472kHz WSPR - very quiet this evening?

I have been on 472kHz for the last 30 minutes or so but activity seems very low. So far I have spotted no-one and no-one has spotted me.Usually I can be assured of activity on 472kHz WSPR. There are between 36 and 44 active stations according to WSPRnet but no-one is actually being copied!

Even my 40m Pixie failed to get any RBN reports this evening. What with no USA stations copying me on 10m, this has been a very disappointing day radio-wise.  Tomorrow may be totally different, such is the nature of our delightful hobby.

The most cheerful thing was the return of our two red legged partridges! They may not be the same ones, but to see two was great.

UPDATE 2200z:  I spoke too soon! 472kHz WSPR reports received from G4SMD (250km) and G3THQ (88m) and I am spotting PA0A (417km).

In the last 2 weeks my 5mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" has been copied by 23 unique stations with best DX spot F1AFJ (607km).

Unique 472kHz spots on earth-electrode "antenna" in last 2 weeks.

No 10m USA spots again?

Despite 10m conditions forecast to be "fair", it looks like this will be the second day in a row when not a single USA or Canadian station will have spotted my 500mW WSPR beacon.  It really does look as if conditions are on the change. This afternoon just 4X1RF and G4IKZ spotting me this afternoon.

USA 10m WSPR spots (or lack of them!)

It is now 1330z and so far not a single USA station has, yet, spotted my 500mW WSPR beacon. OK , it is still quite early and things may well be better later, but yesterday was far better on 10m. Plenty of reports from Eastern Europe and near Asia though.

So far, 10m has been a bit disappointing today.

UPDATE 1445z:  And still no 10m WSPR spots from the USA today yet!

UPDATE 1448z:  In the meantime, 4X1RF (3519km) has spotted me 22 times so far today.

On 472kHz no-one had copied my 5mW ERP so far until this afternoon when G3YAC (12km) and G8LCO (58km) copied me. My best DX on 472kHz WSPR receive is PA0A (417km) who has been coming though during the day.

UPDATE 1530z:  I have the feeling that I'm not going to have my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon spotted in the USA today. If the band does "wake up", I suspect just a handful of USA stations may be lucky.  By now I'd have expected some transatlantic spots. That is the nature of 10m: you can never be sure. No wonder some call it a magic band.

UPDATE 2048z:  So, the day passed and not a single USA station spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon today.  Conditions are on the change?

Sunspots and 10m - March 1st 2015

Sunspot number has climbed again to 70 and 10m propagation is forecast to  be "fair".

So far this morning reports of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon from G4IKZ (18km), G4KPX (14km) and 4X1RF (3519km). I had to remove the antenna and turn off the beacon for a period to use the antenna on 40m CW.

10m USA spots today

KZ8C (6290km) was the first North American to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR today at 1248z. Since then, K9AN (6505km) has also spotted me several times. I think he has a very good RX set-up as he is often copying me on 10m.

I have the feeling there will be a lot of 10m spots today as conditions seem quite good and it is the weekend.

UPDATE 2035z:   The last USA station to spot me today on 10m WSPR was KB9AMG (6300km) at 1922z. Quite a decently long opening today.

10m USA WSPR spots

At 1314z K9AN (6505km) was the first USA station to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon today. With the lower sunspot number I had some doubt the 10m band would open to the USA today at all.

UPDATE 1400z:    W9HLY (6257km) has spotted me a couple times this lunchtime, but I have the feeling there are few stations spotting me today on 10m WSPR.  OK, it is very early afternoon still.

UPDATE 1655z:   A surprising number of USA stations have spotted my 500mW WSPR beacon this afternoon, despite the relatively low sunspot number. When the next peak occurs it is likely to be a weak affair, but assuming conditions are settled we could still be spanning the Atlantic on 10m at the right time of year. It will be interesting to see how well this path holds up as the sunspot number continues to fall.

UPDATE 1732z:  Still being spotted in the USA

UPDATE 1822z:   K9AN (6505km) is still spotting me.

UPDATE 1830z:   Still plenty of USA and Canadian 10m stations spotting my 500mW WSPR beacon. This is a much better opening than I expected.

UPDATE 1940z:  It looks like the last USA spot was KC1AWS (5408km) at 1850z. Just local G4IKZ since then. I'll probably go QRT shortly on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 2120z:  I went QRT at 2058z. I am currently not active on any band.  Back after breakfast.

Sunspots and 10m

Sunspot number today is 63. 10m propagation is expected to be "poor" although 4X1RF (3519km) was spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR at 0824z and 0912z this morning. Most spots were local - G4IKZ. No continental Europeans or further afield though.

UPDATE 1025z:   4X1RF (3519km) is now spotting my 500mW WSPR lots of times.

UPDATE 1050z:  LZ and SV9 now spotting my 500mW WSPR beacon on 10m as well. Things are warming up on 10m. Still no real DX spotting me.

10m USA non-event (almost) today

This afternoon, 10m only just opened to the USA with WB5B (8248km) being the only USA station to spot my 500mW WSPR beacon at 1350z and 1612z.  It is still possible others may yet copy me, but this is doubtful.  

4X1RF (3519km) has copied me several times today.

UPDATE 1710z:  K9AN (6505km) has copied me a few times recently.
 
