Solar cycle 24 has begun.

The first radio blackouts are already occurring following a recent solar flare – the first in the new solar cycle….Sadly, this may spell the end of the glorious conditions experienced on 160 meters.

These kind of conditions may never repeat themselves in my life time.

A solar flare may cause enhanced conditions for stations outside the Auroral Zone.   For stations in Iceland, a solar flare invariably causes exteme attenuation of signals.

Iceland is affected by Auroral conditions approximately 250 days a year.    In comparison, England is affected by Aurora 5 days a year.

The attenuation by the Aurora varies from band to band,  160 meters are most seriously affected and the attenuation  can be in the neighborhood of 130 dB.

This corresponds to a power factor of 10 billion times.   Obviously, increasing power is not an option.

This is why I ask my visitors bring a bottle of something nice.   So, in case we have Aurora, we can watch the Aurora in the sky and drink from the bottle.

Since 160 meters are effectively dead today, I printed out QSL cards for all new band/mode contacts made in 2009 – approximately 4,000 QSOs.

The card stock will be cut next time I go to Reykjavik and delivered to the TF Bureau.