Satgen 627 Sol. Not So Quiet by GM4IHJ (BID SGEN627) 2001-03-31 Discuss but never predict. Should henceforth be the policy of this column. Noting that , less than 7 days after announcing that the peak of this solar cycle had passed, solar flux rose 100 units in 6 days . Reaching a high not seen for nearly a year, and then only briefly. It is appreciated that the average is more important than the actual one day peak. We have had double peaks like this once or twice before in the last 250 years . But most solar cycles have a single peak albeit sometimes with a long near peak plateau , for some months after the actual peak. Unfortunately both of the peaks in this cycle have occured at awkward times. This present peak has arrived just as the ionosphere of the northern hemisphere changed from winter to summer . With the problem of upward expansion of the summer ionosphere and its consequent reduction in average density. While last years peak came several months into summer. Which meant less satellite and terrestrial DX than we might have had with a winter peak. However, we cannot really complain. Prior to 1978, the amateur radio propagation bible by W3ASK, shows graphs of cycle after cycle which never went above 180 solar flux units . Indeed most cycles were far below that and only the fabulous 1958 peak , ie one in 20 cycles got above 180 in the 200 years prior to 1978. Since 1978 things have been very different. The solar flux peak of 1979 featured very strong levels above 280 units and stayed high for months. Providing many people with their first taste of trans atlantic 6m DX, albeit with the Europeans having to use 10m crossband, because of archaic licensing regulations. In addition to which there was superb HF satellite worldwide DX via sub horizon propagation assistance , and the video enthusiasts got both African DX TV on 48 Mhz and USA TV on 55Mhz. The 1990s solar cycle peak seemed to be even better. Although it might just have felt that way because Europeans were finally allowed to use 6m, and, our better understanding of the problems of sub horizon satellite operating ( ie weird doppler shifts and non great circle reception), meant much improved satellite DX. So what comes next. By the time the 2011 cycle peak arrives , we should know a lot more about our Sun and its variability. Now that we can watch nearby stars like our Sun. We can study the solar wind variations of Alpha Centauri B, a near neighbour just 4 light years from us. Or we can go further afield. 18 Scorpii is 42 light years away and it is looking like a typical example of Sun like stars , except that almost all of these sunlike stars including 18 Scorpii are somewhat more active than our Sun has been over the past two centuries. So perhaps the present 1979 to 2001 peaks are not abnormal. What may have been abnormal, is the pre 1979, 200 year quiet period, from which our Sun may at last be emerging.