This video—from Rhode Schwartz—“is an introduction to the fundamental concepts of HF propagation, with special emphasis placed on skywave propagation and the role of the ionosphere.” 1
“Understanding HF Propagation”, Rhode Schwarz Youtube Channel, accessed May 19 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y_RTdPs3NI. ↩︎
In his Welcome to Cycle 25 article (a free preview from the April 2021 issue of QST Magazine), Steve Ford, WB8IMY, discusses the new solar cycle that is under way and how it is having a positive effect on HF band conditions.
WB8IMY begins with some background information on solar cycles and discusses discovery of harbingers of the next solar cycle.
His article covers:
A 2021 Propagation Forcast sidebar by Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA—originally published in the January/February 2021 Issue of NCJ—discusses the question “How big will Cycle 25 be?”
In closing, WB8IMY writes:
Better days are on the way—we just don’t know by how much. All hams will benefit regardless of license class. Who knows? History may repeat itself and Cycle 25 could even rival Cycle 19.1
“Welcome to CYCLE 25”, ARRL The national association for Amateur Radio, accessed March 22 2021, http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/This%20Month%20in%20QST/2021/04%20April%202021/0421%20FORD%20CYCLE%2025.pdf. ↩︎
On January 3, 2019, K7UV started a discussion in the Amateur Radio sub-reddit about a report by K7RA—in the first ARRL Propagation Bulletin for 2020—about indications that Solar Cycle 25 has begun; good news for DXers and other Amateur Radio Operators who rely on the effects of sunspots for propagation.
Sunspots appeared recently, all indicating Solar Cycle 25 due to their polarity, opposite from spots in Solar Cycle 24. Sunspots appeared December 24-26, and it looks like a new Solar Cycle 25 spot on January 1. NOAA did not report it (too weak?) but Spaceweather.com reported a sunspot number of 11 on January 1.
On January 2 NOAA reported the new spot with a sunspot number of 23.1
The propagation bulletin continues with technical analysis—including solar flux predictions—of upcoming propagation conditions and includes numerous useful links for those interested in the subject of propagation.
ARRL Members who wish to receive ARRL Propagation Bulletins via e-mail may subscribe to these bulletins on the W1AW Bulletins section on the Edit Email Subscriptions page of thier member profile.
ARRL Propagation Bulletin ARLP001 (2020) is also available as The K7RA Solar Update for January 3, 2020.
An archive of ARRL Propagation Bulletins is available for review.
“ARRL Propagation Bulletin ARLP001 (2020)”, ARRL The national association for Amateur Radio, retrieved January 4 2020, http://www.arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive/ARLP001/2020. ↩︎
Higher Bands Will Pick Up this Fall, Data Suggest Smaller Solar Cycles Lie Ahead: https://t.co/4rxurFkwHT
— ARRL (@arrl) September 8, 2016
