Been looking at the space weather conditions on a few websites.

 Currently, as i type this, the A-index is at 17 – due to a coronal hole on the Sun. The subsequent solar wind from this coronal hole is causing the high A-index.

Radio condx seem poor now. Earlier today, 20m was going great guns; the A-index was lower, US coming through on 15m – even 10m opened for a short time. It was contest type conditions!

With this in mind, i’m now watching the Sun closely  for any other apparent coronal holes which may hit Earth by next weekend (CQWW SSB contest).

chole.gif

Above shows the current coronal hole (dark patch – right side of Sun) - now affecting radio condx on certain bands.

Unfortunetly, the left side of the Sun also shows a dark patch (another Coronal Hole?). If it is to be another C-hole, then by the time it rotates into the position of the current ‘Hole, i wonder if this will affect condx for the CQWW?

However, i once read somewhere that CQWW creates its own propagation, so perhaps i’m worrying about nothing!