QSYed down to 10m WSPR

In view of the quiet conditions on 6m, I have moved down to 10m WSPR instead just after 1330z. EA1KV (1304km) has spotted me 4 times already at good strength by Es. I am really hoping for some F2-layer DX but conditions don't look too favourable today.

EA1KV was spotted by me at 1414z at -3dB  S/N. Very strongly. I also spotted him at 1422z.  No other Es stations yet seen on 10m. No locals or GDX either.

UPDATE 1512z:   EA5CYA recently spotted by me. 10m is open to Spain at least. PA0O also spotted at 440km. Wondering if this is Es? Very short skip if it is. Doesn't look like tropo or aircraft.

UPDATE 1535z:  V53ARC is being spotted at good strength by DK6UG, so there is F2 propagation N-S on 10m today. I wonder if I'll see him here later?

UPDATE 1609z: EA1KV, DJ3LE (100mW) and PA0O all being spotted. This looks like a widespread EU Es opening on 10m. Still no sign of V53ARC here (yet) from Namibia.

UPDATE 1642z:  Just spotted (and been spotted by) M0MVB (30km) for my first "local" on 10m. With 3Hz Doppler on his signal, it is pretty likely planes were involved. Interestingly, there was zero Doppler on my signal with him.

6m Es - path to CN8LI again open

My first Es copy by CN8LI (2113km) today on WSPR was at 1124z this morning when he gave me a strong -12dB S/N report. I suspect we'll exchange lots more spots later by Es.

Sunspot count today is a modest 37 and 20-30MHz propagation forecast to be "fair" only. There may be some F2  propagation on 10m later, but probably not today.

Most 6m spots so far are from local G4IKZ (18km) and a few from G0OQK (98km - last spot 0846z 0dB Doppler). Still not certain if G0OQK is copyable by tropo without the presence of planes. I suspect not, but would be happier if I could receive G0OQK by tropo alone.

At the times of writing, there are only 31 station active on 6m WSPR in the entire world. There are even fewer on 10m (29). These are very low indeed in my view.

UPDATE 1320z:   No more reports from CN8LI since 1124z.

More lightning maps

In an earlier blog post comment, a reader pointed out that on the latest version of these maps there is more detail: the maps show where the lightning flashes are being detected, so giving an idea of intensity.  See http://www.blitzortung.org/Webpages/index.php?lang=en. These maps really tell you a lot. It shows no thunder or lightning at present in the UK. Over the Alps it is still intense and now in Russia as well.

G0LRD tells me this data is also available on the maps I linked to if "stations" are selected.

6m - overnight

Just resync'd the internet clock and will leave WSPR running on 6m overnight looking for very long distance, multi-hop Es (ever hopeful), GDX and near continentals by tropo or aircraft reflections. Just got to hope the software does not stop working on my Win 8.1 machine in the middle of the night!

There is some debate about tropo versus aircraft reflection on 6m. David G0LRD is of the view that most of my 6m WSPR GDX is tropo, whereas I feel it is because of aircraft reflection, but only when the Doppler is low enough. Sometimes you have to wait hours and hours for  this.

I'd much prefer it if these relatively long (for me) GDX paths were pure tropo, but feel the evidence points to aircraft reflections. The debate and evidence gathering continues, HI.

G0OQK by pure tropo?

The most recent transmission from Nick G0OQK (98km) was at 1854z. Unlike earlier transmissions this was received as a single straight line on the WSPR software screen with not even a hint of aircraft reflections. I wonder if this was pure tropo?  His signal strength was -20dB S/N.

The alternative explanation is this was just a single plane flying in such a direction that there was no Doppler on the signal. I think this means a plane exactly crossing the path between us. I need to dig out that software G3WKW mentioned to see when planes are optimally placed. A reminder it was http://www.airscout.eu.

6m - CN8LI copied on WSPR

At 1646z I copied CN8LI (2113km) on 6m WSPR for the first time today at a strong -9dB S/N. I think we are seeing the teatime peak in Es. He was also copied again at 1754z at a strong -9dB S/N. No other Es seen today (yet). He copied me again strongly at 1806z.

