USA President - NOT amateur radio

It is not for me to get involved in the race for President in the USA. The people will vote and they will get the president they deserve.

What amazes me is how old all the candidates are. Mrs Clinton is 68. Her husband is 69 as is Donald Trump. Bernie Sanders is 74. I am 67 and there is no way I would want to be active in politics, even if I was fit and well.

American hotels and breakfast - NOT amateur radio

One of my first surprises on trips to the USA was that few (no?) hotels offer breakfast. They expect you to get this down the road. Most have places to eat very nearby, but if you are not used to this it comes as a surprise. I have an old work colleague who is in Indiana for a conference and he was caught out. The hotel and conference centre was a place to meet and sleep, but little else.

Once, in eastern Canada, we stopped for breakfast at a roadside cafe. There were 6 fried eggs and lots more on the plate. It was huge. We did not go hungry!

USA Presidential Election - NOT amateur radio

This is a "democratic" election and I am only observing from afar. Mind you, you need to have millions or billions to have any chance. Neither candidate fills me with joy but I am truly amazed that the republican candidate is so popular.

Come the outcome, the world may be a different place if the USA takes a more isolationist stance in the world again.

Here, in the UK, we are electing some local and semi-local politicians. Here in East Anglia we are just voting for a new Police and Crime Commissioner for which I have received no data at all, so I am not voting for this QUANGO which must be costing UK taxpayer's millions.

USA president - NOT amateur radio

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35538361

The people of the USA continue to trouble me.

If it was just the USA that mattered, then I could not care less, but the leader of the USA has his hands on the nuclear trigger and will be key to so much in the world. Is a rich billionaire really who many in the USA want as their leader?

I have no wish to get embroiled in a debate over the US presidential elections, but if a large number of Americans think their best interests are served by a rich billionaire then this says a lot about American society as a whole.

I am not advocating any candidate or any party, but this vote matters for the whole fragile planet we share. All I ask is that every single person in the USA thinks very carefully.

Early USA WSPR spots on 10m

N2NOM (5581km) was spotting me on 10m WSPR very early today at 1354z. It was good to be spotted at all in the USA on 10m WSPR, but this early is encouraging for more spots later.

UPDATE 2130z:  K9AN (6505km) was also spotting my 10m WSPR beacon this afternoon. In the end the day saw spots from 4 unique stations in the USA.

First 10m WSPR spots from the USA

With improved conditions, I was not surprised to see my little 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been spotted in the USA this afternoon. KZ3X (5737km) was the first at 1508z. I expect there will be some more.

UPDATE 1545z:  We must be on the downward slope of the sunspot cycle now as 1508z was late for a first 10m WSPR spot from the USA. Still, we must be grateful.  This time next year, we'd be grateful if 10m opened E-W at all! Some of us can remember winter afternoons when 6m was wide open to the USA! I recall hearing lots of USA stations on 6m with just a fixed wire dipole. Never again in my lifetime, although I expect to hear the USA on 6m some summers via Es.

UPDATE 1600z:  PA3ABK/2 (306km) has been spotted a few times already on 472kHz WSPR late this afternoon.

UPDATE 1712z:  No further 10m WSPR spots from the USA. KZ3X may have been it for the day.

10m WSPR - USA spots

KC1AWS (5308km) spotted me first at 1346z. It is good to see USA spots again although conditions seem "subdued".

UPDATE 1802z:  After a slow start on 10m WSPR there been spots from lots of different USA stations.

UPDATE 1825z:  All is very quiet on 6m WSPR.

UPDATE 1938z:   The last spot by a USA station seems to have been WB2TQE (7097km) at 1722z. No further spots from the USA after this time.

10m this evening - USA again

K9AN (6505km) was the first USA station to spot me on 10m WSPR this evening at 1928z. This is much earlier than last night.  

W1VR (6965km) was the next USA station to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR at 2012z. This would be F2 propagation I guess, although there is 10m Es from across Europe this evening. It is just possible both these were multi-hop Es, although I think this unlikely.

WG2Z (5600km) was just spotting me 4 times already. This looks a better USA opening than last night!

UPDATE 2035z:  No signs here of any 6m Es on WSPR.

10m USA spots again this evening

Quite late this evening 10m opened to the USA. W1VR (6985km) was the first to spot my 500mW WSPR at 2112z followed by others. This is the first time in several days that I have been spotted in the USA on 10m. I think this was F2 rather than Es.

I am still looking for those elusive 6m WSPR openings to the USA. As yet, I have not seen any sign of transatlantic 6m DX on WSPR.

USA 10m WSPR spots - none today,so far

Mainly locals and EA8BVP (2986km) spotting me today on 10m WSPR. A slight Es opening to Italy but, so far at least, no sign of  any 10m WSPR spots from the USA yet again today.

2200m and 630m in the USA a step closer?

