Last weekend saw HF shine as stations took part in CQ Worldwide SSB. Geomagnetic conditions remained settled and DX was aplenty, with contacts possible as far afield as Alaska to the west and China to the east.

Given the unsettled conditions we have had recently, it was a welcome break as radio amateurs filled their logs with far-flung DX.

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As we enter November, we can still expect the fine Autumnal conditions that made October so good, but as the month progresses, we can also anticipate improvements in LF band DX. So keep an eye on 40 and 80 metres.

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The solar flux index has declined somewhat and is now standing at 118. This is still enough to get 10 metres humming, but it is a far cry from the 200-plus we saw at sunspot maximum. Nevertheless, get on the bands and work the DX while you can.

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Two large coronal holes, one in the Sun’s northern hemisphere and one in the south, have been the sources of a fast solar wind stream, and we may expect more geomagnetic disturbances this weekend.

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Also, active region 4246 is now coming around the Sun’s limb again and could be worth keeping an eye on. It has been emitting solar flares while behind the Sun, so look out for more activity upon its return.

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Next week NOAA predicts that the SFI could increase, perhaps starting the week at around 135 and increasing to 150 by the ninth.

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The first half of the week should be quiet geomagnetically, but we may expect more unsettled geomagnetic conditions around the seventh to the ninth, when the Kp index could increase to five. Expect maximum usable frequencies to be depressed until the Kp index recovers.

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