UPDATE 1740z:  Now KG6MC (6545km) is spotting me. Maybe I should expect shorter, later openings now?

UPDATE 1835z:  K9AN has now copied my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon 14 times so far today. The opening I thought would not happen seems to be on now.

UPDATE 1915z:   No further DX spots since K9AN at 1844z.  Going QRT on 10m by 2000z.

10m WSPR this morning

No earth shattering DX reports this morning on 10m WSPR.

4X1RF (3519km) has spotted by 500mW WSPR beacon several times but no further reports seen. At the moment, 10m is "ticking along". I think there will be an opening to the USA later.

Return to 472kHz WSPR

Since returning to 472kHz WSPR at teatime, 6 unique spots so far received this evening.  No new stations logging me but on the whole decent reports being received. I'll probably remain on 472kHz overnight, but go QRT again on 28MHz (10m) WSPR as I think I've missed any DX for today.  Still using the earth-electrode "antenna" and about 5mW ERP (or less).

Unique 472kHz WSPR spot in first 2 hrs this evening

UPDATE 2300z:  Now 12 unique spots of my 5mW WSPR this evening with best DX report from F59706  (560km).

10m - too late?

I turned on my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon just after 1700z, but only local G4IKZ spotting me. If the band did open to the USA I missed it today!

40m WSPR

For the last day (nearly) I have been WSPRing on 40m using about 2-2.5W from the FT817 into the low Par triband 10/20/40m end fed antenna. On 40m this is far too low, although on 10m it is probably just high enough. Despite the low height on 40m I have received 31 unique spots with best DX being K3BXO (7190km). Since about 20 minutes ago I have gone back on 472kHz (earth-electrode "antenna") and 28MHz (10m) WSPR on the Par end-fed.

Unique WSPR spots on 40m today/yesterday

10m conditions are changing

This afternoon,VK6DF (13606km) in West Australia spotted my 500mW WSPR signal at 1404z. The band opened to the USA,WB5B (8248km) but very late at 1550z.

10m conditions do seem to be changing.

UPDATE 1844z:  The last USA station to spot my 500mW WSPR beacon was KD6RF (7547km) 1736z.

QRT on 10m now, on 160m WSPR now and overnight

The 10m beacon has been turned off until after breakfast tomorrow, but the 160m WSPR station is still running and will remain on overnight.

Later tomorrow I will probably try a different band, most likely 40m on the Par end-fed triband antenna. It will be this antenna that my 40m Pixie will be tried on. On 40m this antenna is quite low so further WSPR tests will be useful.   As this triband antenna is also the antenna used on 10m I shall have to go QRT on 10m when I fire up on 40m.  This probably won't be until early evening Monday.

10m WSPR spots today - Sun Feb 22nd 2015

The first spot of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon from a USA station today was K9AN (6505km) at 1304z. Conditions on 10m do seem better than yesterday which was pretty dire.

160m this evening so far

At the moment the best DX on WSPR TX ths evening using my FT817 (3 blobs) into the earth-electrode "antenna" in the garden is 853km to Denmark.

So far, since trying my earth-electrode "antenna" on 160m, I have received WSPR spots (reports) from 37 unique stations and results have well exceeded all expectations. Best TX DX the night before last was northern Spain.

10m USA spots today

It has been a "bad hair day" on 10m today.

The first USA station to spot my 500mW beacon was at 1610z (very late) by WG2Z (5600km). This reminds me of the brief 6m F2 openings to the USA many years ago. To be honest, I was beginning to think that an opening to the USA would not happen at all today. In a few months we'll be on the look-out for multi-hop Es across the Atlantic in the Es season.

UPDATE 1808z:   Only 2 USA stations have spotted my 500mW beacon today with K9AN (6505km) at 1754z.  I suspect conditions are changing.

UPDATE 1940z:   It now seems that the 1902z spot by K9AN of my 500mW 10m beacon was the last today by a station in the USA.  Since then, just local UK spots.

UPDATE 2010z:   Now going QRT on 10m.  Still active on 160m WSPR where I have received 36 unique spots using my earth-electrode "antenna".

Sunspots and 10m - Feb 21st 2015

Sunspot number has dropped back a bit. Today the number is 53. 10m propagation is expected to be "poor".

UPDATE 1202z:   Best DX on WSPR with  my 500mW beacon this morning was just now with YV7DX (7294km) copying me at 1156z.  Several spots earlier from LZ, SV4, SV9 and 4X1. Conditions on 10m don't look "poor" to me!  I am also being spotted by local G stations.

My little W5OLF WSPR-AXE-CW 10m beacon is just brilliant! I love it. So small and perfect.

31 unique 160m reports received

Since trying my earth-electrode "antenna" on 160m, I have received WSPR spots from 31 unique stations so far in just a couple of days and nights at 2-2.5W from the FT817 rig. Results have certainly exceeded my own expectations. It says a lot about how effective WSPR is.

160m WSPR TX with earth-electrode "antenna"

USA 10m WSPR spots today

K8WW (6043km) was the last to spot my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon this evening at  1904z. The earliest USA spot today was by K4RCG (5995km) at 1256z.

Although about to go QRT on 10m, I'll remain on 160m overnight again.