6m Es: good today

WSPRing on 6m got off to a good start with a three spots of SQ9SIM (1325km) around 1012z. G4IKZ is also spotting me well as usual over our 18km local path.

Sunspot count is 96 with "normal" 20-30MHz conditions. I shall probably stick on 6m , looking mainly for Es and GDX, but may go back to 10m if 6m is very very quiet. This week I have been spotted twice in South America (Brazil and Uruguay) on 10m WSPR with 2W.

So far, SQ9SIM has spotted my 6m 1W ERP weakly just once on WSPR at -29dB S/N.

UPDATE 1040z: Very strong spot from DK8NE (755km) just now of my 1W ERP on 6m. Looks like a good day for 6m Es.

UPDATE 1050z: G4ENZ (176km) in IO81vv being spotted quite well on 6m GDX. Doppler (2Hz) suggests aircraft reflection, at least on some transmissions?

UPDATE 1100z: 4X1RF (3519km) spotted my 6m 1W ERP at 1058z at a respectable -22dB S/N. Also, even more spots by German stations. This is a VERY good 6m day!

UPDATE 1230z:  Es from SQ9, DL, F, I and 4X1 so far plus GDX. A good day so far on 6m QRP.

UPDATE 1620z:  All quiet here this afternoon on 6m apart from 20+ spots from G4IKZ.  Still amazed at spots from Israel -  that is SOME distance on 6m, especially with 1W ERP from a small V2000 vertical.

UPDATE 1717z:  At 1648z a surprise +3dB S/N spot from CN8LI (2113km) in Morocco of my 1W ERP 6m WSPR signal.

UPDATE 1945z:   Quite a lot of spots now being exchanged with CN8LI (1830-1918z ish). 6m open in that direction.

6m unique spots today

QSY to 10m WSPR

In the end I QSYed to 10m WSPR at 1424z and was rewarded immediately by Es WSPR spots from EA6URL in the Balearic Is (1439km). Several spots given and received from the Spanish area in the next 60 minutes. I'll stick on 10m for the rest of the day now to see if more distant stations (outside Europe) appear.

UPDATE 1700z:   So far, only European Es on 10m today. I shall keep looking, but chances of South America or further, are now reducing.

UPDATE 1745z:  Still just EU Es on 10m WSPR. Mainly, but not totally, in direction of Spain.

UPDATE 1830z:  Sometime between 1736z and a few minutes ago my WSPR program just stopped working. I have reset the internet clock and restarted the WSPR software. No idea what I have missed, but my Win 8.1 PC wants to do this from time to time, for no apparent reason. It also lost 10m settings. It is working now and I am still being spotted by EA6URL. Still no real DX.

UPDATE 1915z:    Still just EU Es on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 2000z:  It was worth the wait: CX2ABP (11127km) in Montevideo spotted my 2W WSPR at 1946z.  Real DX at last. Signal report was weak at -31dB S/N and I wonder if it was Es (to Spain) + F2 layer for the rest of the path? I wonder if there will be other South Americans later? There seems to be a distinct lack of South American stations on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 2145z:   No more Es since 2004z. Going QRT shortly.

UPDATE 2215z:   QRT.

Unique 10m WSPR spots today (to 1840z)

472kHz transverter

It is always very satisfying to see when someone has taken one of my designs and taken it on to the next stage. In the case of M1GEO, he has made a PCB for a design based on my transverter. It looks so much better than my original! Dead bug build style is fine for "one offs" mind you.

See http://www.george-smart.co.uk/wiki/472_kHz_Transverter

It is quite a while since I was last on 472kHz. I really should try loading up  the feeder to my 2m/70cm antenna to see how this performs.

Good start on 6m Es today

IK1WVQ was spotted at 0924z and I was spotted by OE1MSB (1220km)  as early as 0824z on 6m WSPR. This is a promising start on 6m WSPR.

Sunspot count is 110 and 20-30MHz conditions described as "normal".  This is of no relevance to 6m Es propagation (at least not directly), but suggests half decent DX conditions on 10m. I may QSY to 10m later for a change.

UPDATE 1210z:   No more 6m Es here since 0928z. Got to be patient!

UPDATE 1420z:   Still no more 6m Es here, so will probably QSY to 10m shortly. G4IKZ spotting me lots (a local).

QRP calling frequencies

Although currently I spend most of my time on WSPR or other digital modes (saves my voice - stroke) here is a list of QRP calling frequencies which may be useful.

See http://www.njqrp.org/data/qrp_freqs.html . It shows European frequencies as well as USA ones.

My usual technique with QRP is "listen and pounce". I rarely call CQ on QRP and find this the more successful approach. Often the other station has no idea I am using very low power.

6m Es today

At 1504z OE1MSB was being spotted here on 6m WSPR using 2W RF. So far, this is the first Es I have seen today. Maybe there will be others around teatime?

I am beginning to wonder if 4X1RF, who spotted me recently, was 6m  by F-layer.   He spotted me no less than 7 times that afternoon, but has not spotted me since, even once.

At 1542z and 1602z G4VXE (136km) was spotted by tropo (maybe some aircraft reflection?) - a good GDX distance - when Tim was using 5W. Tim spotted my 1W ERP at 1558z.

UPDATE 1750z: CN8LI (2113km) has just spotted me twice.  Decent Es.

Full QTH locator

QTH locator (10m digit version)

Most times people exchange QTH locators as a 6 letter/number combination but for even greater accuracy, more can be added to give a better fix. My full QTH locator is JO02DG95LK. Note the 95LK on the end of JO02DG.

As an example, on the 25km path to G0LRD the error using 6 digits is around 1km. The actual path (using the full 10 digit locators at each end) is 26.516km. Sometimes the error is such that paths appear longer with 6 digits. It all depends on where in the 6 digit square one sits.

6m quiet so far today (to 1130z)

Just the usual local spots on 6m this morning- G4IKZ, G4KPX and GOLRD copied and no Es as yet. Sunspot count is 133 and 20-30MHz forecast is "normal" today.

President Lincoln II transceiver

The price of this rig for 10m is still too high and stocks at Nevada are nil, so demand must be good. I am still thinking about getting one, but am in no hurry. 10m remains my favourite band of all.  I'll wait until the bugs are ironed out and the price drops a bit. People say it is just a fancy CB rig. Maybe, but the Mk 1 version was a good radio.  I used a Mk1 version for several years and some impressive DX was worked on SSB.

See http://www.president-electronics.com/en/The_CB_Radios/Fiche_produit.php?REF=TXSE041

G4IKZ (6m) - turning his beam?

Nick G4IKZ (18km) has been spotting me some 24dB weaker on 6m WSPR in the last 30 minutes or so. I suspect he has just rotated his horizontal beam, maybe towards the USA or Caribbean in the hope of seeing some super-DX by multi-hop Es. I am using just a V2000 vertical (omni) and where his beam is normally aiming (Europe?) the cross-polarisation loss is minimal.