Back on the air

This time, I decided not to take any radios to Devon. I did last year, but hardly used them because of my poor voice.

On my return home I have been active on 10m WSPR TX (no spots) and 6m JT65 where I copied a few stations in southern Portugal and Spain, but no-one copied my 1W ERP.

6m JT65 RX

At present, I am on 6m JT65 receive only. Best DX is Morocco. Storm risk may cause me to go QRT later.

Less 6m JT65 "beaconing"

As I have had a few comments about my 6m JT65 "beaconing" mode, I have decided to RX more and "beacon" less.  During the Es season, when just 1W ERP can span a very long way, occupying a JT65 channel (around 150Hz wide) can be seen as anti-social. When the band is quiet, I think sending "B G3XBM JO02" is fair, especially if well away from 50.286MHz but still within the JT65 window. PSK Reporter Maps show where my signal is being received.

For now, I shall continue with 10m WSPR TX (500mW) as this takes up far less bandwidth and the TX frequency is randomised within the 200Hz WSPR window.

Spotting pirates and false decodes on 6m JT65

When you are supposed to have received an exotic DX call on 6m JT65 it is worth looking to see who else copied the call and in what area. Some of the calls supposedly were seen only by me, suggesting false decodes. When several others spot the same DX call it is often a pirate nowhere near where the DX is supposed to be.

Some really long 6m JT65 DX is genuine: for example the 13 (thirteen) Japanese stations spotted a few weeks ago were genuine, but one has to be careful. Some exotic calls are actually pirates just down the road.

6m JT65

I have been on 6m JT65 transceive (1W ERP) since before breakfast. Plenty of European Es spots.

6m JT65 again

After another day with Japan copied on 6m JT65, I am again on 6m JT65. It would be good, no remarkable, if my own 6m JT65 signal was spotted in Japan. These very long paths to Japan soon disappear in the next few weeks.

UPDATE 0809z: Plenty of 6m JT65 spots within Europe, but no signs (yet) of anything further afield.

UPDATE 1604z: I am again supposed to have spotted a station in Indonesia on 6m JT65. As before, I do not believe this. I am sure this is a UK pirate, unless proved credible. Funny how all the spots are in the UK and not one in Europe.

UPDATE 1635z: I am supposed to have spotted VU5SGO (7156km) in India on 6m JT65. Judging by others who he has been spotted by, I think this is either a false decode or a pirate too. Pity.

UPDATE 1852z: Now I am supposed to have spotted AR6FDG (6099km) in Pakistan on 6m JT65. Only 2 G stations are shown as having spotted him. UK pirate? Also JW7QIA (2917km) which is believable. It is quite hard to know which are genuine.

6m JT65

Today, I am on 6m JT65 (1W ERP) transceive. There is already Es about from eastern Europe mainly.

UPDATE 0858z: EA8DBM (3015km) spotted my 1W ERP QRP 6m JT65 a few minutes ago.

UPDATE 1740z: JG2BRI (9445km) was spotted on 6m JT65 this morning. First Japanese station spotted for a while on 6m JT65.

6m JT65

At the moment, I am on 6m JT65 transceiver (1W ERP). I am being widely spotted in Europe by Es. Nothing seen further afield. I have been on since about 1045z.

UPDATE 1542z:  My most distant report on 6m JT65 today is from OH4SS (1805km) in Finland. Nothing outside Europe.

UPDATE 1900z: EA8DBM (3015km) spotted my 6m JT65 just over an hour ago. I think this was Es.

6m JT65

At breakfast time, I returned to 6m JT65 transceive (1W ERP). So far just G spots given and received.

UPDATE 0946z:  Still just G spots. No Es seen here yet.

UPDATE 1058z: EA7DUD (1767km) working G0PQO coming through strongly on 6m JT65, presumably Es.

UPDATE 1206z:  Best DX on 6m JT65 RX is UX4UA (2082km).

Back to 6m JT65

After a few hours on 10m JT65 (no spots), I have returned to 6m JT65 - no spots yet.

UPDATE 2050z: GI4SNA (488km) is the best DX on RX so far on 6m JT65. G0HOF (45km) is the best on TX (1W ERP).

