As a service to new hams, we’ve compiled a few resources to give you a better basic understanding of the sun and the role it plays in enabling you to fill your logbooks.
The ElectronicsNotes website provides a good explanation in the article “The Sun: Its Structure & Impact on Radio Propagation.” It notes that in terms of radio communication, the sun “is the source of radiation that gives rise to the ionosphere” and is “of great importance for HF ionospheric radio propagation.”
The article explains that solar radiation travels to the Earth, causing the upper portions of the atmosphere to become ionized. The absorption of the radiation provides protection from harmful elements of this radiation while also forming the ionosphere. The ionosphere refracts radio signals, particularly in the MF and HF portions of the radio spectrum, making global radio communications possible. As the levels of radiation change throughout a day, so do different regions in the ionosphere change.
We recommend reading this ARRL article from the ARRL Lab Staff. Mike Gruber, WA1SVF, assisted by Dean Straw, N6BV, answer some questions about how the sun influences the propagation of radio signals. The article provides explanations of the 11-year sunspot cycle, solar flares, coronal holes, A-Index and K-Index numbers, and much more.
Also, check out K7RA Solar Updates from the ARRL website under “Latest News.”
Have you ever heard of Dr. Tamitha Skov? She is amazing. Visit her website, spaceweatherwoman.com, for the latest space weather forecasts, details on how space weather affects us, recent issues of Space Weather Forecast News, and more. You can watch DX Engineering CEO, Tim Duffy, K3LR, interview Dr. Skov in the video below:
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Questions? Share them in the comments below or email me at KE8FMJ@gmail.com.
