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Author Topic: Solar Minimum  (Read 7264 times)

Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Solar Minimum
« on: May 12, 2017, 1238 UTC »
Looks like we're definitely about to enter solar minimum (not that solar maximum was really that... maximum this cycle). 10.7 cm solar flux is just 69 right now. While that may not sound low, the lowest ever recorded value was 64, and during solar maximum solar flux approaches and sometimes exceeds 250. 
 
"For the third day in a row, the sun is blank--no sunspots. This marks the 32nd day in 2017 that the sun has been without spots. Cumulatively, it adds up to more than a month of blank suns--and it's only May. For comparison, it took all 12 months of 2016 for the sun to accumulate 32 spotless days. The accelerating pace of spotlessness is a sign that Solar Minimum is approaching. "
 
http://spaceweather.com
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Chris Smolinski
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Offline redhat

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2017, 1309 UTC »
I guess the bright side is it should only get better from here?

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Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2017, 1317 UTC »
In a few years. Except forecasts (which don't have a great track record) are for an even weaker Cycle 25 than the current Cycle 24.
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Chris Smolinski
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Offline Traveling Wave

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2017, 1636 UTC »
According to the space weather news the sunspot nadir (lowest point) will be in 2019-2020.  :'(
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Offline R4002

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2017, 1650 UTC »
Not looking forward to 2019-2020 then. 

Looks like 11 meters is going to be sporadic-E only for a while, if anything at all.  I wonder if sales of export radios and modified CB equipment will slow down with the solar minimum.
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Offline Josh

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2017, 1750 UTC »
The sun seems to be taking care of all that globular warmins.
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Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2017, 2023 UTC »
Just today I ran across this graph of solar activity going back 11,400 years. It's interesting how solar activity in the last century has been much higher than the historical average (and that this coincided with the invention of radio). Should we regress back to previous activity, we might all become longwave DXers  ;D

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Chris Smolinski
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Offline ka1iic

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2017, 2116 UTC »
This is what I have been saying for over the past 20 years or so...  Do Not Sell The SUN Pimple Cream!!!

I left Maine because I had a dream... a dream in which my little farm would be under 10 feet of permafrost,  and my little veggie garden would be no more...  My many varieties of Roses would be nothing more than frozen sticks and my Nutz...  well... let's not go there OK?

And so much worse would be the fact that my Out-house would be completely frozen over and me with no place to go...!  damn you Sun...

"Black Hole Sun won't you come and wash away the stench, Black Hole Sun won't you come won't you come"

heh
 :P
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73 Vince
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Offline BoomboxDX

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2017, 1534 UTC »
^^^^^^^ So your dream consisted of Maunder Minimum / Little Ice Age fears?

Hopefully, it doesn't happen, if only for the world food supply.
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Offline John Poet

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2017, 1827 UTC »
I thought we were AT solar minimum already...
I really don't want to see any solar minimum any more minimum than we have now, sheesh.

I'll need a trailer to haul the loading coils for that long-wave antenna...

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Offline skeezix

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2017, 1849 UTC »
Quote from: John Poet on May 14, 2017, 1827 UTC
I thought we were AT solar minimum already...
I really don't want to see any solar minimum any more minimum than we have now, sheesh.

I'll need a trailer to haul the loading coils for that long-wave antenna...

Seems like for years now we keep hearing we're at the stupid minimum.

As far as a trailer for loading coils... assuming conventional antennas. Perhaps time to research other methods of transmission for these wavelengths. Or take out stock in trailer manufacturers.
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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2017, 1909 UTC »
« Last Edit: May 15, 2017, 1919 UTC by Unknown Name »
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Offline ChrisLobdell

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2017, 2218 UTC »
So the theory of a Solar "Maunder" Minimum lasting for 70 years is unfounded??
« Last Edit: May 16, 2017, 0018 UTC by Chris Lobdell »
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Offline skeezix

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2017, 0149 UTC »
Time to get LORAN-C/eLORAN online, and bring back Omega.

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Offline Chanter

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Re: Solar Minimum
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2017, 0533 UTC »
Ugh!  I thought we were already *at* the darn solar minimum...  :( 

KA1IIC, no offense to you, but I absolutely *loathe* that song, parody snippet or no parody snippet!  Gag!  It makes my ears revolt, or want to. 
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