12m across the pond

Yesterday, Feb 15th, there was transatlantic DX to be heard on the 24MHz (12m) band. It was good to hear W stations again. It is only a matter of time now before the first decent F2 openings begin again on 10m. I have the feeling this will be in the next 4 weeks and we will not have to wait until the autumn. Occasionally there are E layer openings in the summer months but it is the REAL 10m and 6m F2 openings I'm looking forward to again: when 10m properly gets back into its stride there will be strong stations all the way from 28-29.7MHz and from most of the world at the right time of day. On favourable days in the autumn there will be openings to the USA and Canada from Europe on 6m too. Probably not this year, but there will be a good chance next (2011).

10m WSPR

Whilst in the shack checking emails and my blog, I've been WSPRing on 10m. The only report so far is from G4IKZ not far from me. V53ARC is active on 10m and has been received in Europe today but I have yet to spot him.

10m FM

This afternoon I called CQ on 29.6MHz FM but no-one came back to my call. Going back 20 years or so there was a lot of activity on 10m FM with many people in the UK using converted FM CB rigs. With 4W and a vertical half wave I could work out to about 30-40kms without problems. Sadly, activity is very low here now except when there is sporadic-E about. 10FM was a good way of checking DX as often quite distant repeaters would pop up out of the noise, especially ones on the east coast of the USA. 

WSPR in QSO mode

Stations on 500kHz using WSPR in QSO mode are using the latest WSJT7 software used for modes like JT6m, JT65 and JT4. An option in the software allows the use of WSPR.  Stations are using frequencies outside of the WSPR beaconing sub-band of 503.8-504kHz. For the next few days my shack is being used as a bedroom for my little grandson, so it may be the middle of next week before I can try WSPR QSO mode.

500kHz WSPR 2-way QSOs

This evening a few stations have been having 2-way QSOs using WSPR. I'm not exactly sure what the procedure is for this, but it is something I must try! This was a summary of the exchanges for a couple of QSOs:

213202  13   0 -0.5    -6  0  CQ G4WGT IO83
213602  10  -2 -0.3    -5  0  M0BMU S1
213602  16   4 -0.2     6  0  G7NKS IO92 20
214002  13   4 -0.3    -5  0  M0BMU S1
214402  16  -1 -0.5    -5  0  M0BMU R S6
214402  17   5 -0.5     6  0  G7NKS IO92 20
214802  13   0 -0.3    -5  0  73 DE G4WGT IO83

And Jim:
221002  10   4 -0.4    31  0  M0BMU S2
221402  10   4  0.0    31  0   G7NKS RRR
221802   9   5 -0.5    31  0  73 DE G7NKS IO92

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.