☀️ Solar Propagation Widget – User Guide

📋 Quick Start

This widget displays real-time HF propagation conditions for amateur radio operators. Perfect for WWBOTA bunker activations and general HF operating!

📥 Installation

Step 1: Copy the Code

1. Download solar-widget-wordpress.php
2. Open your WordPress admin panel
3. Go to Appearance → Theme File Editor
4. Select functions.php from the right sidebar
5. Scroll to the bottom
6. Paste the entire contents of solar-widget-wordpress.php
7. Click Update File

✅ That’s it! The widget is now installed and ready to use.

🎯 Using the Widget

Basic Usage

Add this shortcode to any page or post: [solar_widget]

That’s all you need! The widget will appear with default settings.

🎨 Widget Types

You have 3 widget sizes to choose from:

📱 Small Widget

Perfect for sidebars or compact spaces

[solar_widget type="small"]

Shows:

• ☀️ Title and UTC Clock
• 📊 K-Index (geomagnetic activity)
• 📡 FoF2 Critical Frequency
• 🌟 Solar Flare Alert

Height: ~220px

📊 General Widget (Default)

Best for main content areas 

[solar_widget type="general"]

As in Small widget, PLUS:

• 🎯 MUF values (3 distances: 500km, 1000km, 3000km)
• ☀️ Solar Data (A-Index, Solar Flux, Sunspot Number)
• 📻 HF Band Conditions (160m through 10m)

Height: ~500px

📈 Full Widget

For dedicated propagation pages

[solar_widget type="full"]

Shows everything in General widget, PLUS:

• 📊 24-hour K-Index graph
• 📊 24-hour FoF2 graph

Height: ~850px

🎨 Light Mode

All widget types support Light Mode for sites with white/light backgrounds.

How to Use Light Mode

Just add light to your widget type:

[solar_widget type="small light"]
[solar_widget type="general light"]
[solar_widget type="full light"]

Dark vs Light Mode

📊 Understanding the Data

🌐 K-Index (Geomagnetic Activity)

What it means:

• 0-2 (QUIET): 🟢 Excellent propagation
• 3-4 (UNSETTLED): 🟡 Good propagation
• 5-6 (ACTIVE): 🟠 Fair propagation, some disturbances
• 7-9 (STORM): 🔴 Poor propagation, geomagnetic storm

Why it matters: Higher K-index means worse HF conditions, especially on higher bands.

📡 FoF2 (Critical Frequency)

What it means: The highest frequency that will reflect off the ionosphere straight up (NVIS).

Displayed as: “3.8 MHz” means signals below 3.8 MHz will bounce back down.

Why it matters: Helps predict which bands are open for NVIS and regional contacts.

Region: Data from Northern Europe (Belgium ionosonde)

🌟 Solar Flare Alert

Shows REAL-TIME solar flare activity from NOAA satellites!

Classifications:

• 🟢 A-CLASS (QUIET): No flare activity
• 🟡 B-CLASS: Background activity, normal
• 🟠 C-CLASS: Moderate flares, minor HF effects
• 🔴 M-CLASS: Strong flares, HF degradation likely
• 🔴 X-CLASS: Major flares, complete HF blackout possible!

Example: “C3.2 C-CLASS FLARE ACTIVE” means a moderate C-class flare is happening RIGHT NOW.

🎯 MUF (Maximum Usable Frequency)

Three distances shown:

Example:

• FoF2 = 3.8 MHz
• MUF 3000km = 11.4 MHz
• Meaning: Frequencies below 11.4 MHz can work for long-distance

☀️ Solar Data

A-Index: Daily geomagnetic activity average (lower is better)

Solar Flux (SFI): Radio emissions from the sun at 2800 MHz

• < 100: Low activity, poor high-band conditions
• 100-150: Moderate activity
• > 150: High activity, great for 10m/15m

Sunspot Number (SSN): Number of sunspots on the sun

• More sunspots = better HF propagation on higher bands

📻 HF Band Conditions

Color-coded for quick reference:

• 🟢 GOOD: Excellent propagation expected
• 🟡 FAIR: Usable but not optimal
• ⚫ POOR: Difficult or impossible

Bands shown: 160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, 10m

Based on: MUF calculations + K-index + Solar Flux

🔄 Automatic Updates

The widget updates automatically – no refresh needed!

Update Schedule

• ⏰ Clock: Updates every 1 second (live UTC time)
• 📊 Data display: Updates every 60 seconds
• 🌐 Background data fetch: Every 5 minutes

You’ll see: “2 min ago” in the bottom right showing data freshness

⚠️ Important Notes

Data Sources

All data is from trusted sources:

• 🛰️ NOAA: US Government space weather service
• 📡 HamQSL: Amateur radio data aggregator
• 🌐 GIRO: Global ionosphere monitoring network

Data is FREE – No API keys needed!

Privacy

The widget does NOT:

• ❌ Track users
• ❌ Use cookies
• ❌ Collect personal data
• ❌ Phone home

It only: Fetches public solar data from external APIs

Performance

Minimal impact:

• Data cached for 5 minutes
• No external calls from user browsers
• Lightweight JavaScript
• Fast page loads

🌍 Who Is This For?

Perfect For:

• ✅ WWBOTA Operators: Bunker activations
• ✅ Field Day Stations: Contest propagation monitoring
• ✅ DX Chasers: Know when bands are open
• ✅ NVIS Operators: Critical frequency monitoring
• ✅ Ham Radio Clubs: Share propagation data
• ✅ Emergency Communications: Monitor HF availability

📞 Getting Help

Need Support?

1. Check this guide – Most questions answered here
2. Browser console – Press F12, look for errors
3. Try different widget type – Maybe size issue
4. Clear cache – Use ?wwbota_clear_cache=1

🎓 Learning Resources

Understanding Propagation

Recommended reading:

• ARRL Propagation Handbook
• “The Sun and Radio Propagation” by K6HPX
• NOAA Space Weather website

Online tools:

• NOAA Space Weather
• HamQSL Solar Data
• GIRO Network

📝 Quick Reference Card

Shortcode Options

Data Refresh Times

Multiple Sites

Can I use this on multiple sites? ✅ Yes! Just install on each WordPress site.

Is there a limit? ❌ No limits! It’s completely free.

🎉 Enjoy!

You now have real-time HF propagation data right on your WordPress site!

Perfect for:

• Planning QSOs
• Contest operations
• DX hunting
• Field Day
• Emergency communications

Questions? Refer back to this guide anytime.

73 de M0ICR

📌 Version Information

Version: 1.0
Released: February 2026
Compatibility: WordPress 5.8+, PHP 7.4+
Status: Production Ready ✅

Last Updated: February 4, 2026