10m Es, F2 and GDX

On 10m G4DAY (142km) was copied twice in the early morning and again at 0940z.

Es has been plentiful this morning.   Looking at the WSPR screen earlier there was lots of MS about with several traces of intermittent (non decoding) signals on 10m WSPR, presumably UK or EU signals reflecting off meteor trails. Es so far includes DL6UG, DL6NL, EB3EPR, EA5CYA,  LB9YE and HB9JOI.

Also spotted FR1GZ (9724km) by F2 propagation at 1038z, 1122z and again at 1128z.

10m is a far more productive band than 6m. Interestingly, G4DAY (10W) was being spotted by Es several times in the night suggesting Es propagation was there but not good enough to allow my 2W to be decoded. For some Es and GDX it seems 10W helps.

Back to 10m (from 6m)

In the last few minutes I have moved back to 10m WSPR from 6m. On 6m I was still getting GDX spots but no Es. On 10m there is still Es about and already I have been spotted by SA6BSS (1059km) and am spotting LB9YE (1533km), decent DX across Europe.

I have reset the clock on internet time and will leave 10m running through the night. We'll see how early the first 10m Es and F2 start appearing, as long as the PC does not crash!

Sunspot count was 159 today (pretty good) with 20-30MHz propagation "normal". Let us hope tomorrow will be similar and we get some F2 propagation on 10m.

In praise of the FT817(ND) and QRP

FT817ND QRP transceiver

I have owned an FT817 practically since it was first released in the UK back in 2000. The FT817ND was bought this spring as a second QRP rig along with a Z817 auto-ATU.  The transceivers are mostly used at home. They are ideal for digital modes.

In my view, the FT817ND is the very best rig available. My FT817ND was just under 500 pounds for cash, brand new with 2 yrs warranty. The nearest rig (about 5 times larger!) was the FT7 10W radio which did not cover WARC bands, much of 10m , 6m, 2m or 70cm.

The FT817ND could be further improved in several ways but if 5W (or less) is all you need, then this is an excellent radio. The KX3 is no doubt a better radio but is far more expensive (here in the UK) and is less suited for home use in my view. For the price of one fully loaded KX3 you can buy two FT817ND's in the UK.

If you have never owned an FT817ND you don't know what you've been missing.

As a plug for QRP, going from 100W to 5W is about 2-3 S-points. So if 100W would have been 59 you'd still be 56 at least with 5W. What's all the fuss about high power? I have worked THE WORLD on SSB with just  2.5W to simple wire antennas (no beams!).

My FT817's have been used on VLF,  LF and MF with home-brew transverters and on all HF and VHF bands working some impressive DX.

There is a myth that QRP is "hard". Let me tell you that is rubbish. Sometimes power helps, but that is rare. Mostly QRP is just plain good fun - making the hobby all new again. The most I use these days is 5W, and more often far less. QRP is great fun.

Go for it!

6m Es teatime - CN8LI (Morocco) right on time!

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.

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?

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.