[digitalradio] Of some interest to the group

[w3bi2]

Sun Makes History: First Spotless Month in a Century





The record-setting surface of the sun
 . A full month has gone by without a single
spot  (Source: Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO))
Sunspot activity of the past decade. Over the past year, SIDC has
continually revised its predictions downward  (Source: Solar Influences
Data Center)
Geomagnetic solar activity for the past two decades. The recent drop
corresponds to the decline in sunspots.  (Source: Anthony Watts)
A chart of sunspot activity showing two prior solar minima, along with
heightened activity during the 20th century  (Source: Wikimedia
Commons)Drop in solar activity has potential effect for climate on
earth.


The sun has reached a milestone not seen for nearly 100 years: an entire
month has passed without a single visible sunspot being noted.

The event is significant as many climatologists now believe
  solar magnetic activity – which
determines the number of sunspots -- is an influencing factor for
climate on earth.

According to data   from
Mount Wilson Observatory, UCLA, more than an entire month has passed
without a spot. The last time such an event occurred was June of 1913.
Sunspot data
  has been collected since 1749.

When the sun is active, it's not uncommon to see sunspot numbers of 100
or more in a single month.  Every 11 years, activity slows, and numbers
briefly drop to near-zero.   Normally sunspots return very quickly, as a
new cycle begins.

But this year -- which corresponds to the start of Solar Cycle 24 -- has
been extraordinarily long and quiet, with the first seven months
averaging a sunspot number of only 3. August followed with none at all.
The astonishing rapid drop of the past year has defied predictions, and
caught nearly all astronomers by surprise.

In 2005, a pair of astronomers from the National Solar Observatory (NSO)
in Tucson attempted to publish a paper in the journal Science. The pair
looked at minute spectroscopic and magnetic changes in the sun. By
extrapolating forward, they reached the startling result that, within 10
years, sunspots would vanish entirely. At the time, the sun was very
active. Most of their peers laughed at what they considered an
unsubstantiated conclusion.

The journal ultimately rejected the paper as being too controversial.

The paper's lead author, William Livingston, tells DailyTech that, while
the refusal may have been justified at the time, recent data fits his
theory well. He says he will be "secretly pleased" if his predictions
come to pass.

But will the rest of us? In the past 1000 years, three previous such
events -- the Dalton, Maunder, and Spörer Minimums, have all led to
rapid cooling. One was large enough to be called a "mini ice age". For a
society dependent on agriculture, cold is more damaging than heat. The
growing season shortens, yields drop, and the occurrence of
crop-destroying frosts increases.

Meteorologist Anthony Watts, who runs a climate data auditing site,
tells DailyTech the sunspot numbers are another indication the "sun's
dynamo" is idling. According to Watts, the effect of sunspots on TSI
(total solar irradiance) is negligible, but the reduction in the solar
magnetosphere affects cloud formation here on Earth, which in turn
modulates climate.

This theory was originally proposed by physicist Henrik Svensmark, who
has published a number of scientific papers on the subject. Last year
Svensmark's "SKY" experiment claimed to have proven that galactic cosmic
rays -- which the sun's magnetic field partially shields the Earth from
-- increase the formation of molecular clusters that promote cloud
growth. Svensmark, who recently published a book
  on the theory,
says the relationship is a larger factor
  in climate change than greenhouse gases.

Solar physicist Ilya Usoskin of the University
  of Oulu, Finland, tells DailyTech the
correlation between cosmic rays and terrestrial cloud cover is more
complex than "more rays equals more clouds". Usoskin, who notes the sun
has been more active since 1940 than at any point in the past 11
centuries, says the effects are most important at certain latitudes and
altitudes which control climate. He says the relationship needs more
study before we can und

[digitalradio] Re: CW - last resort?

[w3bi2]

BRAVO!!!  BZ to NAVMARCORMARS!!!
Commenting late because of computer outage.

Rick W3BI/NNN0GKF

--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Sholto Fisher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Here's some food for thought for digimode only ops.
> 
> DE NNN0ASA ZUJ CMB06-08:
> RR NOALL
> DE NNN0ASA 050
> R 292200Z MAY 2008
> FM CHNAVMARCORMARS WILLIAMSBURG VA
> TO ALNAVMARCORMARS
> INFO ZEN/CHIEF ARMY MARS FT HUACHUCA AZ
> ZEN/CHIEF AIR FORCE MARS SCOTT AFB IL
> BT
> UNCLAS
> SUBJ: CHNAVMARCORMARS BCST 06-08
> A. DRAFT RADIOTELEGRAPH PROCEDURES
Snip

[digitalradio] Re: Overheating PC?

[w3bi2]

Maybe the fan in the power supply...they are most fragile
Rick W3BI

--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "Andrew O'Brien" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> Please excuse the not-directly ham related issue.  A PC I have used
> for 2 years without issues is suddenly closing down due to
> overheating.  At quick glance the CPU fan appears to be working but
> will run temp tests.  Any other suggestions if not CPU fan?
> 
> 
> -- 
> Andy K3UK
> www.obriensweb.com
> (QSL via N2RJ)
>

[digitalradio] Forthcoming

[w3bi2]

Velchip signs three major partnership deals to advance the world's 
biggest broadband powerline project

Velchip Sdn Bhd has formalised three major partnership arrangements 
in Kuala Lumpur to advance its major broadband powerline (BPL) 
project for 60 million users in Indonesia. 


AvantiKumar 

Updated: Mar 28, 2008 10:45 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 MARCH 2008 - Broadband over Powerline (BPL) provider 
Velchip Sdn Bhd has formalised three major partnerships to advance 
the world's biggest BPL project that was announced earlier this month.

Representatives of Velchip's holding company, Masers International– 
Rahman and company president Wan Sarkawi Tuanku Jaapar Al-Yahya  --   
signed three main agreements in Kuala Lumpur, to be later witnessed 
by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Ahmad Badawi.

Badawi was reported to applaud the Malaysian company's efforts to 
enhance economic growth and Internet literacy in developing countries 
as well as improve bilateral ties between Malaysia and Indonesia.

The first agreement was with investment firm Sarz Al Yahya 
Corporation, which will inject project financing of US$14 billion.

Secondly, the company signed with US-based satellite infrastructure 
provider STM Networks Inc. who will use five satellites to provide 
communications services.

Thirdly, a 100-year agreement was exchanged with Nadhlatul Ulama 
Indonesia and Manhad Islam Hadhari, the Indonesian clients 
responsible for the network of mosques that will be converted during 
the BPL project.

According to the company's chief executive officer Suhaimi Abdul 
Rahman, the US$14 billion "Smart Mosque" project will be rolled out 
over three years in Indonesia and will link together 400,000 mosques 
and serve 60 million users.

"This project will offer 60 million users unlimited high speed 
Internet connection of 224Mbps (megabits per second) at a cost of 
only around RM5 (US$1.58) per user per month, which is the fastest 
and cheapest in the world," he said. 

BPL modems use existing electrical power lines to deliver high speed 
Internet access and data transmission.

Velchip is a Pinnacle worldwide partner of the upcoming World 
Congress on Information Technology (www.wcit2008.org), to be held in 
Kuala Lumpur in May this year. Computerworld Malaysia is the official 
IT media for the WCIT.