136kHz WSPR on an active antenna

Just tried a PA0RDT designed active antenna (but just used an MPF102 and 2N3904 instead as these devices were to hand) with 1m of wire, later just a small piece of copper laminate (see picture), indoors taped to the window and have just spotted M0BMU running 200mW ERP on 137.45kHz WSPR. Amazing that this can work so well. The antenna looks useful for VLF through to low HF. See also
http://carconline.blogspot.com/2009/05/pa0rdt-active-antenna.html and http://carconline.blogspot.com/2009/05/pa0rdt-active-antenna-continued.html

SM6BHZ on 500kHz WSPR

Just received my first WSPR signal on 500kHz - from SM6BHZ running 1W erp. Signal first appeared at 1916z and was decoded 6 minutes later. This is a screen shot of his signals. Several other stations are also copying Gus if you look on the WSPR database and maps tonight. Later in the evening he was so strong he could have been copied with just 2mW ERP.

I also copied another 500kHz WSPR signal, this time from G4WGT who was -23dB S/N with 500mW ERP from IO83 at 248kms. The map shows stations active on TX or listening and shows I've received SM6BHZ and G4WGT. Very clever database this!

Later still copied M0BMU and G4WGT again on 500kHz WSPR.

136kHz Listening

Just heard quite a good signal (RST569) from G3XIZ on 136.5kHz CW. He had just worked G3KEV before 8am but I could not copy G3KEV (Mal). I made a recording which is on my website - quality not good as it was made with my Dell Axim pocket PC held next to the loudspeaker.

Sunspot "Maunder Minimum" continues

It goes on and on and on and on - still not a sunspot in sight and if anything the solar flux is dribbling downwards. See http://www.solen.info/solar/ from where the attached image is extracted (slightly edited). When, if ever in my lifetime, is the sun going to get moving again?

SSB DX on 500kHz

Just heard SM6BHZ beaconing with 1W erp on 505.5kHz both on CW and on SSB. On CW RST559 and on SSB RS53. This is the first time I have ever heard an SSB transmission on the 500kHz band. SSB is not allowed in the UK NoV as the band is too narrow. Distance is 916kms. I've even got a QSL card already from Gus via the internet. Link is http://www.sm6bhz.com

10m PSK31 QSOs

Having found 10m open tonight as a result of some WSPR reports from the Faroe Islands, Italy and Portugal, I went onto 10m PSK31 and had a couple of QSOs with YL3GBF and S56EPX when running about 3W QRP. Solid contacts, but I don't really like PSK31 - the QSOs seem so "artificial" and PC generated. I do try to type as I go though to put some variety into the contact.

DM780 is an excellent package for this mode and many other digital modes.

RoomCap HF antenna?

Has anyone had any experience of this very compact HF antenna? the designer makes claims of performance well beyond those obtainable with the Microvert, EH and other small antennas.

To get build instructions costs money and, as a born skeptic when it comes to "something for nothing" antennas, I'd like to hear from anyone who has made one and how well it worked.

This is the link http://home.datacomm.ch/hb9abx/ant--abx-e.htm

30m WSPR logs

Today, out of interest, I made a list of the countries and distances covered just on 10MHz (30m) WSPR in the last few weeks of intermittent operation. So far I've had hundreds of reports from 22 countries in 4 continents with the best DX being 9616kms with 5W. Even 7147kms was covered with just 100mW! Even better distances have been reached on 40m. I've had reports on bands from 160m to 6m. It is truly an amazing mode!

Clearly, with WSPR, openings are being captured which otherwise would have been missed. This is especially true on the higher HF bands, which I intend to concentrate my efforts on next - bands like 10m.

Update - two more reports tonight - VE1 and 9H1.

Antennas at G3XBM

The current antenna farm at the G3XBM QTH is shown in the picture. The 10m antenna is a wire halo. 6m, 2m and 70cms vertical is handled with a V2000 triband colinear. There is also a horizontal 2m halo just below the V2000. Finally, there is an end-fed wire about 15m long running down the garden from just beneath the V2000 antenna to a post at the far end of the back garden. All pretty modest stuff really. Certainly not a beam in sight!

Click on the image to get a better view.

T61AA on 17m

T61AA has been a consistent, if weak, signal here all morning on 17m WSPR. His trace was last spotted at 1052z but too weak even for WSPR to decode. Although I've been beaconing all morning on 17m I've not been copied yet, although T61AA says he has an S9 noise level in Afghanistan. He is located 5564kms away.