Ham On A Bike

  Many years ago the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. eliminated their logging requirements for Amateur Radio. Most of us continue to keep logging records for Awards.   For me record keeping has always been an integral part of my ham radio activities.  When I began my Commercial Radio Broadcast career in my late teens, I was blessed to have a Program Director, Broadcast Engineer, Traffic, Business and General Manager that stressed the importance of Record Keeping. To that end it has continually been a part of my life and is basically second nature. Recently I had an occasion where that Record Keeping came into play.  For the last couple of years in late July to late August, I've worked my Sunrise grayline HF propagation from Kentucky USA into JA, VK and ZL lands. Thanks to my record keeping I have a history of knowing there is an excellent probability of making contacts in the Japan and the South Pacific during this window. Additionally I ...

  (Disclaimer) I do not claim to be knowledgeable in Space Weather (forecasting).  I consider myself a Space Weather enthusiast. The sun shines bright in my old Kentucky home as it does over most of the earth during Solar Cycle 25.  For several weeks now it seems no matter what region of the Sun is facing Earth, the Sun is having a hissy fit with solar flares, solar storms, CMEs and radio blackouts.  How has Solar Cycle 25 affected, if any your Amateur Radio operating? In anticipation of Solar Cycle25, during the Pandemic shutdown I delved  into areas of Amateur Radio that I was familiar with but wanted to expand my knowledge.  One area is Space Weather and the effects the sun has on Amateur Radio operating.    During the shutdown, I  probed the far reaches of the internet searching for any content, instructions, courses, papers, blogs, social media posts and videos for information on space weather.  I knew a little about how the su...