1642z and CN8LI (2113km) has just spotted my 1W ERP again on 6m WSPR via Es. This is the teatime peak in Es - right on cue.
UPDATE 1736: CN8LI has spotted me 5 times (so far) this teatime at up to -14dB S/N. That makes 7 times so far today. When the propagation is there, signals are often strong. Doppler was -2Hz on his strongest report - moving Es clouds? G8JNJ/A was spotting me (184km) at 1724z.
UPDATE 1940z: CN8LI has been gone now since 1708z. I think the Es has gone and just GDX currently. G0OQK is a new GDX spotter (I think) at 98km at 1846z. There have been so many GDX reports that I am forgetting which stations are new ones.
15 Jun 2014
What is GDX?
This was a question I was asked earlier today. Someone thought it was an exotic digital mode. It is not.
GDX means "best DX in the UK" , nothing more.
If you live in the UK it is probably a phrase you know. If you live outside the UK then it may be a phrase you've maybe never heard of before or were too embarrassed to ask.
In the same way ODX means "best overall DX".
UPDATE 1545z: Just 6m locals and GDX this afternoon. No Es here since CN8LI lunchtime. May be more teatime?
GDX means "best DX in the UK" , nothing more.
If you live in the UK it is probably a phrase you know. If you live outside the UK then it may be a phrase you've maybe never heard of before or were too embarrassed to ask.
In the same way ODX means "best overall DX".
UPDATE 1545z: Just 6m locals and GDX this afternoon. No Es here since CN8LI lunchtime. May be more teatime?
Spotted by CN8LI (2113km) twice on 6m WSPR
CN8LI (2113km, Morocco) spotted my 1W ERP twice around 1200z today on 6m. This is the first real DX (Es presumably) today.
G4HBA (189km) is the best GDX so far today. He was spotted at -27dB S/N at 1138z when running 10W with 2Hz Doppler, so maybe some aircraft reflection?
G4HBA (189km) is the best GDX so far today. He was spotted at -27dB S/N at 1138z when running 10W with 2Hz Doppler, so maybe some aircraft reflection?
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| Recent 6m WSPR spots today |
6m GDX
After a brief outing on 10m (I and LA spots) I have QSYed up to 6m for the day and have so far been rewarded with locals and GDX out to 78km. Again I am still puzzled why I seem to give others much better reports than they give me. My noise floor is low but I am still puzzled. It is as if my TX is putting out about 10dB (at least) less than it says. Odd.
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| 6m WSPR spots to 1010z today |
The joy of Windows or is it Dell?
Last night my new Win 8.1 Dell PC decided it needed to install updates. I chose to switch off until restarting this morning. It said "Loading Windows updates. Do not switch off your computer". Being a good boy, I obeyed and waited as it got to 81% complete ...... and waited, and waited, had breakfast, went for a walk, had more breakfast and still it said 81%, please wait. In all it had now been 1 hr 40 minutes!
At this point I was about to ring up that nice Dell man in India when I decided to turn off the PC and try again. THIS time it sailed through 81% and reached 100% complete in no time. PC works fine! What the heck was going on?
At this point I was about to ring up that nice Dell man in India when I decided to turn off the PC and try again. THIS time it sailed through 81% and reached 100% complete in no time. PC works fine! What the heck was going on?
14 Jun 2014
Concentrate on 6m and 10m?
10m is my favorite band of all: there is the possibility of local QSOs on 10FM out to 30-40km (at least) even with very modest (CB level) powers to a 1/2 wave vertical. It is good for GDX with suitably equipped stations out to many hundreds of kilometres. F2 and Es propagation allow really long distances.
6m is the "magic band". It seems to be good for locals and GDX seems to work out pretty well too out to several hundred kilometres, as for 10m. Although F2 is rare except close to good sunspot maxima, Es is there every spring and summer and at other times too, but more rarely. More stations active (e.g. on WSPR - a great DX mode) would indicate more openings, I suspect.
Actually one could do a lot worse than concentrate on WSPR on these 2 bands only. That is what I may do in future. In effect I am already doing this, but I could better optimise the antennas - maybe a 1/2 wave vertical on 10m and a halo on 6m? My antennas may be compromised but in my present state of health (stroke) they will have to do.
UPDATE 1820z: All afternoon on 6m it has been just locals G4IKZ, G4KPX and G0LRD only here with no signs of GDX or Es at this QTH. Things on the "magic band" can change quite quickly, so I shall be staying on 6m for the rest of the day. We'll see.
UPDATE 1830z: Looking back through the WSPR logs I see G3IGU (172km) near Doncaster was being spotted here at 1254z with only very slight Doppler or warm-up drift (-1Hz). This may have been tropo or a favorable aircraft again. So there was some GDX around. I have seen a surprising number of GDX stations now on 6m at decent distances. Theseare all "accidental" spots - no skeds, I just happened to see these stations.
As I write this I see G6AVK (78km) is spotting my 1W ERP at -27dB S/N at 1830z , yet more GDX.
UPDATE 2030z: Just the locals reporting me. No Es or GDX currently.
UPDATE 2155z: Still just the locals. Soon be time to pull the big switch to off.
6m is the "magic band". It seems to be good for locals and GDX seems to work out pretty well too out to several hundred kilometres, as for 10m. Although F2 is rare except close to good sunspot maxima, Es is there every spring and summer and at other times too, but more rarely. More stations active (e.g. on WSPR - a great DX mode) would indicate more openings, I suspect.
Actually one could do a lot worse than concentrate on WSPR on these 2 bands only. That is what I may do in future. In effect I am already doing this, but I could better optimise the antennas - maybe a 1/2 wave vertical on 10m and a halo on 6m? My antennas may be compromised but in my present state of health (stroke) they will have to do.
