That's how I think of it, anyway ..... right up there with BBQs, lemonade, ice cold beer, pretzels, watermelon, ice cream and swimming pools ..... The 2018 Flight of the Bumblebees has been announced!  Thanks to Rich Fisher for putting this on from year to year, this event, along with QRP To The Field has gotten me "into" portable QRP operations more than anything else.



OK, so maybe I'm an Amateur Radio and QRP nerd, but what is more sublime than sitting somewhere in a nice shady spot on a hot summer day, making contact after contact with QRP friends around the USA and the rest of the world? The breeze in your face, the Bumblebees buzzing, the bands hooping with CW?

That's right ....... nothing!

This year, the last Sunday in July falls on July 29th and the contest runs from 1700 to 2100 UTC. So grab your radio, a hunka wire and make like a bee and get out to the field and pollinate those frequency bands! Get out of that musty ol' shack and enjoy the beautiful weather and sunshine. These are the things I dream about while I'm shoveling the pile of frozen over, rock hard slush that the snow plow leaves at the end of my driveway after every big snowfall.

For the rules, please go to http://arsqrp.blogspot.com/

For the roster, please go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OzR8FvgVX9J2U0BsjPPg7uzqbuv4C93IAmf7hr8_5GY/edit#gid=0

72 de Larry W2LJ - Bumblebee # 12
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Here is this week’s space weather and geophysical report, issued 2018 Jul 09 0254 UTC.

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 02 – 08 July 2018

Solar activity was very low levels through most of the reporting period. However, on 06 Jul, A C1 flare was observed at 06/2007 UTC from an area of enhanced flux, as observed in STEREO AHEAD 195 imagery, from around the E. limb. The area later rotated onto the visible disk as spotless plage. Several DSFs were observed on 05 Jul from the NE quadrant, though none were thought to have produced Earth-directed CMEs.

A coronal dimming in the SW quadrant was observed in SDO/AIA 193, around 04/2325 UTC, which was followed by an observation of a slow-moving CME first observed in STEREO AHEAD COR2 imagery beginning around 04/0324 UTC. No clear signature was observed in SOHO LASCO C2 or C3 imagery. Modeling of the event suggested the possibility of an Earth-directed component becoming geoeffective sometime after 09 Jul.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at moderate to high levels on 02-04 Jul and decreased to normal to moderate levels on 05-08 Jul.

Geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels. Quiet conditions were observed from 02-04 Jul. A SSBC on 05 Jul increased total magnetic field strength to 12 nT and solar wind speeds to around 450 km/s. The field response increased from quiet to an isolated period of G1 (Minor) storm levels. Wind speeds continued between 400-525 km/s for the remainder of the reporting period; however, only quiet conditions were observed after 06/0300 UTC.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 09 July – 04 August 2018

Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels throughout the outlook period.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to range from normal to high levels. Normal to moderate levels are expected from 09-20 Jul and 01-04 Aug; moderate to high levels are expected from 21-31 Jul. All enhancements in electron flux are anticipated in response to recurrent CH HSSs.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to range from quiet to G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels. A slow-moving CME, first observed early on 05 Jul, is forecast to cause active levels on 09 Jul and unsettled levels on 10 Jul. Influences from multiple, recurrent, CH HSSs are expected to increase geomagnetic activity to unsettled levels on 16 Jul, 21 Jul and 24 Jul; active levels are likely on 15 Jul, 20 Jul, 22 Jul; G1 (Minor) storm levels are likely on 23 Jul. The remainder of the forecast period is expected to produce quiet levels under nominal solar wind conditions.

Don’t forget to visit our live space weather and radio propagation web site, at: http://SunSpotWatch.com/

Live Aurora mapping is at http://aurora.sunspotwatch.com/

If you are on Twitter, please follow these two users: 1. https://Twitter.com/NW7US 2. https://Twitter.com/hfradiospacewx

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

Be sure to subscribe to our space weather and propagation email group, on Groups.io

https://groups.io/g/propagation-and-space-weather

Spread the word!

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

Links of interest:

+ Amazon space weather books: http://g.nw7us.us/fbssw-aSWSC
+ https://Twitter.com/NW7US
+ https://Twitter.com/hfradiospacewx

Space Weather and Ham Radio YouTube Channel News:

I am working on launching a YouTube channel overhaul, that includes series of videos about space weather, radio signal propagation, and more.

Additionally, I am working on improving the educational efforts via the email, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, and other activities.

You can help!

Please consider becoming a Patron of these space weather and radio communications services, beginning with the YouTube channel:

https://www.patreon.com/NW7US

The YouTube channel:
https://YouTube.com/NW7US

..

Visit, subscribe: NW7US Radio Communications and Propagation YouTube Channel

At times it did not go as anticipated

The fun begins

All I can say is the adventure continues..........my first stop on this journey is going well beyond the left/right mouse clicking, seeing messages on the PC that say "are you sure you want to save these changes" and finally finding out the hard way that I should never had saved the changes!! The best way I can explain this part of the adventure is.......when I am building  Ikea furniture and at one point things are just not fitting together. You find the reason is because 10 or so steps prevues you either  forgot a part, placed it in backwards or put the wrong part on. To correct this you have to disassemble to 10 steps back and correct the issue. With the PC it's easy to see things are not working as they should or as they used to be BUT ITS THE GETTING BACK PART!!
At this point (don't get me wrong I'm still having a blast) I am learning about all about static IP address, Dynamic IP address, just plan old IP address and finally Subnet mask. Oh and believe me I never knew how fast things can go wrong if your not really sure about these settings and the numbers you place in set empty spaces.

The numbers game begins

Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

In this episode, Martin M1MRB is joined by Martin Rothwell M0SGL, Matthew Nassau M0NJX and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief and this episode’s feature Network Radio.

• Building an RF Direction Finding Robot

   

• HF Managers Handbook V9.0

• Crickets, Frogs and Ham Radio

• Understanding Need to Reduce Electronic Waste

• Free UK Online Training Course

• British Inland Waterways on the Air 2018

• EURAO Frequency Guide

• Upcoming World Radiosport Team Championship

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

Amateur Radio Weekly is curated by Cale Mooth K4HCK. Sign up free to receive ham radio's most relevant news, projects, technology and events by e-mail each week at http://www.hamweekly.com.

Welcome to the weekend! In this episode of Linux in the Ham Shack, your hosts discuss good food, good fun, good friends and some wonderful things to do and try on the next couple of weekends. Thank you so much for tuning in and we hope you're enjoying our show. Please leave us feedback and tell us how we're doing.

Cheers and 73 de The LHS Crew

Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].

Hello! Welcome to the latest installment of Linux in the Ham Shack, Episode 233. In this episode, the hosts discuss the World Radio Sport Team Challenge, making a difference through the ARRL, the Reverse Beacon Network, FT-8, two new Linux Mint releases, SUSE and OpenSUSE. There's also a return to the good ol' days of GitHub diving. Thanks as always for listening.

73 de The LHS Crew

Russ Woodman, K5TUX, co-hosts the Linux in the Ham Shack podcast which is available for download in both MP3 and OGG audio format. Contact him at [email protected].