Please plan to attend the Capitol Peak Repeater ANNUAL MEETING on Satuday,  February 25, 2023 at 1:00pm.

This is the only meeting we have during the year and is open to all hams. Get the latest reports and updates to the repeater. I think you will find it interesting, and you can meet the people who you talk to on the system. The meeting will take place at the South Bay Fire Department at 1:00 pm. (3506 Shincke Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506) 

There have been some major changes done to the repeater system recently. Please join us and find out what has been done, what will be done, what needs to be done and what you would like to see done.

The Repeater Group will again have two tables at the Mike and Key Swap Meet. This will take place on March 11, 2023 at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. We are asking for your donations of good used ham and electronic equipment for this event. This is the only fund raiser that we have during the year and it is very important for the repeater maintenance fund. Please clean out your ham shack and see if there is something you might be willing to donate to this worthy cause. If you have a donation, contact Don KD7AVI or bring it to the annual meeting. We are also looking for volunteers to help set up the tables on Friday March 10th and to help run the tables on the day of the event.

See you at the Annual Meeting,

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports ARRL Propagation Bulletin ARLP001 for January 5, 2023:

Two new sunspot groups emerged on December 29, 2022, one more on December 30, 2022, and another on January 1, 2023.

Solar activity was a little higher, with average daily sunspot numbers rising from 96.1 to 97, and solar flux averages rose 14 points to 157.8.

Predicted solar flux is 152 and 154 on January 5 – 6; 152 on January 7 – 8; 150, 148, and 146 on January 9 – 11; 150 on January 12 – 13; 145 on January 14; 140 on January 15 – 16; 145 on January 17 – 19; 150 and 155 on January 20 – 21; 160 on January 22 – 23; 165 on January 24 – 26; then 160, 155, 155, 158, and 155 on January 27 – 31.

Predicted planetary A index is 18, 12 and 10 on January 5 – 7; 5 on January 8 – 16; 8, 12, 25, 20, and 10 on January 17 – 21; 5 on January 22 – 24; 8, 28, 15, and 10 on January 25 – 28; 5 on January 29 – 30, and 18 on January 31 – February 1.

Article on Siberian Radioheliograph:
https://bit.ly/3vGFJVm

Sunspot numbers for December 29, 2022, through January 4, 2023, were 113, 121, 82, 94, 94, 89, and 86, with a mean of 97. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 162.8, 178.3, 164.9, 152.6, 146.4, 148.5, and 151, with a mean of 157.8. Estimated planetary A indices were 11, 31, 16, 14, 8, 7, and 21, with a mean of 15.4. Middle latitude A index was 8, 22, 10, 9, 5, 5, and 17, with a mean of 10.9.

Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@arrl.net.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted on Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…” and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.

Share your reports and observations.

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week’s ARRL Propagation Bulletin:

I am writing this, my penultimate bulletin of 2022, about seven hours after the start of Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere on Wednesday December 21, 2022, at 2147 UTC. It is very cold in Seattle, about 17 degrees Fahrenheit on the longest night of the year.

Solar activity was down a bit from the previous week, although it was one of those odd occasions when average daily sunspot numbers and solar flux changed in opposite directions.

Average daily sunspot number declined from 136.9 to 124.1, while solar flux rose from 150 to 153.8.

Geomagnetic indicators were a bit lower, with average planetary A index changing from 7.7 to 6.7, and middle latitude numbers from 6 to 5.1.

Due to missing data, I had to fudge one of the numbers (the December 16 middle latitude A index), which I pegged at 7 by eyeballing trends.

Predicted solar flux appears to reach a short-term peak of 160 on January 4 – 7, 2023. Starting December 22, 2022, the forecast shows 140 and 135 through December 23; 130 on December 24 – 25; 135 on December 26 – 28; 130, 135, and 138 on December 29 – 31; 140, 150, and 155 on January 1 – 3, 2023; 160 on January 4 – 7; 158, 156, 154, 154, and 152 on January 8 – 12; 150 on January 13 – 15; 145, 130, and 120 on January 16 – 18; 118 on January 19 – 20; and 120, 125, and 127 on January 21 – 23.

