DX
DX related news item
Those closely following developments will know that two new sunspot groups, 1050 and 1051 appeared in the last week of February resulting in 38 days to date of continuous sunspots.
The sub-band 505-515 kHz just below the AM broadcast band is available to New Zealand radio amateurs from 1 March on a temporary basis until further notice.
In stark contrast with 2009 which had 70% of days without sunspots, this year although early has only had about four per cent of days without sunspots.
Spaceweather http://spaceweather.com reports a big sunspot or group, known at 1045, has produced three M-class and about a dozen C-class solar flares since it appeared on Saturday 6 February.
VHF, UHF and Microwave DX enthusiasts are hoping for good propagation as they begin to listen for the ambitious VK9NA DXpedition to Norfolk Island.
The 22nd Australian National Scout Jamboree 3-13 January at the Cataract Scout Park 85km south-west of Sydney will have special event station special event station VI2AJ2010 on air.
Astronomers are fairly confident that 2010 will be an improvement on the two years in terms of sunspot activity.
The ambitious VK Microwave Group DXpedition to Norfolk Island (OC-005) (RG30xx) now has the three member team madly finishing its packing and double checking its list to ensure nothing is missed.
Until July radio amateur and weatherman David Burton VK4ABD now VK9WBM can be expected mainly on the 40m band from Willis Island in the Coral Sea off the north-east coast of Australia.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has decided to discontinue the use of a VK9 callsign suffix letter to denote each of the six Australian external territories, each a DX entity.