UPDATE 1820z: All afternoon on 6m it has been just locals G4IKZ, G4KPX and G0LRD only here with no signs of GDX or Es at this QTH. Things on the "magic band" can change quite quickly, so I shall be staying on 6m for the rest of the day. We'll see.
UPDATE 1830z: Looking back through the WSPR logs I see G3IGU (172km) near Doncaster was being spotted here at 1254z with only very slight Doppler or warm-up drift (-1Hz). This may have been tropo or a favorable aircraft again. So there was some GDX around. I have seen a surprising number of GDX stations now on 6m at decent distances. Theseare all "accidental" spots - no skeds, I just happened to see these stations.
As I write this I see G6AVK (78km) is spotting my 1W ERP at -27dB S/N at 1830z , yet more GDX.
UPDATE 2030z: Just the locals reporting me. No Es or GDX currently.
UPDATE 2155z: Still just the locals. Soon be time to pull the big switch to off.
Back to 6m
After a fun day on 10m, I've now gone back to 6m and my 1W ERP was immediately spotted on WSPR by locals G0LRD and G4IKZ. On the lookout for more distant 6m stations now by any mode.
UPDATE 1120: G4KPX (14km) is spotting me well on 6m and the first 6m GDX today G4HBA (189km) using 10W from IO93fn square (near Barnsley, Yorkshire) is being spotted here at -25dB S/N with 3Hz Doppler, suggesting aircraft involvement.
UPDATE 1120: G4KPX (14km) is spotting me well on 6m and the first 6m GDX today G4HBA (189km) using 10W from IO93fn square (near Barnsley, Yorkshire) is being spotted here at -25dB S/N with 3Hz Doppler, suggesting aircraft involvement.
10m Es and early morning MS?
LB9YE and I have been exchanging WSPR spots since 0458z this morning. In both directions there is considerable Doppler. On another signal (not currently decoding) there are clear signs of meteor reflections as the signals are strong but in short bursts. I wonder if MS was playing a part in LB9YE's decodes?
Earier in the night PB0AIC (288km) was decoded STRONGLY at -8dB S/N . At this range I assumes this was early morning tropo or again possibly MS? At the very same time 0404z, G8VDQ (93km) , was decoded strongly at -12dB S/N.
Otherwise all quiet on the Es front.
I do wonder sometimes about Es (SPORADIC E-layer) reflections. Many signals do come into this category with fleeting, often quite localised, strong openings, but many others are anything but sporadic. Are these really Es as we know it or some other propagation?
Earier in the night PB0AIC (288km) was decoded STRONGLY at -8dB S/N . At this range I assumes this was early morning tropo or again possibly MS? At the very same time 0404z, G8VDQ (93km) , was decoded strongly at -12dB S/N.
Otherwise all quiet on the Es front.
I do wonder sometimes about Es (SPORADIC E-layer) reflections. Many signals do come into this category with fleeting, often quite localised, strong openings, but many others are anything but sporadic. Are these really Es as we know it or some other propagation?
13 Jun 2014
Even more 10m GDX and Es
At 1936z G8VDQ (93km) in IO91um was spotted here at -26dB S/N. When there are GDX stations they seem to be copied. G8VDQ's signal had -3Hz Doppler, suggesting aircraft reflection was involved.
UPDATE 1950z: Es is still in evidence with DK6UG spotting me 4 times (so far) now at around -22/-23dB S/N.
UPDATE 2120z: Es again; this time IK1WVQ (1084km) spotted at -20dB S/N.
UPDATE 1950z: Es is still in evidence with DK6UG spotting me 4 times (so far) now at around -22/-23dB S/N.
UPDATE 2120z: Es again; this time IK1WVQ (1084km) spotted at -20dB S/N.
10m Es - all quiet for a few hours
There has been no Es here since 1714z. I shall leave 10m WSPR running as it is quite possible there will be Es later, but the last hour has been very quiet on 10m.
At 1816z just spotted G0LRD who is a semi-local at a strong -13dB S/N. A few minutes later he spotted me at -23dB S/N. This may be conditions or that my antenna could be improved or is (unintentionally) directional.
UPDATE 1906z: Still no more Es here this evening since 1714z. Intrigued why G0LRD is so much better here than me with him. Don't imagine Dave has a very bad noise issue on 10m at his QTH so it is probably the antenna inefficiency here. I'd like to try a different antenna for 10m but this means antenna work which is very hard currently. The present antenna covers 10, 20 and 40m which is very useful and it does seem to get most of the F2 and Es stations OK. My 2W WSPR has been copied in Australia this year on 10, 20 and 40m.
UPDATE 1926z: Es still around on 10m. DK6UG (633km) spotting me at -22dB S/N at 1922z which is similar to the report he gave G0LRD. We are both running around 2W.
At 1816z just spotted G0LRD who is a semi-local at a strong -13dB S/N. A few minutes later he spotted me at -23dB S/N. This may be conditions or that my antenna could be improved or is (unintentionally) directional.
UPDATE 1906z: Still no more Es here this evening since 1714z. Intrigued why G0LRD is so much better here than me with him. Don't imagine Dave has a very bad noise issue on 10m at his QTH so it is probably the antenna inefficiency here. I'd like to try a different antenna for 10m but this means antenna work which is very hard currently. The present antenna covers 10, 20 and 40m which is very useful and it does seem to get most of the F2 and Es stations OK. My 2W WSPR has been copied in Australia this year on 10, 20 and 40m.
UPDATE 1926z: Es still around on 10m. DK6UG (633km) spotting me at -22dB S/N at 1922z which is similar to the report he gave G0LRD. We are both running around 2W.
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