Ron,
Here are the sites I use for solar information:
NOAA has the 10.7 cm flux, which strongly affects the MUF and therefore which bands we can use effectively. HIgher 10.7 cm flux means bands like 17, 15, 12, and 10M become more useful for skip. Right now the solar flux is slightly elevated, so 17M is somewhat open during daylight, for long paths mostly. 20M is more open also - I heard EA2LU recently.
NOAA also has geomagnetic data - the K index shows how disturbed the magnetic field is - high K index can mean more QSB and loss on long paths, especially up north.
Spaceweather is good for keeping up with the sun and geomagnetic storms.
The SDO site has the most recent solar images in various wavelengths, especially EUV images that show the solar chromosphere and the corona. If you select the high-resolution images and magnify them, some of them are truly amazing. Right now we have an old sunspot group on the sun, and the images are much more interesting than the quiet sun we’ve had for a long time. You can see the magnetic fields and enhanced areas near the sunspots. Even if you’re not into solar physics, the pictures are incredible. Start with the 171 images and magnify them.
73
George
KX0R