472kHz WSPR

472kHz unique WSPR spots to 2100z.

At the same time as entering the 70cm UKAC,  I was operating on 472kHz WSPR. No new stations spotting me or being spotted as I write. For my very first transmission I forgot to change my ERP: it should have been 5mW and not 2W which was the ERP on 10m.

UPDATE 2200z:  Still just 10 unique reports received on 472kHz so far this summer. Will leave WSPR running 472kHz overnight in case I spot new stations or new stations spot me. You never know!

10m - Es or tropo?

I have been on 10m WSPR since early morning (2W ERP) bue so far I have spotted PD0OHW just once at 09450z with -3dB drift at a reasonable -18dB S/N.   At 459km this could have been either tropo/aircraft or Es. This is very short ship for Es. No other signals yet seen and no-one has spotted me yet.

UPDATE 1300z: DB0ZDF (608km) spotted me on 10m at 1208z.  This is definitely Es. So far, the only person to spot me on 10m today.

UPDATE 1302z: DK6UG (633km) just spotted me on 10m. Es again.

472kHz overnight

Overnight on 472kHz WSPR there were the same reporters and reports with no new people receiving my QRP signal. This was disappointing but not surprising. Yesterday evening I triedloading up the feeders to my 6m/2m/70cm V2000 vertical and my 2m halo feeder, but results were about 2dB down on the strapped feeder to my Par end-fed, so this is the antenna I used overnight.

10m Es

Since early morning (0940z) I have been on 10m WSPR, where Es is still there. Not as frequently open, but opening most days at some time. The PA/PD stations are very short skip for Es: it would be interesting to see the traces these stations received: it is just possible these were tropo/aircraft assisted and not Es.

Sunspot count today is 64 (moderate) and 20-30MHz conditions "normal".  Not seen F2 DX yet, and may not today?

10m WSPR results so far today. 2W ERP from me.

Overnight on 472kHz

After all the stormy weather had passed, I returned to 472kHz WSPR overnight. My reward was 1 new reporter PA3ABK/2  in the middle of the night. This brings the unique reporters this season up to 10 now, the same as the number of stations I have spotted on 472kHz WSPR. Results are still disappointing as I know that many more reports are possible in both directions. I think I am spotting and being spotted by most active stations in range. The issue is too few active stations  on 472kHz WSPR.

472kHz WSPR spots of my QRP signal this season so far

472kHz WSPRing tonight

As all the storms appear to be well away now, I shall remain on 472kHz WSPR overnight. I am both TXing and Rxing. TX duty cycle is about 18%.

Apart from M0LMH (223km)  near Harrogate, no other new reporters, or stations spotted, today here since I came back on 472kHz WSPR after the storms. Maybe I''ll be lucky overnight?

GM4SLV (896km) in Shetland has only spotted me once tonight so far. The storms are heading John's way.

I have just re-synced the PC clock to internet time. I am hopeful of some new reporters for this new season. If you get a chance, give 472kHz a go, if only on RX.

A close call (storm) and 472kHz WSPRing again

The thunder and lightning just missed us today. We had heavy rain, hail and thunder but the lightning missed us by a few miles. It is now out over the North Sea.

About to reconnect rigs, antennas and PC. Think I'll give 472kHz WSPR another try.

UPDATE 1644z:  Now back on 472kHz WSPR and rewarded with spotting G3WCB immediately and being spotted by 3 stations on first transmission including M0LMH (223km) as a new reporter this season. Will stick on 472kHz until morning unless more storms stop play.

Initial WSPR spots this evening on 472kHz

UPDATE 1730z:  Currently reading "The Everything Store - Jeff Bazos and the age of Amazon" by Brad Stone, lent to me be a neighbour/friend. Fascinating read about the history of Amazon. Bazos sounds like the boss you would NOT want - a real taskmaster - a very "driven" man with real conviction.

FR1GZ (F2 DX) and a storm coming?

1204z saw FR1GZ (9724km) in the log for my first F2 DX on 10m today.  I hope he spots me too although I am running less power (2W ERP) than his 5W. He was only -25dB S/N, not too strong.