UPDATE 1844z:   CN8LI has (so far) been seen 5 times this evening. He was a remarkably strong +4dB S/N at 1826z.  Just like a real local!  So far, he has spotted me 6 times already today. The "pipe" to Morocco is in place again today!

UPDATE 1945z:  CN8LI has copied me loads of times today so far:

CN8LI's 6m WSPR spots of my 1W ERP so far so far today

UPDATE 2242z:  My last 6m spot of CN8LI seems to have been at 2008z.

Sunspots slowly falling?

Today's sunspot count is 65 with "normal" 20-30MHz conditions. It looks to me as if the solar activity is now on the slide downwards. This does not mean an end to good conditions. This autumn 15, 12 and 10m should still be in very good shape and it will be a few years before we really see the changes.

There are all sorts of predictions about the next few cycles. The consensus is the next few cycles will be ones with low solar activity. It is still too soon to say if we are really entering another Maunder minimum. Don't worry: this is a chance to explore HF in different times. There is unlikely to be any (much) East-West F-layer propagation on 12,10 and 6m but North-South propagation will be possible some of the time and openings on Es can be surprisingly distant in all directions at the optimum times of the year.

And there are always VHF, UHF, microwaves and nanowaves to explore!

Let us see the coming years as a challenge. We may never see really good conditions again in our lifetimes but there will still be interesting propagation and DX to be worked and heard.

6m WSPR - G0OQK spotted (with Doppler) and CN8LI

For the first time G0OQK (98km) has been on TX so this was my chance to see if reception here was pure tropo or aircraft assisted.

Well, looking at his last traces here I can see 2 or 3 traces in each 2 minute burst suggesting reflection from planes. This is far cleaner than I've seen some stations. I guess it says something about the flight paths.  WSPR seems to  decode the transmission with little Doppler, but there is little doubt that Nick's 2W to a V2000 is helped by aircraft reflection. Of course, being in the Chilterns I wonder if it is reflections from gliders?

This suggests almost all (or all?) 6m GDX signals copied here are aided by aircraft reflection and few/none are traditional tropo. For more local stations most signals are tropo but even over 25km paths people frequently see Doppler from aircraft on my traces. I guess it depends whether the direct path, or aircraft reflected path, dominates? For locals, the direct (tropo) path usually dominates.

UPDATE 1510z:  No 6m Es here so far today and just a couple of spots received  of G0OQK (98km).  I noticed more traces of Nick than proper decodes, either Doppler wrong or MS pings too short.

UPDATE 1516z:  My WSPR software decided to close on its own this afternoon (Win 8.1 issue with updates) so I have resync'd the internet clock and restarted the WSPR software. It is now working OK as G4IKZ is spotting me at 1506z. Seeing 50Hz sidebands on the very strong reports from this Nick. Not sure if it is his issue or mine. Not really worried as it only appears, sometimes, on strong signals.

UPDATE 1532z:  I spoke too soon as CN8LI (2113km) spotted me at 1516z just after I spotted G4FFC (45km). There is Es about today.

6m WSPR return

After the nearby storms had passed, I reconnected rig, PC and antenna at 0900z this morning.  G4IKZ (18km) is back looking - I wonder if he closed down for the storms too? - and he is spotting me well.  G0OQK (98km) is also looking and giving me similar (low Doppler) reports as on earlier days. As yet, no Es seen here today.

Alpine storms and Es

I cannot remember the supposed link between Es and thunderstorms (something to do with sprites going upwards from thunder clouds?) but with plenty of thunderstorms in the Alps, I wonder how Es will be tomorrow? Maybe conditions to southern Europe will be good on 6m Es?

Although I probably could safely reconnect antennas this evening now the storms have passed, I think it will be better to wait until the morning.

Knowing my luck, the 6m band will open transatlantic tonight and I shall miss it all! That would not be the end of the world.