G0IMG (Mike) a silent key

Yesterday I heard that G0IMG, Mike Gotch, from Saffron Walden has died. Mike used to be one of my bosses years ago at Philips. Mike became a keen 10m and 6m DXer. About a year ago he had a serious stroke and was left severely paralysed. RIP Mike.

40m WSPR with 100mW

For a change I put my WSPR beacon on 40m this afternoon and set the output power to 100mW. Within minutes there were reports coming in and some are very good. For example, -9dB S/N from a German station suggesting another 20dB attenuation (i.e. 1mW out) and the signal might still be copied. A few minutes later and there was a log from an LA 1500kms away. Incidentally, several CQs on 40m CW with 1W failed to get a response an hour earlier! I'm now trying 100mW on 30m.

500kHz 1mW ERP DX record: 960kms

Last night, a new personal DX record was set on 500kHz WSPR with a report from DG6RCH not far from the Austrian border in S.Germany. He was located in JN68 square and the distance was 960kms. Just 40kms more to beat the 1000kms barrier!

Also last night I heard EI6IZ for the first time.

500kHz good again tonight

Switched on my WSPR station earlier. Already had reports from 9 different stations on the database as far apart as the Shetland Is (GM) to the north (896kms) plus PA and ON to the east (337kms).

Last night I partially decoded WD2XSH/17 (just QTH locator), who I received twice in December. Still hoping that my 1mW ERP signal will break the magic 1000kms barrier (just 49kms more to go). There are LOTS of stations listening on 500kHz WSPR at the moment, so this must be one of my best chances tonight.

The 500kHz antenna was coming down to make way for the 28MHz halo, but I think I'll wait a few more weeks, not least because the roof is frozen and the antenna is covered in snow!

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.