Portable and fixed mobile DXing

One of the things I'm looking forward to when I overcome my stroke is being able to enjoy portable and fixed mobile operation once again.

The image here is of operation last year from the edge of Dartmoor in Devon.  Several stations were worked in the USA with just a base loaded whip and 2W SSB from the FT817.

I am likely to be denied a driving licence for 12 months, so I have a long wait! My wife drives the car but does not like driving too far.

Ultimate 3 Beacon

The Hans Summers kit(s) for this are about to be dispatched so I can build a 10m WSPR TX beacon. In my current state of health I may wait a few months before attempting the build. At present even the smallest project tires me out completely. My building skills are at best clumsy. Winding a 472kHz loading coil, a simple task, really took it out of me a few days ago.

More 474.2kHz WSPR RX

Since late yesterday I have been WSPRing on 474.2kHz RX. Plenty of Europeans being copied including IQ2CJ,   F5WK,   DK7FC and LA1TN as well as EI,  PA and G stations. When I am fitter I shall return to 474.2kHz WSPR TX but at the moment I don't have the energy levels to set everything up.

6m WSPR - a disaster!

For the last few days I have been TXing and RXing on 6m WSPR with 2W and the V2000 vertical but apart from G4IKZ 18km away I have been copied by absolutely no-one and I have copied no-one either.

There were a couple of other G's on but too far away to copy and no luck from the few continentals active. My hopes of GDX or even wintertime Es were thwarted.

I have now returned to 630m RX and am already seeing LOTS of good European DX.

472kHz TX

Yesterday I wound a loading coil on a 110mm drainpipe for the 472kHz band which should allow me to transmit on the band using my homebrew transverter. The only thing stopping me is fatigue: I get SO tired doing the simplest of things because of my recent illness. With luck, I shall try this later this week.

6m WSPR

Since last night I have been WSPRing again on 6m using the V2000 vertical and 2W.  Apart from good strong reports from G4IKZ at 18km nothing has been reported, including no GDX. I was hopeful that the odd European might have been copied, but no luck so far.  G4IKZ gets me very strongly and reports weaker sidebands sometimes +/-100Hz. I am not sure if this is a TX or RX problem. It is only noticeable on very strong signals.

Building skills - still poor

As a result of my stroke, my building skills are still poor. Today I wound a loading coil for 472kHz on a 110mm diameter former and, frankly, it was very hard work and at the end of it I was exhausted.  Gradually my strength and stamina are returning, but there is some considerable way to go. I think, for now, I should avoid much experimentation that needs much/any building work.

G4VXE sked on 2m JT65B tonight

At 2000z I have a sked on 2m JT65B with G4VXE in Oxfordshire (IO91). Tim is running 25W to a V2000 vertical and me 2W to a V2000 vertical.  I hope we make the sked successfully especially hoping I get copied OK.

UPDATE  2040z: Although I could clearly see G4VXE (with 25-30W) sending JT65B when using Spectran I go no decodes from Tim, which cannot be right. I suspect finger trouble with my software (WSJT9). In the other direction my 2W was only copied as the occasional sync pulse and no decodes. G4VXE would have been workable on CW so I must be doing something wrong at my end with JT65B.

472kHz spots

My 472kHz WSPR reception continues and I now have 27 unique stations in the log. The latest stations, include HB9 which is also a new country, and the other station a G.

I have also wound  a loading coil and hope to TX on the band soon assuming I can match the antenna.

More 10m WSPR

Late this afternoon I was on 10m WSPR again with 2W and the Par 10/20/40 antenna. Yet again, the band was wide open to the USA and Canada with plenty of spots in both directions. Really, at present, 10m WSPR is too easy as DX is always there when I look.

UPDATE 1840z:  2.5 hrs after dark the 10m band was still wide open to the USA but then the transatlantic path suddenly died out.