Sunspot cycle 25

Cycle 25 now looks like it has passed the peak and is on the way down according to NOAA. See their graph.  The black is actual and red is their forecast. 

Usually the up-slope to the peak is quicker than the decline to the minimum. So conditions on HF should be good for some years.

See  https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression

Sunspots on track

Latest graphs (March 2 2010) from the NOAA space weather site suggest that the smoothed sunspot number predictions are on track with a maximum of 90 forecast to occur in May 2013. This is not a high number but would still suggest excellent conditions on 15,12 and 10m from later this year until 2015. If you have not experienced 10m when wide, wide open then you are in for a nice surprise: dust off your QRP rig, put up a 16 foot long dipole and work the entire world!  Better HF conditions are already here and they will only get better still as the year progresses.

Latest sunspot predictions

The recent upsurge in sunspots has been a good sign that we are now strongly on the upward curve of cycle 24 at last: most days there are spots and the solar flux levels are climbing. However, this is in line with NOAA predictions and their latest table of expected sunspot numbers is unchanged, I think, with a peak smoothed sunspot number of 90 expected in  May 2013.

Latest sunspot predictions (from NOAA)

The very latest table of predicted sunspot numbers for cycle 24 have just been published on the NOAA website. They show a peak of 90 (+/-10) in May 2013. According to the table, the sunspot count will have risen to 45 by this time next year, so we should be assured of some regular USA contacts on 10m next autumn.

New (lower) sunspot peak predicted

NOAA has just a few minutes ago (1600z May 8th) released a new sunspot prediction with a peak of just 90 and much later than forecast before (now in 2013).

See http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/

Maybe I'll have to give 10GHz rainscatter a go after all...