Showing posts with label 10m. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 10m. Show all posts

19 Mar 2024

10m QRPP WSPR

My WSPR beacon without the PA is on again with 500uW on 10m. Once again, I was spotted in the Canary Islands yesterday. 

My article on these 500uW tests was in the April 2024 RadCom by the RSGB.

At 500uW (0.5mW) is far harder at the RX end than with 500mW. (30dB weaker) I was surprised to get spots at all as many people have a high local noise levels which masks weak signals.

UPDATE 0905z:  No spots.

17 Mar 2024

10m QRPP WSPR (Sunday)

My 500uW 10m WSPR is on again.

UPDATE 1050z:  Yet again my 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR has been spotted in the Canary Is.. A reminder that even though my beacon is pre-programmed to report 0.5W it is actually 0.5mW (30dB less) with the PA off in these tests. The station(s) at the RX end must have low noise floors!

UPDATE 1122z:
  He has spotted me again. Now 2 spots of me today with 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR. I guess this must be single hop F2.

UPDATE 1153z:
The photos show Peter's site and antenna in the Canary Islands and my beacon which is about the size of a pack of cards and needs no PC.

UPDATE  1520z: For a third time today he has spotted my 500uW QRPP!


16 Mar 2024

10m QRPP (Saturday)

Although I think spots are very unlikely today, I am again on 10m WSPR with 500uW (0.5mW). No spots at 1001z.

UPDATE 1421z:  It pays to set expectations low. Two spots of my 500uW (0.5mW) when I was not expecting any! I shall remain at 500uW on 10m WSPR all day.

15 Mar 2024

10m QRPP WSPR yesterday and today

Amazingly, my 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR was spotted once in the Canary Is. yesterday. I honestly was not expecting this. I left my beacon running more in hope than any real expectation.

It is on now and just been resynced to internet time, so I am again on 10m WSPR with just 500uW (0.5mW).

UPDATE 1425z:  No spots today with QRPP WSPR!

14 Mar 2024

10m QRPP WSPR (Thursday)

As 500mW 10m WSPR yesterday was so easy, I returned to 500uW (0.5mW) today. Judging by yesterday, I might have got one spot at 500uW. SSN is slightly better today, so we will see!

13 Mar 2024

10m 500mW WSPR (Wednesday)

 This morning, I am again running (for me!!) QRO i.e. 500mW WSPR. After just a few minutes, DX spots of me received.

UPDATE 1650z:  So far today 16 stations have spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR.


UPDATE 1715z:
  34 stations have spotted me today.

12 Mar 2024

10m QRP WSPR (Tuesday)

 As solar conditions seem to be on the wane (although still quite good), I think it unlikely that my 500uW WSPR be spotted, so I shall return to 500mW today. 

Funny how this seems really high power now!

UPDATE 0736z: Changed to 500mW 10m WSPR and already spotted locally.

UPDATED 1040z:  At 500mW WSPR it is far easier! Plenty of spots from across the world.

UPDATE 1208z:
Plenty of spots from the USA with 500mW 10m WSPR today.

UPDATE 1444z:  26 stations have spotted me today.  For just 500uW to have worked I would have needed these spots to be -3dB or better. As far as I can see, even if the RX noise was very low, it would have been very unlikely.


UPDATE 1515z: 
30 stations have spotted me today. Map from WSPR rocks by VK7JJ.


UPDATE  1938z: 
 43 stations have spotted me. It's too easy!!

11 Mar 2024

10m 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR (Monday)

My QRPP 10m WSPR signal is on again. 

UPDATE 1706z:   No spots all day. I have definitely concluded that 500uW 10m WSPR only works when (a) conditions are very good, and (b) the RX noise floor is low.

10 Mar 2024

10m 500uW WSPR (Sunday)

 Talk about a sucker for punishment!  Once again I am trying 10m WSPR with 500uW (0.5mW). No spots.

UPDATE 1456z:  No spots.

9 Mar 2024

10m QRPP WSPR (Saturday)

 My 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR is on, but no spots. It is sync'd to internet time daily (at least).

UPDATE 1703z: No spots.

8 Mar 2024

10m QRPP WSPR (Friday)

There's nothing like a challenge!! Once again my 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR is on.

For me, it is easy. For the station at the far end the signal will be weak and in the noise probably. In the last 2 weeks I have had 2 DX spots, but nothing yet today.

UPDATE 1504z:   No spots.

7 Mar 2024

10m QRPP WSPR (Thursday)


After my surprise spot yesterday with 500uW (0.5mW) on 10m WSPR, I am again on with the same power from my beacon. 

The beacon must be re-synced to internet time. This is done daily although it probably is good for several days. 

UPDATE 1817z:   1 spot early this morning. My beacon is pre-programmed to report 0.5W even though with the PA off it is actually only 500uW (0.5mW).

6 Mar 2024

10m QRPP WSPR (Wednesday)

My 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR TX is on. No spots now for several days. As you can see, I like making things hard!

UPDATE 1655z:   EA8BFK (2880km) has spotted my 500uW (0.5mW). I was not really expecting this.

5 Mar 2024

10m 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR (Tuesday)

Despite being on all day, no spots of my QRPP 10m WSPR signal. It looks like conditions have to be very settled and good for this tiny power to work. 

My 500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR has now been spotted in 7 countries and 3 continents. Antenna remains the low Par end-fed.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the Es season.

4 Mar 2024

10m QRPP WSPR (Monday)

 All day, I was trying with 500uW (0.5mW) on 10m WSPR. No spots.

3 Mar 2024

10m 500mW WSPR (Sunday)

At 1443z, the 10m WSPR beacon had its PA turned on, so after that time it is running the full power of 500mW again. 

UPDATE 1456z:  5 spots received already including 2 stations in the USA. It is much easier at 500mW than 500uW!!

UPDATE 1504z:   It is far easier at 500mW!


UPDATE 1722z: 
23 stations have spotted me at 500mW 10m WSPR (see table).

10m 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR

Today, I was going back to 500mW 10m WSPR (QRO for me!!), but I decided, after the success yesterday, to stick with real QRPP instead.  

So, I am trying again with the beacon PA off at 500uW.

UPDATE 1437z:  No spots.

2 Mar 2024

Saturday plans

One more day on 10m WSPR at 500uW (0.5mW). Probably go QRO tomorrow with 500mW! I might also give 6m FT8 another try.


UPDATE 1918z:
   Spotted twice by LZ1UBO (2039km) with my 500uW (0.5mW) on 10m WSPR.  Maybe I shall stick with QRPP tomorrow! Note, the beacon is pre-programmed to report 0.5W, even though with the PA off it is actually 0.5mW.



UPDATE 1717z:  8 stations in England have spotted me on 6m FT8 today. No DX today.

29 Feb 2024

P***ing in the wind? 10m 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR (Thursday)

My QRPP 10m WSPR is on again, although I have not had any reports for a few days.  I just leave it running ...... in hope! 

The fact I got any reports at all amazed me.

UPDATE 1845z:  No spots.

27 Feb 2024

500uW (0.5mW) 10m WSPR (Tuesday)

 My QRPP WSPR is on again. So far, no spots, although I am not surprised.