Early 500kHz transatlantic reception tonight

WD2XSH/17 and WE2XGR/6 are being copied on WSPR by a few stations in the UK already this evening at 2230-2245. This is early, so it suggests conditions are good across the pond.

21MHz transatlantic - even at 1820z this evening

Conditions on 15m were good again today with the sunspot count still over 50 for the third straight day now. K1PU got me on my 5W CW just as the band was dying, but I missed my report in the QSB and lost him - 5 minutes earlier and it would have been a solid contact. Just noticed CX7CO (Uruguay) on 21.020 and coming up in strength.  At 1820 just worked WW2DX at 599 both ways when running 5W here. Definitely sounding like the good old days, although when the W stations start coming through regularly on 10m again we will know cycle 24 is truly in its stride.

A new station to appear on 500kHz - M1KTA

Dom M1KTA has just received his NoV for 500kHz and hopes to be active on CW (and WSPR I hope) very soon. Dom is not too far away from me (18kms), so a CW QSO should be a OK. It will be useful having another station quite close when experimenting.

79th unique 500kHz report tonight

This evening, after a bit of fun on 21MHz CW earlier this afternoon, I returned to 500kHz WSPR whilst getting on with other things. Just received a report from G1IRG in IO92og and he is now my 77th unique WSPR report on the band and the 79th station to receive my 1mW ERP signal on the band.

QRP DXing on 15m CW

With the improved sunspot count yesterday and today 15m has opened up to the Caribbean and to the USA this afternoon. First QSO was 9Y4VU at 1400z then WX3B at 1450. Both were with 5W CW into my 500kHz vertical via the T1 auto-ATU.  I did take a quick look on 10m, but nothing heard hear. Later I took a go at PSK31 and worked RA3GI and US2IR on 15m with around 3W. It is so good to hear the higher HF bands coming back to life again: it has been a long time mostly quiet but the GOOD times are back.

Sunspot count - 51

Just seen the sunspot number - 51. Things are looking up. If anything, I think that the rate of improvement in sunspot activity is slightly ahead of predictions. Maybe we'll have a bumper cycle 24 peak after all. Only time will tell.

Update: the count today is a staggering 71!!

VK2ZAY's version of the XBM80-2 transceiver

A few more people have been making the XBM80-2 transceiver. One is Alan Yates VK2ZAY who has made a de-luxe version with some refinements and additions. See it on his blog at http://www.vk2zay.net/article/238

Problem with Sprint Layout 4 PCB package

Trying to do a small PCB for the XBM80-2 80m micro-transceiver using the Sprint Layout 4 PCB layout package I hit a problem: wanting to use a single sided PCB for low cost I did a groundplane fill. Then I wanted to connect certain pads to this. I cannot see how to do this! Several people have offered advice, but nothing seems to work: any attempt just results in a new clearance area being created. In the end I gave up and filled in the ground as another track and join it to the pads manually. The resultant draft PCB (1 inch square)  is shown here. I have not built it on a PCB yet, so this is only a suggestion. An SMT version could be half the size - i.e. VERY tiny indeed.

XBM80-2 video and PCB (draft)

A short video about the XBM80-2 80m CW micro-transceiver. This is built "ugly style" on a piece of copper clad board. It will get put in a box soon! I've also been having a go at a PCB (just 1 inch square - 25mm x 25mm).

Back on 500kHz tonight

Having been playing around with the XBM80-2 80m micro transceiver for a couple of days, I've not been on 500kHz for a bit. However, I am back again tonight with the 1mW ERP WSPR beacon. Reports from LA3EQ and GM4SLV amongst others received so far.