 0230, and 17 meters from 2300 to 0300. 15 meters may be open on some days from 2300 to 0230. >From Hawaii, 80 meters looks like a good bet from 1030 to 1730z, and 40 meters from 0900 to 1830. 30 meters looks good from 0800 to 1930, and 20 meters from 2230 to 2330 and 0400 to 1430. Strongest 20 meter signals should be between 0900 and 1300. 17 meters should be open from 2230 to 0700, and 15 meters from 2300 to 0630. 10 and 12 meters look quite good over this path, with 10 meters open from 2330 to 0500, and 12 meters opening 30 minutes earlier and closing about an hour later. NNNN /EX