Looking at the lightning map, there is a nasty storm currently coming our way. It is over Bedford as I write and moving ominously closer.  Much closer and I shall have to disconnect everything and go QRT until it has passed. Another 20 minutes should tell me if it is coming this way or will just miss us. There are other storms further south too. Today looks like our unlucky day. It is raining hard - not looking promising! Latest flash over St Neots. The storm coming our way from the Cotswolds may be tracking just NW of us and may miss us, again.

QSYed to 10m

Well, 472kHz WSPR ran overnight with absolutely no new reporters, just the same faithful few, so I am giving up on that band for now. I shall return in a while.

In the meantime, I QSYed to 10m where I was greeted with immediate success. Even before changing the settings on the FT817 to 2W I was being spotted in Portugal even when running 500mW out. Since then, I have switched to 2W ERP and am being spotted by DK6UG (633km), CT1JTQ (1843km) and I am spotting EA5CYA and SI9AM.   Plenty of Es about.

Sunspot count today is 111 (decent and stable) and 20-30MHz propagation is "normal" so there is a decent chance of F2 DX as long as I don't have to go QRT because of storms. We are getting highish winds and driving miserable rain, which are the left-overs from Hurricane Bertha, having crossed the Atlantic. I don't think we are seeing the worst of the weather in the UK; other parts are getting hit far harder. At he moment, the worst of the storms are tracking well to the east of us.  See http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en.

Today our son is driving from Dunkirk to Brittany. I hope the weather over there is a little better! His forecast is rain, but not as bad as here.

UPDATE 1122z:  I think I need a new challenge on WSPR - perhaps I should try a totally new band? 10m is fun but again I am seeing just the same stations.

10m WSPR this morning - plenty of Es

WSPR disappointment (so far) on 472kHz

Results to date suggest my ERP is at least as good as in previous seasons yet (up to now at least) very few stations have spotted me. I think there are fewer WSPR stations active? My best DX so far, and my daylight range on TX, suggest many more reports should be possible. Where is everyone?

I hope 472kHz isn't going to disappoint as 6m WSPR did. On 6m WSPR there was a real lack of transatlantic stations.  On 472kHz WSPR there seem to be fewer WSPR stations full stop.

I shall leave the kit running again tonight and hope I get some nice surprises.  Of course, it could be the local noise floor is higher than it was for many stations and they've just given up on the band? At the moment I'm lucky: my sensitivity is rather low, but my noise floor is very low too. This may not last.

UPDATE 2110z:  Since returning to 472kHz WSPR I have spotted just 10 unique stations and been spotted by 8 unique stations. Some years ago on 500kHz I was spotted by nearly 100 unique stations. My setup is not that different. OK this was over several months and in the autumn/winter seasons, but there do seem to be fewer different stations active. I'll certainly stick with 472kHz WSPR to give it a fair chance though.

UPDATE 2134z:  Currently there are 32 stations shown as being active on 472kHz WSPR. 24 of these are European. This is a good number.

472kHz WSPR stations active in last 10 minutes

Back on 472kHz

Meadow at Ickworth

We returned from a walk at Ickworth just before lunch. I have switched on my 472kHz WSPR station, still with the strapped feeders to the Par antenna. I moved up one tap on the 3C90 matching transformer, to get a slightly better match. Initial daytime results are very encouraging with several spots from GM4SLV (896km) and others. No bad weather due before tomorrow.

WSPR reports on 472kHz QRPp today

"Normal service" later today.

After last night's thunder and lightning, I hope to resume "normal service" around lunchtime: we are otherwise busy until then. The weather today looks sunny and calm,before more storms on Sunday. Not sure what band I will use yet - probably 472kHz, but possibly 28MHz (10m).

Sunspot count today is 101 (pretty decent) and 20-30MHz propagation forecast to be "good" so a good day for N-S F2 propagation, as well as Es and GDX on 10m. On 6m only some Es and GDX likely.

6m transatlantic - but NOT on WSPR

See http://hamspots.net/10-6/ .

I see on Hamspots that 6m has been open to N.America and the Caribbean this evening but there are NO suitably located stations active on WSPR.  It seems WSPR on 6m is mostly a total waste of time unless stations come on to make transatlantic WSPR tests meaningful. In previous seasons I have monitored SSB and CW and had success copying transatlantics for as long as I can recall.