Southgate News reports that the FCC is, at last, supporting USA amateurs being given access to the 2200m and 630m bands. I sometimes complain that OFCOM here in the UK needs a kick up the backside, but the FCC seem an order of magnitude worse. I do hope that the USA gets these bands. I've had an article of mine on 472kHz approved by the ARRL now for nearly 2 years, awaiting the release of the 472kHz band over there! I am amazed just how slow the FCC seems to be. In many ways the USA takes a far more "grown up" attitude to the use of the radio spectrum, but the unbelievable slowness over the release of these 2 bands just beggars belief.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/april/fcc_proposes_to_permit_amateur_access_to_2200_and_630_meters.htm#.VUKSWpNQqPc

No 10m USA WSPR spots, well not yet (1512z)

So far, apart from quite a bit of Es on 10m WSPR, EA8BVP (2986km) has been there spotting me a lot this afternoon presumably by single-hop F2.  As yet, no signs of 10m WSPR spots by any USA stations, but if the band opens at all in that direction, it is likely to be later. Sunspot number is lower than the last few days but we are seeing relatively undisturbed conditions, so a very brief opening is not out of the question.

UPDATE 2055z:  No USA 10m WSPR spots today, and it seems unlikely now.  However, last night one station did not copy me until after 2200z, so who can tell?

UPDATE 2155z:  We I'll be  .........(expletives go here).  KA4M (6916km) spotted me at 2132z. So far, this is the only spot today from the USA of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon but I was amazed to be copied at all.

10m WSPR - USA yet again today!

So far just a single (very early) spot from the USA today: K9AN (6505km) at 1140z . No other 10m WSPR spots from the USA today.  Signal report was weak at -26dB S/N.

I just wonder if this was F2 or multi-hop Es?  I guess it could even have been F2 backscatter? Anyway, yet another day, quite late in the season, when a USA station has spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon. Will there be others later I wonder?

UPDATE 1735z:   At the moment, it looks like th(e single spot by K9AN this morning was a "one off".  Things could get better later?

UPDATE 1804z:    WB2TQE (7097km) has been spotting me a few times recently.

UPDATE 2004z:    The last USA spot was WB2TQE at 1828z. I am wondering if that is it for the USA  today (2 unique stations) or whether there will be surprises later.

No USA (yet) on 10m but some good N-S DX

As yet (1525z) no sign of spots from the USA but FR1GZ (9724km) has spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR several times this afternoon. If this is another "poor" day, then I am happy.

UPDATE 1934z:  Still no sign of any USA 10m WSPR spots of my 500mW WSPR beacon today. Plenty of spots from EA8BVP and FR1GZ but absolutely nothing from the USA. I think we were lucky having propagation across the North Atlantic for the last 3 days. I guess the band could still open to the USA but  this is pretty unlikely now.

10m Es?

SA5SDR (1358km) has spotted me several times today. I suspect, at this distance, this is Es propagation. Although I have been spotted in the USA today on 10m WSPR, conditions seem "on the edge" - this is not the best of days, although I am grateful the band opened at all.

10m USA WSPR spots - yet again

For the 3rd day in row,10m has opened to the USA with N4ZQ (7125km) spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR at 1420z. This despite a relatively low sunspot number and a forecast of "poor" 10m propagation. I think I can expect further USA 10m WSPR spots later.

10m WSPR - an excellent day

Well, 10m is full of surprises! Today was an excellent day, with loads of unique 10m USA WSPR stations spotting me. There were actually more reporters as W5OLF spotted me but was reporting the wrong band.

Unique 10m WSPR spots of my 500mW WSPR-AXE-CW beacon today

USA already today on 10m WSPR

KK4LNS (6724km) was spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR as early as 1256z today. I assume this is F2 but it could be a mix of F2, F2 backscatter and Es. He has copied me 3 times already and it is only 1310z. Reports are not too bad either at up to -20dB S/N.

UPDATE 1330z:   Several other USA stations now spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon.  This is early and it was unexpected.

Unique 10m WSPR spots today

UPDATE 1335z:   Still no spots at all today on 6m WSPR.

10m USA WSPR spots - horrah!

K9AN (6505km) was the first 10m USA station to spot my 500mW WSPR beacon today at 1504z.  I guess the undisturbed conditions today really helped.
z
UPDATE 1850z:    Certainly up to now, the 2 spots this afternoon by K9AN appear to be "it", with no further USA spots since then.

UPDATE 1906z:   EA8BVP (2986km) has spotted me several times again today.

UPDATE 2030z:   Late opening to Italy suggests Es.

UPDATE 2120z:    As late as 2116z K9AN (6505km) was still spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon. K9AN must have a very good station (low angle antenna?) but I am surprised only K9AN was copying me in the USA. I would have expected other spots from other USA stations once the band opened. I shall leave the gear running to see how late this opening lasts.

UPDATE 2204z:  Tbe last USA spot seems to have been by K9AN about 30 minutes ago. Only the one USA station spotting me lots of times - odd.

10m USA - none today again?

Although I have again had plenty of reports from G4IKZ and EA8BVP (2986km) to my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon, it looks like there will be no DX reports and no USA reports again today on 10m WSPR. We seem to be moving more towards summertime 10m conditions.

UPDATE 1734z:  So far EA8BVP (2986km) has spotted me 25 times today since 1400z but a total absence of spots from stations in the USA.

UPDATE 1852z:  So far EA8BVP (2986km) has spotted me 31 times this afternoon, but still no spots from across the Atlantic.

UPDATE 1906z:  WSPRnet is currently showing 51 stations active on 10m WSPR.  There are probably more who have not spotted or been spotted in the last 10 minutes.   I guess it is just propagation that is against us.

UPDATE 1914z:   I see 10m propagation has been downgraded from "good" to "fair". Well, here it has been poor!