[Milsurplus] WW2 sunspot cycle

[aGEnuine Ham]

Group:

There is no need to speculate, guess, estimate and be completely wrong
about the sunspot cycle peak, it was 1947.  In spite of the many
confirmed examples of long distance HF propagation during the latter war
years, the running sunspot number varied from a low of 8 in Jan. 1944 to
39 in Aug. 1945.  Cycle 18 peaked at 152 in May and June 1947, and
remained above 130 until Aug. 1949.  They sure don't make 'em like that
anymore.  

The decline of cycle #17 in Dec. 1941 put that month's count at 48 and
dropping, a number which it did not reach again until August, 1945.  So,
the count was below 50 for the whole war period.  The monthly sunspot
number for 1749 through 1993 can be found on pages 2-14 to 2-18 of "The
New Shortwave Propagation Handbook" by Jacobs, Cohen and Rose; CQ
Communications, 1995.

Much of the anecdotal propagation information has undoubtedly been
embellished with the passage of 60 years, so it is difficult to separate
the fact from fiction.  However, there always was sporadic E, as well as
the as then unnamed transequatorial ducting.  Having no QRM helped, also.
 A lot.

W5VPQ

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