Good morning from N5XBI on Thursday, October 15. The bands should be calmer today after an unsettled start to the week. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said in its October 14 discussion that solar activity stayed low, with departing Region 4549 producing C-class flares as large as C4.2 and C6.9, growing Region 4551 producing only low-level C-class activity, and newly numbered Region 4558 unremarkable. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections were observed. SWPC expects low activity through October 16 with only a slight chance of an M-class flare, mainly from Region 4551. Solar wind from a coronal hole high-speed stream was running 550 to 600 km/s, and its effects are expected to persist but diminish through October 15 and 16, with no G1 or greater storms expected and a maximum Kp of 3.33 forecast for today.
The big story arrives Friday with Jamboree-on-the-Air and Jamboree-on-the-Internet, running October 16 through 18. JOTA-JOTI is described by Scouting organizations as the world's largest Scouting event, bringing together more than two million Scouts and Guides in more than 175 countries, and this year's theme is a peaceful and inclusive world. Licensed operators will supervise young people on HF, VHF, UHF and satellites all weekend, so listen for Scout stations and give them a friendly contact. One to watch is S21HRG in Tetulia, in northern Bangladesh, activated October 16 through 20 for JOTA-JOTI. DX-World reports the station will introduce about 100 non-licensed Rover Scouts to amateur radio and operate on 80 through 10 meters with SSB, FT8 and CW, plus VHF, UHF and satellite repeaters.
Two major gatherings share the same weekend. Pacificon, the ARRL Pacific Division convention, runs October 16 through 18 at the San Ramon Marriott in San Ramon, California. ARRL highlights the W1AW/6 special event station, a Saturday 1 PM youth rally for ages 11 to 21, a Sunday 1 PM membership forum, and sessions with instructor Gordon West, WB6NOA. Across the country, Hamfest Chattanooga runs October 16 and 17 at the Catoosa County Colonnade in Ringgold, Georgia. Organizers list hours of noon to 7 PM Eastern on Friday and 8 AM to 3 PM on Saturday, with vendors, forums, a flea market, FCC testing and free parking.
Contesters and DXers will be busy once the weekend starts. The WA7BNM calendar lists the JARL WW RTTY Contest from Friday evening through Sunday, the New York QSO Party on Saturday, the Illinois QSO Party on Sunday, and the Stew Perry Topband Challenge and Worked All Germany Contest spanning Saturday into Sunday, plus a 902 MHz and Up Fall Sprint on Saturday. For DX, S9R from Sao Tome and Principe is scheduled October 17 through 31 from Tamarindos, operating 160 through 6 meters including 60 meters on CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. JD1BQP from Ogasawara is also planned to begin October 17, while 3DA0GY in Eswatini was planned to begin today on 40 through 10 meters on CW and SSB, and FW1P on Wallis and Futuna runs through October 17.
Finally, a regulatory reminder now less than a week away. ARRL is tracking two federal RF exposure inquiries opened September 17. Comments on the Department of Health and Human Services request for information are due October 21, and comments on the narrower FCC issues remanded by a federal appeals court in 2021 are due October 22. Neither inquiry changes the current RF exposure rules for amateurs today, but both could shape later proceedings. With quieter propagation, a Scout weekend, two big gatherings and S9R coming, check antennas and batteries today and be ready for the weekend.