A juried research paper in Nature, “Oscillations of the baseline of solar magnetic field and solar irradiance on a millennial timescale,” suggests that a “grand solar minimum” — similar to the legendary “Maunder Minimum” — is approaching, starting as early as next year and lasting for three solar cycles. That would be bad news for HF enthusiasts, who are already struggling with marginal conditions.
As the paper’s abstract explains, “Recently discovered long-term oscillations of the solar background magnetic field associated with double dynamo waves generated in inner and outer layers of the Sun indicate that the solar activity is heading in the next three decades (2019–2055) to a Modern grand minimum similar to Maunder one.”
As propagation buff and contester Frank Donovan, W3LPL, observed, “It’s very uncertain if this forecast is correct, but as usual the forecasts of the next solar cycle are all over the map. Let’s hope these scientists are wrong.”
Source:ARRL
Recent Posts
Soundcards and the SignaLink USB
Soundcards and the SignaLink USB Read more
All about Multimeters – Ham Radio Q&A
All about Multimeters – Ham Radio Q&A Read more
The Humble Barrel Connector
The Humble Barrel Connector Read more
Weird Ham Radios: Manpack Backpack HYS TG-G25W
SPECIFICATION:Built-in 6A Li-ion battery for 10W radio12A Li-ion battery for 25W radioRadioator FanMini size:210*152*44mmFrequency Range: 136-174/400-... Read more
2021 Hamvention Award Nominations Open on November 1
Nominations for the 2021 Hamvention Awards will open on November 1. Hamvention will grant awards in the categories of technical achievement,... Read more
Soundcards and the SignaLink USB
Soundcards and the SignaLink USB Read more
CQ WW Contest SSB 2020
The CQ WW is the largest Amateur Radio competition in the world. Over 35,000 participants take to the airwaves on the last weekend of October (SSB) an... Read more
IC-705 vs KX3 vs X5105 vs G90 – QRP Ham Radio Comparison
IC-705 vs KX3 vs X5105 vs G90 – QRP Ham Radio Comparison Read more
Robert Bankston, KE4AL, is New AMSAT President
Robert Bankston, KE4AL, of Dothan, Alabama, is the new president of AMSAT. The AMSAT Board of Directors elected Bankston at its annual meeting on Octo... Read more
ARRL Logbook of The World Harmonizes Designation of FST4 Protocol
The Logbook of The World (LoTW) Committee worked with WSJT-X developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, to harmonize the designation of FST4 among WSJT-X, the ADIF s... Read more
Ham Fair 2021
Regarding this year’s Ham Fair 2020, we have unavoidably canceled the prevention of the spread of the new coronavirus infection and ensuring th... Read more
A Spectacular Solar Flare Fire Plume & New Bright Regions
A Spectacular Solar Flare Fire Plume & New Bright Regions Read more
YL Raisa introduces how to spell Russian Callsigns during a QSO
YL Raisa introduces how to spell Russian Callsigns during a QSO Read more
The Most Advanced DMR & 4G LTE Radio – RFinder B1
The Most Advanced DMR & 4G LTE Radio – RFinder B1 The RFinder B1 is the most advanced Dual Band (VHF/UHF) DMR Transceiver combined with an e... Read more
Getting Started On Ham Radio Satellites With Sean KX9X
Getting Started On Ham Radio Satellites With Sean KX9X Read more
Gqrx 2.13 is out!
Gqrx SDR 2.13 argilo released this 15 hours ago Stereo option for UDP streaming. Script to generate AppImage. Allow scroll wheel direction to be inve... Read more
Florida ARES Group Publishes After-Action Book
A new paperback aimed at the Amateur Radio Emergency Service Community, Power Out! After-Action Report and Improvement Plan by Susan Halbert, KG4VWI;... Read more
Power Line Noise On Your Ham Radio? How To Find AND Get it Fixed
Power Line Noise On Your Ham Radio? How To Find AND Get it Fixed Read more
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Sunspots returned on October 9 – 12, with sunspot numbers of 24, 26, 15 and 15. No sunspot appeared on October 13, b... Read more
Now Open! The 15th Annual ARRL Online Auction
The 15th Annual ARRL Online Auction is now open for registration and bidding. The 2020 ARRL Online Auction includes a large assortment of QST “Product... Read more
Jamboree on the Air Takes Place this Weekend
Scouting’s Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) and concurrent Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) will be held Friday, October 16, through Sunday, October 18. A ne... Read more
NanoVNA V2 Plus4
4GHz second generation NanoVNA vector network analyzer, our own design. The V2 Plus4 is the latest hardware version with 4″ display, aluminum ca... Read more
AB1OC Wins the October 2020 QST Cover Plaque Award
The winning article for the October 2020 QST Cover Plaque award is “Ham Bootcamp: Getting Hams On the Air” by Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC. The... Read more
ARRL Comments in Orbital Debris Mitigation Proceeding
In comments to the FCC, ARRL targeted two specific areas of concern regarding a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) in IB Docket 1... Read more
2021 Edition of The ARRL Handbook and New Microcontroller Projects Book Available
It’s here! The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications for 2021 — your complete guide to radio experimentation, discovery, and innovation — n... Read more
Multiple Balloons Carrying Ham Radio Payloads Launched
Eleven schools across the US launched helium-filled balloons carrying amateur radio payloads on October 9. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum live-s... Read more
IARU Administrative Council Addresses Wide-Ranging Agenda in Virtual Meeting
The International Amateur Radio Union Administrative Council (AC) met in a virtual session on October 8 – 10. Consisting of the three IARU internation... Read more
Amateur Radio Special Joint Activation
Amateur Radio Special Joint Activation In celebration of the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement Between the UAE and the State of Israel. Activation will... Read more
Icom IC-705 Unboxing and Menu Demo – HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver
Icom IC-705 Unboxing and Menu Demo – HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver Read more
Contact between Japanese ham radio experience stations
What is believed to be the Japan’s first contact between two unlicensed people using amateur radio took place on October 11 between Experience S... Read more
Best Ham Radios To Buy When Starting Out. VHF/UHF/HF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSF-q_qaqqg Read more
Sale of amateur radio AMPRnet TCP/IP addresses raised $108 million
The President of Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) has announced they received $108 million from Amazon for 4 million amateur radio TCP/IP a... Read more
The K7RA Solar Update
Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Geomagnetic activity quieted down over the October 1 – 7 reporting week. Compared to the previous 7 days, average da... Read more
FCC Orders Amateur Access to 3.5 GHz Band to “Sunset”
Despite vigorous and continuing opposition from ARRL and others, the FCC has ordered the “sunsetting” of the 3.3 – 3.5-GHz amateur radio secondary spe... Read more
Small Garden Vertical HF Antenna Installation
Vertical HF Antenna Installation Read more
The Xeigu G90 QRP Transceiver on CW
The Xeigu G90 QRP Transceiver on CW Read more
Solar Physicist Predicts a Slightly Better Solar Cycle 25
Solar physicist Leif Svalgaard of the W.W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory at Stanford University has predicted a maximum sunspot number of 128... Read more
British Columbia Radio Amateur Hears Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
According to a Spaceweather.com report, Scott Tilley, VE7TIL, in British Columbia, Canada, received a signal from the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter... Read more
Hurricane Delta Prompts Activations of Hurricane Watch Net, WX4NHC, SATERN
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN), WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center (NHC), and The Salvation Army’s SATERN have announced activations for Hurricane... Read more