Sunspots and 10m - Sun June 26th 2016

Solar flux is 76 today. Sunspot number remains zero (K=2) and 10m F2 propagation is again expected to be "poor". Luckily we are in the main Es season in the northern hemisphere and there is good Es on 10m and 6m.

Best 6m DX today

After the storm I have returned to 6m JT65 and 10m WSPR beaconing. Best report on 6m JT65 (so far) is UX4UA (2082km). I assume this is Es. It is still thundering, although the maps show the storms moving away NE.

Return to 6m and 10m

I am beaconing on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65. Very early (around 0700z) I called G0VUH (157km in IO93) on 6m JT65 and since then have been spotted by a couple of Gs 6m JT65. G4KPX (14km) is the only station to spot me on 10m WSPR. As yet, no signs of Es on 10m or 6m as yet. It is now nearly 1000z.

UPDATE 1010z:  Although no-one outside of the UK has spotted me yet, I have spotted a station in Germany and in Italy on 6m JT65. There is Es about.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat June 25th 2016

Solar flux is little changed at 76. Sunspot number is again zero (K=2) and the forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor". Hopefully Es will liven up both 10m and 6m again today.

Sunspots and 10m - Fri June 24th 2016

Solar flux is 75 today and the sunspot number is zero (K=2) and the forecast for 10m propagation is "poor".  As there is thunder about I shall return to 10m WSPR and 6m JT65 tomorrow.

Sunspots and 10m - Monday June 20th 2016

Solar flux is 82 today. Sunspot number is 48 (K=1) and the forecast for 10m F2 propagation is "poor" yet again.

6m JT65 versus 6m WSPR

Although WSPR is better able to dig signals out of the noise I find JT65 far more effective on 6m than WSPR. I think there are 2 factors:

1. Activity levels on 6m JT65 far exceed those on 6m WSPR so openings get noticed.
2. The 1 minute transmit cycle probably means that short burst openings get detected. WSPR needs nearly 2 minutes.

In all, I like 6m JT65. Also, JT65 is in the main a 2-way mode although I tend to use it as a 1-way beaconing mode because of my poor health, looking on PSKreporter to see where I was copied and where I am spotting.

To yesterday mid-afternoon I had received 108 reports in 18 countries in the last 24 hours on 6m JT65 with 1W ERP.

Continued success on 6m JT65

It is now 1900z and I am still on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65. On 10m WSPR there are Es spots from across Europe, but 6m JT65 seems to be giving me lots of spots from across Europe too by Es. There is no doubt in my mind that JT65 is a much better mode on 6m because of the much higher activity levels.

10m WSPR

 Whilst beaconing on 6m JT65 I am also TXing on 10m WSPR (500mW). Certainly later, conditions seem to be favoring northern Europe.

Es season in full swing.

6m JT65 spots received in last 12 hours (1W ERP)

WSPR on 10m is producing spots from across Europe. On 6m JT65 I am also getting lots of reports. I must say that moving to JT65 on 6m (1W ERP) was an excellent move as there is so much more activity.

UPDATE 1228z:  Plenty of JT65 reports on 6m this morning at 1W ERP.

Last 6 hrs on 6m JT65 (1W ERP)

Sunspots and 10m - Sat June 18th 2016

Solar flux is 85 today. Sunspot number is 36 (K=3) and the 10m propagation forecast remains "poor".

The Quiet Sun and 10m

We could be entering a very long period of very low solar activity, quite unlike anything in modern times. With noise levels much higher on the lower HF bands we may be forced to VHF and UHF satellites to work DX we have become used to. Summertime Es may soon be the only practical propagation mode for DX on 10m.

Don't forget we are dealing with averages and some days will allow N-S F2 DX still on 10m.

I am a great supporter of WSPR and very much hope WSPR users will continue on 10m even when the prospects are not good. I suspect 10m is "open" far more often than people think. A casual tune over the band may result in nobody being heard, so people move down the bands. With regular WSPR use, short openings on 10m would be "smoked out". Since only low power is needed for WSPR, this is an ideal mode for the "quiet sun" years.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/.

10m WSPR and 6m JT65

https://www.pskreporter.info/pskmap.html

Although I have been beaconing at 500mW on 10m WSPR for several hours, nobody has yet spotted me. On 6m JT65 I have had more luck with several Gs as well as Belgium and Spain spotted here. I only just realised I had not enabled TX on 6m (I now have).

UPDATE 1845z: So far, 3 G stations have spotted my 6m 1W ERP JT65 transmissions. No Es spots of me this evening, although I have only been on TX for about 75 minutes.

UPDATE 1912z: I see I am now spotting a couple of 6m stations on JT65 in Ukraine. I hope stations over there spot me too.

UPDATE 1920z:  UX4UA (2082km) in KO50el has spotted me, so it did not take long! I have also been spotted by a couple of stations in Finland. Clearly Es.

UPDATE 2005z: DK0SC (827km) has spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR. I am being spotted all over Europe on 6m JT65 with 1W.

6m JT65 spots this evening (1W ERP)

Sunspots and 10m - Fri June17th 2016

Solar flux is 87 today and the sunspot number is 26 (K=2). The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor".

10m WSPR

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon is still running with spots from all over Europe again today. I like the mode as you can monitor WSPRnet in the lounge, and just pop in to the shack if there is a problem or to do a time re-sync.

But I agree that JT65 does seem a better mode on 6m. WSPR would be fine on 6m if there was more activity. Also, I suspect the one minute TX cycle in JT65 is better, even though the mode is less good at digging weak signals from the noise. Overall, JT65 seems right for 6m.

For JT65, I have to use my PC and FT817, so if I want to try the mode on 10m I have to stop TXing on 6m. With 10m WSPR I can use my stand-alone W5OLF WSPR beacon and be on 6m JT65 at the same time. The tiny W5OLF WSPR beacon does not need external audio or a PC.

Sunspots and 10m - Thurs June 16th 2016

Solar flux is 87 today. Sunspot number is 22 (K=2) and the 10m F2 propagation forecast remains "poor". Luckily there is Es about.

Sunspots and 10m - Wed June 15th 2016

Solar flux is 87 today and sunspot number 26 (K=3). 10m F2 propagation is forecast to remain "poor".

It is hard to believe we are approaching the summer solstice and the longest day. It seems 5 minutes since Christmas and the shortest day.

QRT on 10m and 6m WSPR - thunderstorm risk

As there are storms moving this way, I decided to go QRT on both 10m and 6m WSPR and disconnect antennas and power plugs. The shack PC is also off and disconnected. Once the risk passes, I may reconnect. This could be some hours.

See www.lightningmaps.org to see where the storms are.

Sunspots and 10m - Tues June 14th 2016

Solar flux is 89 today. Sunspot number is 27 (K=2) but 10m F2 propagation remains "poor".

Early start on 6m WSPR and 10m WSPR

OZ7IT (853km) was spotting my 1W ERP 6m WSPR at 0658z this morning. I assume this is Es, but early.

UPDATE 0900z:  Steve VE7SL has suggested I monitor JT65 on 6m instead of WSPR as activity levels are higher. I am seriously considering this.

UPDATE 1002z:  Lots of 10m WSPR spots from stations in Scandinavia this morning. Nothing more on 6m WSPR.