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General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: atrainradio on February 25, 2014, 2220 UTC

Title: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: atrainradio on February 25, 2014, 2220 UTC
From 90.9 WHYY (local NPR affiliate)- Heard them mention a major solar flare erupted just recentley, which affects radio. They actually said "Shortwave listeners across the world will be dealing with poor listening conditions for the next few days to a week".

Probably accounts for why the MW dx has been unusally horrible these past few nights. I tuned to the usual bombers, 1030 WBZ always blasts in like a local here, but for the past 2 nights it was so bad I had to go to USB to hear it, and this was at midnight!! 1090 WBAL which is from Baltimore (85 miles south of me) was barley audible. But shortwave hasn't seem to been affected much. Great conditions, at least for me, but Mw is another story.
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on February 25, 2014, 2342 UTC
The flare was 0050 UTC today, so 7:50 PM EST last night. We were already in darkness here, so it didn't directly affect us on the east coast. Other parts of the world where it was day did have HF blackouts.

The flare was on the limb of the Sun, so any CME impact is likely to be minimal.
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: atrainradio on February 25, 2014, 2352 UTC
Thanks Chris! Yes, I did notice it was the worst DX I have ever seen last night. Checking the bands now, it is a major improvment from last night on MW. Shortwave is no different then it was this past week. So the recovery was quick!
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: cmradio on February 26, 2014, 1321 UTC
Hahaha, how odd.... I'm in the mountains at if I'm lucky, I can get a 5MHz WWV at S3 on a good night. The flare somehow has made my radio come alive with NVIS :D

Peace!
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: Pigmeat on February 26, 2014, 1502 UTC
I told Fansome not to fire those Diet Coke and Mentos rockets at the Sun, but would he listen? Noooo. He started using the rockets to fire pallets of refried beans at it. He said he was "reactivating the sunspot cycle."

Now he's building a rail gun out of old stove pipes. God only knows what he's going to do with that.
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: SHORTY on February 26, 2014, 2253 UTC
I hope Homeland Security doesn't get on Fansome's case for this activity.
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: atrainradio on February 26, 2014, 2353 UTC
Yea shorty for all we know they might consider Fansome's activities to be "less than desiarable". Might seem like he wants to demolish the FCC. Not saying thats a bad idea but.....
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: SHORTY on February 27, 2014, 0013 UTC
According to some sources Fansome's activities are looked upon with great favor by The Director of Cosmic Forces. Who knows he could become top dog at the FCC with that kind of support.
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: Pigmeat on February 27, 2014, 0020 UTC
You're starting to see the light.

Did you happen to notice that the solar flare erupted just before Putin's war games? It wasn't coincidence, it was Fansome.
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: atrainradio on February 27, 2014, 0021 UTC
Great shorty! Maybe he'll legalize pirates and get rid of these corporate wastes of radio stations, espcially ones with the brand names of "More FM, or Jack FM, or dear god help us.. Magic FM"...

Seriously, Magic FM?? How bland and uncreative that is. Like you know what would be frickin magical? Is if a classic rock radio station doesn't play journey's don't stop beliving for just THREE DAYS! That'd be god damn magical.
Title: Re: MAJOR Solar Flare
Post by: Skipmuck on February 27, 2014, 2350 UTC
I haven't seen the auroral zone this angry in a long time! Should be some nice auroras up north.
I replaced the picture...properly cropped now!