Although no spots (yet) today, I am again trying out 10m WSPR with just 500uW (0.5mW) with my beacon with the PA off.
In some places the MUF exceeded 51MHz yesterday. See https://prop.kc2g.com/ .
UPDATE 1715z: No spots of me today. I have the feeling I am not going be successful on 10m WSPR microwatts today.
My 10m 500uW (0.5mW) WSPR beacon is on again. No spots yet, although 2 DX stations have spotted me with this miniscule power in the last few days.
UPDATE 2115z: No spots today.
No spots today with this miniscule power. I was hoping for some spots today.
UPDATE 1228z: OH6BG (1718km) has spotted me.
Although my QRPP beacon has been on since lunchtime, no spots today.
UPDATE 1825z: No spots all day at 500uW.
Rather than make an attenuator, I have decided to continue with 500uW WSPR on 10m, i.e. with the beacon PA turned off. I did a re-sync at about 0900z.
UPDATE 2104z: No spots all day. As I said before, I suspect conditions have to be very good for WSPR to work at this tiny power.
My intention was to add a 17dB pad so I could run 10mW WSPR on 10m. Instead I cleaned the car and left the beacon with the PA off producing 500uW (0.5mW). I was not expecting any spots so was very pleased to see a spot from the Canary Is..
UPDATE 1435z: No further 10m WSPR spots today at 500uW (0.5mW). Sadly my beacon is pre-programmed to report the power as 500mW, when it really is just 500uW. I think my repeat 10mW 10m WSPR test will have to wait until tomorrow.
UPDATE 1846z: EA8BFK (2880km) spotted my 500uW again at tea time!
As 500mW 10m WSPR TX was proving too easy, I have turned off the beacon PA again. After 1115z, my power is now 500uW again.
UPDATE 1522z: No spots at 500uW. I think tomorrow I shall do more tests at 10mW ERP. This time, I shall use the 500mW beacon TX with a 17dB attenuator, so the FT817ND is free for other things.
As 500uW 10m WSPR was proving impossible, I turned on the beacon PA, so the output was 500mW. 7 stations have spotted me! It is so much easier at 500mW!
UPDATE 1105z: 13 stations have spotted me at 500mW.
UPDATE 1112z: 14 stations have now spotted my 500mW WSPR. 500uW seems too low unless conditions are exceptional, whereas 10mW seems far better. 500mW seems like really high power!
Yet again, I am on 10m WSPR with just 500uW (0.5mW). I am not really expecting spots again, as conditions have to be exceptionally good for this to work .... but you never know!!
UPDATE 1720z: No spots all day.
As the solar conditions seem quite promising, I shall probably try 10m WSPR TX with my beacon PA turned off. I like a challenge! My first thing is to remove my attenuator soldered in line for 22m QRPP tests with the FT817ND.
UPDATE 1000z: My 10m WSPR TX beacon with the PA off was resynced to internet time at 0958z.
UPDATE 1810z: No spots. It would appear conditions have to be very good for this QRPP to work. It is far easier at 10mW!! As for 500mW - well that's QRO, HI.
Yet again, I am on 10m QRPP WSPR this morning and already 3 stations spotting me.
UPDATE 1117z: 7 stations spotting me. It would see any power would do!! 10mW ERP QRPP WSPR seems to work just fine!
This morning I am continuing my 10mW WSPR TX on 10m. Already I am being spotted well by 2 stations, I confidently expect to be spotted in the USA for a 4th day in a row.
Yet again, I am trying 10m WSPR with 10mW, simulating the 8m ISM rules. On the first transmission already spotted by EA8BFK (2880km).
UPDATE 1027z: EA8BFK has already spotted my 10m 10mW WSPR 7 times!
UPDATE 1541z: For 3 days in a row, my 10mW 10m WSPR has been spotted in the USA. So far today, I have been spotted in the USA on 8 occasions and I have been spotted 96 times already at 10mW.
Once again, I am trying 10m WSPR at 10mW ERP. Already, after a few transmissions, spotted by 3 stations although these would not have spotted me on 500uW.
UPDATE 1524z: 12 stations have spotted me so far when I was running 10mW ERP. Most of these were via F2 including some in the USA.
After breakfast, my priority is to make a 17dB attenuator so I can try WSPR at 10mW ERP on 10m today. This is to simulate this power in the Es season in the 8m ISM band without a licence. I have the coax, but have to find the resistors.
UPDATE 0930z: Attenuator made and added right next to FT817ND on 500mW setting, so WSPR power now very close to 10mW ERP. WSPR TX set to 50% TX. Already spotted by 2 stations on first TX burst!
UPDATE 2236z: Using the FT817ND, I was 50% of the time on RX today. Despite the 17dB pad in the antenna line at the rig end I still spotted 99 stations!! The furthermost was PY2FXE (9593km).
Starting tomorrow, I hope to start 10m WSPRing at 10mW ERP.
Clearly, my previous attempts using 500uW work when conditions are very good, but 10mW ERP will be a good indication of how 10mW ERP (licence free under UK 8m ISM rules) 8m might behave. An extra 13dB could make a real difference. If I get spots on 10m WSPR, I may not bother to renew my 8m TX permit as I will learn more experimenting for free with 8m 10mW ERP WSPR. I shall probably use 8M3ISM on 8m WSPR.
Judging by reports today, several spots might have been managed with 10mW ERP on 10m.
My 500mW WSPR TX was turned on at 1115z. Already 5 stations have spotted me.
UPDATE 1206z: Spotted by 10 stations so far on 10m QRP WSPR TX.
At about 1545z, I turned on the PA on my 10m WSPR TX beacon. Immediately, spots of me were received, so the 30dB power difference is very significant. I guess unless the local noise level is very low, stations struggle unless propagation is very good.
Until the Es season, I do not propose to try 500uW WSPR on 10m again. I shall stick with 500mW. During the Es season I may well try 500uW again.
Unless things dramatically change today, today will probably be my last day testing at QRPP on 10m WSPR. I shall try again in the Es season. It is now over a week since I have been spotted.
