472kHz WSPR

After a few weeks break, I fired up the 472kHz kit this evening with about 5mW ERP (or less) from the 20m spaced earth electrodes in the ground. Not a lot of activity but exchanged WSPR reports with G7NKS (46km) and got a few reports from PA3ABK/2 (306km) and PA0RDT (243km). PA0A is always copyable when on WSPR as he rides above the local noise floor, unlike many others. Otherwise not a lot doing so far tonight. I guess everyone is watching football. I shall leave the kit running until later this evening to see what else appears.

One thing I MUST do is improve the 472kHz RX system as these days the noise pick-up on the earth electrode antenna is too great from local noise sources. For the new QTH I think I'll be installing a tuned RX loop and pre-amp at the far end of the garden as far from noise sources as possible. Even though directional, I suspect this will be better than the E-field probe, with the advantage that the loop may be rotated to null particularly bad noise sources locally.

1040z update: I shall leave the 472kHz running overnight but don't expect many more reports. These were the unique reports so far.