Return to 6m

Just after midday local time I returned to 6m having switched off last night. So far, only G4IKZ (18km) is spotting me on WSPR and at excellent strength (+10/+11 dB S/N despite cross-polarisaton). No Es (yet) and no GDX (yet) but there is a lot of time today still to come.

UPDATE 1542z:  Just spots all afternoon from G4IKZ and no-one else so far.

UPDATE 1800z:   CN8LI (2113km) and I have exchanged WSPR spots 7 times since 1604z, many at great strength again. Es I assume although this propagation is almost predictable! No EAs active on WSPR so if multi-hop Es I shall never know.

Again there is a distinct lack of east coast USA stations, so any E-W multi-hop Es events across the Atlantic will go unnoticed on 6m WSPR today. A crying shame. East coast USA WSPR stations - where are you? We need YOU on and active!

UPDATE 1808z:  First Es in the other direction today - OH5MD (1757km) has spotted my 1W ERP at 1800z.

6m GDX

I have now closed down on 6m for the night, but not before spotting G8JNJ/A (184km) at -25dB S/N at 2032z. A little  earlier he spotted me. Otherwise the band is quiet apart from local G4IKZ (18km).

Around teatime I had a couple of Es spots from German stations on 6m.

6m odd conditions

Apart from CN8LI (2113km) and G4IKZ (18km) no-one else is spotting me or being spotted by me. If these are Es conditions (to CN8LI) I am surprised that more stations are not copyable. No GDX stations being copied either.

The last spot of CN8LI seems to have been at 1544z (no spots since then) and since then I've only seen local G4IKZ.

6m spots by CN8LI today (to 1536z)

6m - CN8LI lots of times today

6m has been good with lots of spots both ways of CN8LI (2113km) during the day. So far, he has spotted me ten times (see below)  and I have spotted him 5 times by 1435z. The common wisdom is this is Es but he is the ONLY DX spot so far and this is long distance for single hop. There is no sign of stations half way if this is double hop Es. Could it be F2-layer 1 hop? He has spotted me twice since (by 1525z).

Spots of my 1W ERP 6m WSPR signal by CN8LI (2113km)

Red legged partridges

Red legged partridges in the back garden

Slowly but surely the bird count at our new QTH is creeping up, although we see fewer small birds than at the old QTH on the village edge. This is a bit puzzling as we have plenty of trees, orchards and shrubs around and we put nuts out in the feeders. We do have a pair of red legged partridges that come in the garden most days. They seem to live in the close.

All my antennas (40m-70cm) are at one end of the garden and don't spoil the garden view at all.

Brother here - 70cm contest missed. Now on 6m.

Back garden

For the last few days I have had my brother and his wife staying here from Devon, so last night I missed out on the 70cm UKAC contest. Today I am back on 6m. Sunspot count is 149 with "good" 20-30MHz propagation with a danger of blackouts. My brother and his wife have gone home today.

Brother trimming our front hedge

G4IKZ (18km) is back on 6m so I can tell that my 6m WSPR is getting out even without Es yet. Note the false (?) decodes +/-50Hz when I am very strong. Not sure whose end this is, but it is not operationally an issue.

Nick's 6m spots of my 1W ERP WSPR signal so far today.

First 1.5hrs on 6m today

6m so far on WSPR

Just semi-locals on 6m today so far.  Maybe there will be Es about later? My locals G4IKZ and G4KPX don't appear to be on 6m today.

UPDATE  1746z:  Just the semi-locals still all afternoon, with no sign of 6m Es here today, well not yet! Will 61km be my best DX today?

UPDATE  1754z:   Just a few minutes later on 6m WSPR and OZ7IT (853km) in JO65df square was booming in at -8dB S/N by Es.

UPDATE 2105z:   No further Es seen here this evening on 6m.

10m WSPR yesterday

10m unique WSPR spots yesterday

Quite a productive day on 10m yesterday with both Es and F-layer DX about. Best DX spot of my 2W was from FR1GZ on Reunion Is. and my best spot was of CX2ABP (11127km) in Montevideo, S.America who uses 5W.

This morning I have returned to 6m but G4IKZ, my faithful local reporter is not on!

10m DX

Did not go on this morning but this afternoon I decided to go on 10m rather than 6m.  Sunspot count is 144 and the 20-30MHz forecast "normal" so I was hoping for some F-layer propagation.

My hunch was right as I exchanged WSPR spots with FR1GZ at 1238/1240z. FR1GZ  is 9724km away on Reunion Is in the southern Indian Ocean. At 1330z CX2ABP (11127km) was spotted in Montevideo.  Both definitely F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1352z:  Now a couple of German stations by Es. Also a spot from IZ1034SWL. 10m tends to be more productive than 6m.

UPDATE 1613z:   No more F2 DX this afternoon (so far) but spots from Italy and Spain and I have spotted stations in Italy and Germany by Es. Will stick with 10m this evening to see what turns up.  More from S.America would not surprise me.

UPDATE 2000z:  CX2ABP has been spotted very many times this evening at up to -15dB S/N. I suspect he is currently on TX only as no spots in the other direction.

Evening Es on 6m

Just CN8LI (2113km) at 1724z at -6dB S/N this evening via 6m Es. Otherwise very quiet on 6m.  Most spots were by G4IKZ (18km) who has been spotting me all day. A few spots from G4KPX (14km) too.