Don't believe everything you read (Kp=5)

(tnx N3KL, NASA)

The news is all about the "Major Solar (Geomagnetic) Storm" we are having.  Points:

• No aurora visible last night (lat 41 deg), but Moon was very bright.
• Kp (Planetary K index) is supposed to be 5 now (quite high), and it was up to 8 last night. But the 20 meter ham band is hopping.  I just bagged my first digital T77 (San Marino).
• If it weren't for the news, I'd say 20 meter (14 MHz) conditions are fairly normal, but 15 and 17 meters (21 and 18 MHz) are largely dead.

Sometimes it's better not to know too much.

End of the world, coming into view?

Solar cataclysm (for shortwave radio folks) is happening right now.

The red shows the absorption of radio waves around the globe, with the center in the current sub-solar point (where it is noon).

We have "R3" radio blackout conditions.  (All from http://www.swpc.noaa.gov)

In addition to this, we have a "CME" (coronal mass ejection) of high-speed charged particles generated by a previous flare event that is supposed to hit us today, causing a geomagnetic storm that should further screw up the HF airwaves.  You probably won't lose your electric power, however, but you might get to see the aurora borealis tonight -- if it's not raining cats and dogs.

And, there are big thunderstorms outside.

And, there are two big hurricanes out there somewhere -- not in New England (yet) fortunately for us.

And lots of trouble coming from DC and some other world capitals.

Antenna Woe

I upgraded the AA6E antenna installation just before SuperStorm Sandy.  We pinned the beam to the mast and the mast to the rotator to prevent the slippage that occurred in Irene.  We also put up a Joel Hallas W1ZR style dual band skeleton sleeve-coupled dipole for 80 and 30 M, made from 450 ohm ladder line. (QST May and Oct 2011) All seemed well after Sandy's 60+ mph winds.

I haven't been on the air much since Sandy, while there have been a few biggish wind events and some snow and freezing.  When I went to work 80 and 30 on SKN on New Year's, I found SWRs of 7 and 8 to one.  The antenna is defunct.  But why?  I took photos from the ground, and no problem is yet visible.  (It is most likely an open or a short in the connection to the balun.)

The tower is hard for me to access (20 ft above a 20 ft roof), and I'd like to have a better idea of what has gone wrong before I bring in the work crew.

Least Helpful Message Yet

"...government officials are urging people to plan for the worst." (CNN Report, concerning NYC & Hurricane Sandy.)

As in the end of the world?  I'm more optimistic than that.

Antenna repair

Andrew from XX Towers inspected and adjusted the AA6E antenna farm today.  The SteppIR and mast are now pinned to the rotator.  No more windmilling unless something breaks!  We have a new Hallas-style 80 / 30 M sleeve coupled dipole, too.

So we are now officially restored after Tropical Storm Irene last year. Just.in.time.for.Sandy.  Grit teeth.

If this is the new climate regime in Connecticut -- one Tropical Storm / Hurricane per year -- I don't care for it.

Irenic Thoughts

So Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Irene came and went.  This is what it did to my little antenna stack.

2 meters is still pointing north, I think, but the HF SteppIR is off to the northwest, it seems.