AmateurRadio.com

 It's nice we are in the upswing regarding our solar cycle but along with that comes an active sun both in a good way and not so good way.  This weekend is the running of the WAE CW contest and well the solar flux index is off the scale at 306 the sun had a few hiccups over the past few days in the way of solar flares directed toward Earth. The flares tossed out some juice (ionizing radiation) toward us and more specifically right into our ionosphere layer D! We now have a D layer that has become a suction cup for HF radio signals. How does all this translate into a CW contest you ask.....well I'm calling "CQ contest"  and no one comes back to you. When someone does come back to me due to this peculating of the ionosphere at one point they are S8 and then gone! But I can say the solar gods are fair about things in that conditions are like this all over. No sense getting upset about it as this is all part of the solar puzzle that at times we enjoy and other times we spend time doing none ham things. While at the same time checking back in now and then to see how conditions are.