I am not returning to 6m WSPR in a hurry. It's a great pity. Next Es DX season I think I shall try again on CW and SSB again.

472kHz WSPR so far today

472kHz WSPR unique reports so far this summer (duplicates NOT shown)

So far this summer, a reasonable number of WSPR spots, but an absence of WSPR spots of me from stations outside the UK.

G3WCB on 472kHz

G3WCB (101km) and I are currently exchanging daytime spots on 472kHz WSPR. He is just copying me (on the noise floor) and he is generally about 10dB stronger than I am. I suspect his antenna on TX is considerably better than mine.

472kHz antennas and results overnight

The Par antenna (strapped feeders) seems to be somewhat better than the 2m/70cm feeder as an antenna on 472kHz.  I have now received 472kHz WSPR spots from 8 unique stations so far.  The Par seems to be directional as reports from GM4SLV (although plentiful overnight) seem no stronger.

Unique 472kHz WSPR spots so far

Tonight,  I shall load up the feeders to my V2000 6/2/70cm vertical and 2m halo on 472kHz as these are my highest antennas and compare results with previous antennas. Best 472kHz DX spot this summer is still from GM4SLV (896km) up in the Shetland Is.. I suspect the Par will be the best antenna though. Really I should make a dedicated 472kHz vertical but my health does not allow me to do this currently, so compromise antennas are the order of the day!

UPDATE 1102z:   GM4SLV was spotting me at 0948z this morning. This daylight!

UPDATE 1107z:  I am very surprised not to have been spotted outside the British Isles so far on 472kHz.  I have copied PA, DL and F so far here as well as UK stations.

M0EMM - 3-6dB stronger reports on 472kHz with Par antenna (strapped feeders)

M0EMM is spotting me on 472kHz WSPR some 3-6dB better than last night because of the change in antenna. I need to recalculate the actual ERP,  but believe it is still in the low milliwatt region.  I shall leave 472kHz WSPR running overnight so I can see who else is getting my signal and at what strength.

6m - little missed. 630m more of a challenge now.

Since QSYing down to 630m MF, I was wondering what I'd been missing on 6m. A quick check on WSPRnet.org suggests only EU Es out to about 2000km, so I am not missing too much. My biggest concern is the moment I abandon the 6m band there will be a collosal transatlantic opening!

At the moment, 630m with real QRP is much more of a challenge.

UPDATE 1920z:   Now 7 unique stations have spotted me on 630m so far this summer.  Plenty more likely.

Unique 630m WSPR spots of my signal so far

472kHz - getting decent results with Par antenna

472kHz WSPR spots of my QRPp signal so far

Results with the end fed Par 10/20/40m antenna (with strapped feeder) are better than with the feeder to the 2m/70cm yagi. Today M0PPP (182km) and G3WCB (101km) have spotted me in the daytime for the first time this season. I came back to the 472kHz band yesterday.

472kHz - improvements?

Using the strapped feeder to my Par 10/20/40m as my 472kHz antenna rather than my 2m/70cm feeder, the antenna current has nearly doubled with the antenna current meter now showing 30-33uA whereas it was 18uA before. This suggests ERP has increased by around 4-5dB (ERP proportional to I^^2), but we'll see later. The Par antenna itself is lower than the 2m/70cm antenna and runs horizontally to a tree. Average height is around 3-4m AGL. The losses may be greater.

The picture shows the 472kHz coil used (a ferrite rod would be fine but since moving it is "lost"), the 472kHz homebrew transverter (left) and the 3C90 matching coil between transverter and antenna (towards centre, LHS of coil). The small meter measures antenna current and registered 18uA last night and 30-33uA now with the Par antenna with strapped feeders.

UPDATE 1420z: G8HUH (250km) is copying in daylight a full 8dB S/N better than last night. Encouraging.

UPDATE 1448z:  M0PPP (182km) seems to be coming in stronger than last night too and in broad daylight.

UPDATE 1700z:  M0PPP  is now spotting me at 1456z, 1538z and 1620z i.e. in daylight.   He was not copying me at all last night, so I think my signal IS stronger.