Predicted planetary A index is 12, 8, 5, 14, and 10 on December 22 – 26; 8, 5, 12, 10, and 12 on December 27 – 31; 8, 5, and 18 on January 1 – 3, 2023; 10 on January 4 – 5; 8, 10, and 6 on January 6 – 8; 5 on January 9 – 14; 12, 10, and 20 on January 15 – 17; 12, 8, 5, and 18 on January 18 – 21; and 20 on January 22 – 24.

In Friday’s bulletin look for a 6-meter report from Jon Jones, N0JK, the columnist of “The World Above 50 MHz” in QST magazine, and any other interesting observations you and others may send my way.

Sunspot numbers for December 15 through 21, 2022 were 140, 108, 139, 128, 132, 119, and 103, with a mean of 124.1. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 165.9, 163.1, 154.6, 155, 6, 152.4, 146.4, and 138.7, with a mean of 153.8. Estimated planetary A indexes were 5, 9, 3, 4, 11, 6, and 9, with a mean of 6.7. Middle latitude A index was 4, 7, 2, 2, 9, 5, and 7, with a mean of 5.1.

Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@arrl.net.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…” and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.

Share your reports and observations.

Tad Cook, K7RA, of Seattle, Washington, reports for this week’s ARRL Propagation Bulletin, ARLP050:

Heightened sunspot activity over the past week no doubt produced the great conditions during last weekend’s ARRL 10-Meter Contest.

Compared to the previous 7 days, average daily sunspot numbers jumped from 85 to 136.9, while solar flux averages increased from 137.5 to 150.

Geomagnetic indicators were lower, with planetary A index decreasing from 14.4 to 7.7, and middle latitude A index decreasing from 9.1 to 6.

Higher sunspot numbers and lower geomagnetic indicators are an ideal combination for favorable HF propagation.

New sunspots appeared every day except December 12, with one new sunspot on December 8, another on December 9, three more on December 10, another on December 13, and one more on December 14.

The latest prediction from the United States Air Force (USAF) via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows solar flux at 164, 160, 158, and 156 on December 15 – 18; 154 on December 19 – 20; 150 and 125 on December 21 – 22; 120 on December 23 – 28; 125, 130, and 135 on December 29 – 31; 145 on January 1 – 8; 140, 130, 125, and 120 on January 9 – 12, and 115 on January 13 – 18.

Predicted planetary A index is 5 on December 15 – 17; 8 on December 18 – 20; 12, 20, 15, and 12 on December 21 – 22; 20 on December 25 – 28; 12, 10, 12, 8, 5, and 18 on December 29 through January 3; 10 on January 4 – 5; 8 on January 6; 5 on January 7 – 14, and 10 on January 15 – 16.

In Friday’s bulletin we will have reports from the 10-meter contest and some 6-meter observations.

Sunspot numbers for December 8 through 14, 2022, were 115, 116, 111, 141, 142, 159, and 174, with a mean of 136.9. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 143, 149.1, 141.7, 147,7, 150.8, 153, and 164.7, with a mean of 150. Estimated planetary A indices were 11, 11, 8, 10, 6, 4, and 4, with a mean of 7.7. Middle latitude A index was 9, 9, 6, 7, 5, 3, and 3, with a mean of 6.

Send your tips, questions, or comments to k7ra@arrl.net.

A comprehensive K7RA Solar Update is posted Fridays on the ARRL website. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service, read “What the Numbers Mean…” and check out the Propagation Page of Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA.

A propagation bulletin archive is available. For customizable propagation charts, visit the VOACAP Online for Ham Radio website.

Share your reports and observations.

A few pictures provided by James KK7CLU.