Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Postage Stamps Becoming Extinct

With the continue rising cost of everything and technology continuing to make huge advances every year, it appears to me that the simple things are becoming extinct.
With Facebook, Twitter and other social networks there is no need for that son, daughter, grandchild etc. to send a card through the mail. Heck, I’d be surprised if kids send love notes at school, I’m sure they probably just send text messages.
I have been saying it for a long time; the US Postage Stamp appears to be getting ever closer to be added on to the extinction list.
I just came across a news article that says Sweden is replacing the postage stamp with a text message.

Sweden's postal service is considering letting customers pay for their mail using text messages, rather than with traditional stamps, in a move to use mobile technology to ease the lives of its citizens.
To read more; Click Here

Honshu Japan Earthquake Swarm

Earthquakes continue to swarm Honshu Japan. This is of major concern.

UPDATE
Large aftershocks in Japan, plus new quake locations -
5.2 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
5.0 LUZON, PHILIPPINES
5.1 TONGA
5.0 CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA

5.8 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
6.4 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.2 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.3 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

5.8 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
6.4 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.2 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.3 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.6 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.7 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.3 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.5 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.7 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
7.2 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

JAPAN - A major 7.2-magnitude offshore earthquake rattled Japan on Wednesday, swaying Tokyo buildings, triggering a small tsunami and reminding the nation of the ever-present threat of seismic disaster. Police reported no casualties or property damage, and operators of nuclear power plants and Shinkansen bullet trains quickly gave the all-clear, while the wave hitting the Pacific coast measured just 60 centimetres (24 inches).
The tremor struck in the late morning about 160 kilometres (100 miles) offshore and 430 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres below the Pacific seafloor. In greater Tokyo -- the world's most populous urban area with more than 30 million people -- the earthquake and a succession of tremors that quickly followed were uncomfortably felt as they shook buildings. Television channels immediately cancelled their programming to transmit information on the quake and a coastal tsunami advisory.

My Stamp Collecting Blog

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HOW TO READ PROPAGATION NUMBERS

The A index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 1 to 6 is BEST
  • 7 to 9 is OK
  • 11 or more is BAD

Represents the overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Ap" if averaged from the Kp-Index) (an average of the eight 3-hour K-Indices) ('A' referring to amplitude) over a given 24 hour period, ranging (linearly) typically from 1-100 but theoretically up to 400.

A lower A-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Ap-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

SFI index [ HIGH is GOOD ]

  • 70 NOT GOOD
  • 80 GOOD
  • 90 BETTER
  • 100+ BEST

The measure of total radio emissions from the sun at 10.7cm (2800 MHz), on a scale of 60 (no sunspots) to 300, generally corresponding to the sunspot level, but being too low in energy to cause ionization, not related to the ionization level of the Ionosphere.

Higher Solar Flux generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; Solar Flux rarely affects the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

K index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 0 or 1 is BEST
  • 2 is OK
  • 3 or more is BAD
  • 5 is VERY VERY BAD

The overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Kp" if averaged over the planet) over the past 3 hours, measured by 13 magnetometers between 46 & 63 degrees of latitude, and ranging quasi-logarithmically from 0-9. Designed to detect solar particle radiation by its magnetic effect. A higher K-index generally means worse HF conditions.

A lower K-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Kp-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

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