Another new report on 500kHz

Conditions on 500kHz have been good again this evening. F6CNI near Paris was receiving me at an incredible +2 dB S/N on WSPR. I cannot understand how my signals can be this strong so far away! Also tonight, a new reporter, DL2SEA heard me 442kms away in JO30 square. The screenshot shows my signal as he received it.

Web SDR locations

There are now a number of places on the internet where one can find and operate on-line software defined radios (SDRs). For a list of these go to http://www.websdr.org/. One of the best, now streaming 7 different bands, is http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ which is located at Twente in The Netherlands. I have used this one to hear my QRP signals on 40m from the UK. There is a very slight delay but I was able to hear my 400mW signal very well. Another has a recording of the 23cms band during an ARRL EME (moonbounce) contest using a 25m dish: you can tune the band and hear some amazingly strong CW QSOs via the moon.

500kHz transverter video

There is now a short video clip on YouTube describing my 500kHz QRP transverter. Sorry the quality is not brilliant but I had problems holding the camera, pointing the pointer and deciding what to say! Still, it gives you some idea what is inside the box.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86K19chQ06Q

Another new report on 500kHz - EI6IZ

Thsi evening, conditions on 500kHz are good again with reports from the G, ON, DL and EI. The Irish station was EI6IZ in IO53 square at a distance of 669kms. This brings the total number of stations reporting my 1mW ERP 500kHz WSPR beacon to 56 in 9 countries.

Welcome to 2010

A very happy and peaceful New Year to you and your families. Do you have any New Year resolutions? Mine are:

1. To complete my QRP DSB/CW transceiver for 10m (possibly SSB using a phasing TX)
   
2. To make a DSB version of the Fredbox for 6m or 2m
3. To design and build some more very simple "micro-transceivers" for HF and 6m use
   
4. To do one long walk once a week
   
5. To give up sugar in tea and coffee
   

We'll see how well I succeed this time next year!

2009 countries worked

At the end of the year I've been through the logbook to see how many (few?) countries I worked in the sunspot minimum year with QRP.  Overall I worked 47 countries with 34 worked on 10m and 15 on 6m. This is fewer than previous years as I spent quite a lot of time in the second half of the year on WSPR beaconing, especially on 500kHz. With improving HF conditions I expect to better this total in 2010.

On WSPR, I was very pleased to end the year with 54 unique reports on 500kHz from stations in 9 countries and all with just 1mW ERP to a tiny antenna.

New country on 500kHz - EI0CF -(IO65ih) 602kms

Just got a string of reports from Finbar EI0CF in Eire on 500kHz WSPR. He is in IO65ih some 602kms north west of me. This is my 9th country.

New square and reporter on 500kHz

Just had a report from DK8ZJ on 500kHz WSPR from JO54ag at a distance of 685kms. This brings my total now to 51 unique reports on the band since I started in September 2009. Still just running 1mW ERP.

Conditions must be good as I've just had another report from  LA3EQ in JO28 at 769kms as well. I'll leave the WSPR beacon running overnight tonight.

Got my shack back

All the family apart from my wife Lis and our grandson have gone home after Christmas now, so I've got my shack back again and can do some evening operating and WSPRing. The 500kHz beacon is on at the moment and I'm getting decent reports from OR7T. I hear that Finbar EI0CF/GI4DPE is now getting active on 500kHz WSPR. If he is able to hear me - I hope so - this would be a 9th country.

500kHz WSPR running today

The 500kHz WSPR beacon is running today but is unlikely to be on this week very much as we have our grandchildren coming to stay, so there will be a happy chaos about the place! Only M0LMH has spotted me so far this morning, at 223kms. Last night I got reports from G, GM, ON and DL.