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Have you ever wondered why your signals travel effortlessly halfway around the world, only to be met with complete radio silence on other days? The answer lies in a gigantic dynamo 150 million kilometers away: our Sun.
For us, the Sun is far more than just a fascinating star. Through its high-energy radiation, it ionizes the upper layers of our atmosphere and transforms the ionosphere into a gigantic mirror for our radio waves. But this system is in a state of constant change, shaped by fascinating cycles and immense forces. From the daily cycle of day and night to seasonal phenomena such as sporadic-E propagation in the summer, all the way to the major 11-year sunspot cycle, solar activity has a decisive influence on our hobby.
Massive solar flares and coronal mass ejections hurl immense amounts of energy into space. What for us means, at best, breathtaking auroras and fascinating VHF reflections off the aurora can, at worst, lead to total radio blackouts on the Earth’s day side or even affect global satellite systems and power grids.
We’ve explained the background of these phenomena in a way that’s easy for you to understand.
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