Saturday’s (24. 09. 2011) massive solar X flare at 09:40 UTC caused my SOTA VY-031 7.0335 MHz pile-up to totally stop for a while within a few seconds. First I thought my inverted V fell down, but its SWR was fine. I realized that all signals on the lower bands disappeared whereas the noise level on the higher bands was perceptibly increased.
A very illuminating demonstration…
73
Karel OK2BWB
In reply to OK2BWB:
Hi
Yes I experienced it as well.
It was a total blackout from 80M right through to 10M.
I thought I had a problem in the shack/antenna. When the bands came back no one else I had a QSO with seemed to have noticed it which made me worried about some intermitant fault.
Its reassuring to know someone else experienced it and it was not an equipment fault.
73
Dave
GM4NFI
In reply to OK2BWB:
Hallo Karel,
I noticed the same here. Nearly all signals disappeared for a while and the noise level increased.
Anyway! Thanks for your activation and the QSO/Points.
Vy 73 and GL de
Steffen, DL3JPN
In reply to GM4NFI:
Oh yes, it was a very real event Dave!
We were operating a special event station near Catterick, N. Yorks. The bands completely died on Saturday and didn’t really seem to get going until late afternoon.
The DX was coming through in the evening though as the bands settled down again. I worked a guy in Maine, USA using 1/4 Watt at 2105UTC, my report was 539!
Whilst the daytime operating was badly affected, it was worth it for the DX after the event, although good conditions during darkness hours are not very good for SOTA! 10m was superb on Sunday.
73
Colin
M0CGH
Same thing here: last Sunday, 2 summits activated with each time 5 hard to get contacts. Never have had such poor activations …
73, Peter - ON4UP
In reply to M0CGH:
We were operating a special event station near Catterick, N. Yorks.
The bands completely died on Saturday and didn’t really seem to get
going until late afternoon.
Hi Colin, were you working the Railways on the AIR weekend?
Mike 2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Mike, no we were at a vintage rally at Ellerton, North Yorkshire. Our call was GB6VMR (GB6 Vintage Machinery Rally). We did work a lot of Railways On The Air stations though.
I’m on a RAYNET event this coming Sunday and my checkpoint will be on High Street, G/LD-011, right at the summit cairn. I need to find a way of sneaking some time to do some SOTA operating 
Unfortunately I am not able to arrive at the summit before my RAYNET duties.
73
Colin
M0CGH
In reply to M0CGH:
Mike, no we were at a vintage rally at Ellerton, North Yorkshire. Our
call was GB6VMR (GB6 Vintage Machinery Rally). We did work a lot of
Railways On The Air stations though.
Glad you had a good weekend, Colin. Our club managed to work a lot of the Railways On The Air stations too. I managed to sneak out of working the VHF and lower HF bands, working 15m for two days with one of the other club members. The band was in great shape with some excellent dx and some very nice calls bagged.
I’m on a RAYNET event this coming Sunday and my checkpoint will be on
High Street, G/LD-011, right at the summit cairn. I need to find a way
of sneaking some time to do some SOTA operatingUnfortunately I am
not able to arrive at the summit before my RAYNET duties.
Good luck with RAYNET, Colin…
I’m off to the Hamfest, so no SOTA for me 
73 Mike
2E0YYY
In reply to OK2BWB:
I was QRV at OK/JC-061 only at 12UTC on Saturday but yes the bands were behaving strange: no G stations on 40m, all the chasers were DL or OK stations. The score was not so bad, about 30 QSO, but I tried 30m then and it was completely dead - managed to do one QSO with a DL station with reports 579/539 QSB and that was it. I packed my stuff and went to a geocaching event to meet with Stan OK1AU (if you wonder why there was an increased activity from OK/JC this weekend, that was the cause).
73 Marek OK1HAG
In reply to M0CGH:
Mike, no we were at a vintage rally at Ellerton, North Yorkshire. Our
call was GB6VMR (GB6 Vintage Machinery Rally). We did work a lot of
Railways On The Air stations though.
Totally off-subject I know, but as you were involved with a VMR, I wonder if you have any contacts who may be interested in an ATCO model HY mower, dated 1929-30, which I would really like to go to a good home perhaps as a restoration project. Any contact perhaps to dave(dot)crake(at)btinternet(dot)com
I have some pics and more info, but will be away some of the next weekend (Poss hf from Cleeve Hill and Worcester Beacon)
Regards, Dave, G6DTN