[HCARC] Solar Noise Burst

[Kerry Sandstrom]

Hi Gang,

Solar activity has been up the last couple days.  The 10.7 cm solar flux 
has been running above 160, which is quite high.  There were a pair of 
X-class X-ray flares yesterday.

If you were on the higher HF bands today, you may have heard a large 
radio noise burst.  It lasted about 2 minutes and happened about 2055 
UT, 5 minutes before 4 PM local time.  I was on 17 m at the time and the 
noise burst covered up the signals on the band.  I could hear the 
signals again as the noise subsided.  If you were on 17, 15, 12, or 10 
at that time, you should have heard it too.  It may also have been heard 
on 20 m, but I'm not sure.  The reason it might not have been heard on 
20 m as 20 m may have been too low in frequency to penetrate the 
ionosphere.  It might also have been heard on 6m and up if you were 
listening their and had your antenna pointed more or less near the sun.  
You should be able to hear it in either a CW or an SSB bandwidth.

There may be more flares and radio noise bursts over the next few days.

By the way, 17 m has been very good the last few days with several 
Russian stations on CW (weak, but workable) from early afternoon until 
after sunset.  A couple nights ago there were a couple Middle East 
stations on also, one being 4X6...  The band has also had numerous 
eastern and western European stations.  One of the Russian stations I 
worked today was someone I had worked in 1980.  Its always fun to talk 
to someone you've worked years ago!

I would be interested if any one else was on this afternoon and heard 
the noise burst.  I did hear N9NM on 17 m around 2030 UT.

73,

Kerry