I first got licensed in 1969 but have had a good
receiver since 1966 and it is wonderful to hear all that F2
propagation coming back. When the Solar Flux gets higher, we
will hear shorter skip on ten meters during the Winter as well
as the Winter Sporadic E season which is not effected so much by
Solar activity so it will be a fun mix of shorter and longer
skip.

	Yesterday, which was Sunday as I write this, I tuned
through the CB frequencies to listen to an example of a huge
number of transmitters concentrated on a relatively small number
of frequencies and it is just beginning to sound like the older
days of the late sixties and seventies when those frequencies
were useless due to countless strong signals even from the 5-watt
stations. We're not there yet, but it's getting closer.

	The Solar Flux yesterday was 164 and it probably needs
to be over 200 to really get the old days back but it could
still happen.

	As for the CB frequencies, I have this theory that 27
MHZ might be a natural resonance frequency for the neurons in
the human brain and repeated transmission, especially with high
power, causes those neurons to shatter creating a sort of
electronic lobotomy. 

	I am just joking, but one hears some crazy stuff on
those frequencies. Half of me is simply appalled at what I hear
plus amused at the sheer stupidity of it all. Another fraction
of me says that it is good that these wackos have somewhere to
go that isn't part of a ham band and the rest of me says that a
lot of this activity simply doesn't do any good at all and is
potentially a security risk, just perfect for dope dealers and
terrorists. I am sure glad they aren't on ten that much, but
even that happens sometimes.

	Anyway, it is a good propagation indicator for now.

	With a little more Solar Flux, the F2 layer will be
forced a bit lower and this will change the reflection angles so
that we will start getting those West-Coast signals thundering
in again. That will create more QRM, but it will also bring in
even more JA's, ZL's and VK's so it's not really a bad thing.

Howard Kaufman writes:
> I have been a ham since 1966.  I have absolutely never seen the conditions
> we are experiencing this week.
> 30 meters has been full of Europeans for the last two hours.  late morning
> there, darkest night here.  Grey line some where over the mid Atlantic.
> for two late afternoons, 10 meters has been filled with JA's, and no west
> coast signals to clobber them.  12 meters is filled with Europeans in the
> mid mornings, with similar conditions but not quite as good on ten.
> Signals from south America, Australia and Africa as well.
> I looked for Terry for an hour yesterday with no luck.  Hope others are
> enjoying as well.