Club Program Ideas -- Sunspots and Propagation

In this series on Club Program ideas, I’m providing possible programs for clubs to use in their meetings. You can find a full explanation of the approach in Club Programs – The Series.Today’s program idea: Sunspots and Propagation.We're in a new 11-year sunspot cycle and that's exciting for a huge group of hams. But some in the club won't understand the significance of the change in the sun and how it relates to the bands. Many people can't remember what 10-meters was all about. And what do the numbers mean for opening a band?Propagation gets lost in translation. A good club program on sunspots and effect on propagation is a solid idea.Possible format:

• Definition of the sunspot number
• Definition of solar flux and relationship to the sunspot number
• Definition of the A and K index
• Equating solar flux to opening of a band. For example, a solar flux of 100 or more means 10-meters should open.
• What happens to propagation when the A and K index goes too high

Bonus idea: software programs that use these numbers to predict propagation to different parts of the world.Sunspots are our friend. Time to get to know them a little better.Scot, K9JY