media reports on flare

[ku4a]

Am hearing reports in the media that the third-largest solar flare ever recorded occurred at 1100Z today.

[Laggard]

Magnitude X17.2

[NW7US]

Am hearing reports in the media that the third-largest solar flare ever recorded occurred at 1100Z today.

See my other posting ( http://hfradio.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=75 ) regarding this current flare. It certainly is a large one! As Laggard has reported, it was an X17.2-level flare.

[ku4a]

I am in the office, but have been watching the DX cluster all day. The last four K-indexes have been 9, 7, 6, 7 going back to 0900Z. HF DX seemed to be fairly good up until about 1900Z or so, then the bottom dropped out. VHF aurora QSOs began to be reported even before 1900Z, and are coming rapidly now. I've seen reports at 50, 144 and 222 MHz. A six-meter beacon in Bermuda is being heard by many stations.

[NW7US]

I am in the office, but have been watching the DX cluster all day. The last four K-indexes have been 9, 7, 6, 7 going back to 0900Z. HF DX seemed to be fairly good up until about 1900Z or so, then the bottom dropped out. VHF aurora QSOs began to be reported even before 1900Z, and are coming rapidly now. I've seen reports at 50, 144 and 222 MHz. A six-meter beacon in Bermuda is being heard by many stations.

Yeah, truly a rough day for HF. But possibly great for VHF and above. Aurora could very well be seen again tonight here in the United States. The IMF continues to stay negative (that Bz thing, which I will post something about, soon).

At least an X10 or X11 class flare just occurred, peaking at 2049Z 29-X-2003, adding to the already dead HF conditions due to the CME passage and the Kp >= 7. This one is a short-lived flare. Quick recovery is expected. I don't know, yet, what CME might be associated, if any. Details, soon.

[ku4a]

> But possibly great for VHF and above

I don't think there is any "possibly" about it . "IS" is the correct word there .