UPDATE 2200z: M1BXF (14km) is also spotting me. No Es here now on 6m JT65. I shall probably go QRT soon until breakfast.

Now on 10m JT65

For a change, I am now on 10m JT65 (2.5W). So far, nothing on RX or TX.

G0PQO contacted me to say I'd been calling him for 5 hours on 6m JT65, and I said I had not been. Then I found out that, in error, I had been, so I had to eat humble pie! Sometimes I am really stupid.

More 6m JT65 "DX"

Yet again this morning, I am supposed to have copied another Indonesian on 6m JT65 at not far short of 12000km. Yet again, this is surely a pirate and I have discounted this as a real spot. If true, it would be noteworthy. As a pirate - just sad.

Active on 10m WSPR TX and 6m JT65 transceive

At the moment I am on 10m WSPR TX (500mW) and 6m JT65 transceive (1W ERP). I may change bands and modes later.

6m and 10m TX again

After a break because of the risk of storm damage, I am currently on 10m WSPR TX (500mW) and 6m JT65 transceive (1W ERP). I am still keeping a watchful eye on the lightning maps and will disconnect everything if I deem the risks are too great.

UPDATE 1544z: Plenty of EU spots on both bands. Maybe I should try 6m WSPR (rather than 6m JT65) tomorrow?

UPDATE 1823z: Interesting that only 7 unique spots on 10m WSPR since I turned on earlier this afternoon and 6 were German! On 6m JT65 I have spotted, and been spotted by, stations all over Europe. I don't think this is just down to the antenna. I think there is more activity on 10m JT65 than 10m WSPR. Maybe I should give 10m JT65 or even JT9 a go tomorrow?

6m JT65 - now QRT

As there is a risk of storms later, I have gone QRT on all bands and disconnected all power and antennas. There were lots of European 6m Es spots, plus of course my "friend" (supposedly) in Indonesia, but more probably in the UK!

6m JT65 (again)

Yet again, I am active on 6m JT65 with 1W ERP. Certainly JT65 seems to get much more activity than WSPR. During the Es season I have no problem being spotted out to more than 3000km and I have spotted most continents this season on 6m JT65.

UPDATE 0814z: Widespread 6m Es.

UPDATE 1635z:  Yet again, I am supposed to have spotted a station in Indonesia. Yet again, I do not believe this! It is probably a pirate in the UK.

6m JT65

At the moment I am not on 10m WSPR, but I am on 6m JT65. So far, just G stations and no Es on 6m seen here. Of course, it is still early and things could well change.

UPDATE 0934z: 6m JT65 spots of me from Serbia and Romania, which look like Es.

UPDATE 1235z: EA9IB in Ceuta and Melilla, N. Africa (1907km) spotted on 6m JT65.

UPDATE 1514z: Mostly EU Es spots on 6m today, apart from EA9 (N.Africa) earlier. Iceland counts as Europe.

6m JT65

So far today on 6m JT65 transceive, there has been a lot of Es across Europe, but nothing further apart from EA8DRM (3015km) in the Canary Is.

UPDATE 1948z: AA4V (6544km) in South Carolina was spotted. Judging by other spots, I am pretty sure this is genuine.

Not much Es on 6m JT65 yet

I have been on 6m JT65 for some time. No Es seen yet today on 6m, although I am supposed to have spotted a station in Indonesia on 6m, which I do not believe. This suggests the pirate is in the UK. Sad.

UPDATE 1045z: Some Es with my 1W ERP 6m JT65 being spotted in Finland.

Storm gone, so back on 6m JT65

The storm has passed through, so I have returned to 6m JT65 transceive (1W ERP). I tried replying to a few CQ calls, without success, so I am currently in beacon mode sending "B G3XBM JO02". Best report is from CT2IWW (1382km). There seems less Es about at the moment.

UPDATE 2038z: As well as spots of OX3LX (2570km) which I do believe, I also (supposedly) spotted another Indonesian station, which I do not believe: I am convinced this is a pirate somewhere in Europe. Unless proved otherwise, I am dismissing these latter spots.