10m - evening Es

Quite out of the blue IK1WVQ (1084km) was spotted just now at -12dB S/N. Es just happens - sporadically. Also copied was G8JNJ/A (184km) by GDX. There have been watery, Doppler affected, signals visible for hours, without decodes.

HAARP - stay of execution?

It looks like the HAARP (supposedly auroral research) facility in Alaska may remain until May 2015 although non critical (movable) kit is already being moved out. It remains to be seen what happens after next year. HAARP is also known for its generation of ELF radio signals as a result of ionospheric heating. The peak power of the facility on HF was massive.

10m - tropo?

In the last few hours, I have spotted PB0AIC several times with low(ish) Doppler at 288km.  This is far too short for Es (unless the skip is extremely short, suggesting a 2m Es opening?) so I wonder if this is pure tropo? The distance exceeds most GDX  (usually possible with aircraft reflections) out to around 200km.  I have spotted PA stations before on 10m now.

Recent WSPR spots today

10m Es and GDX already

Since resyncing the clock and restarting the software around 0830z, G3JKV (123km) has been spotted several times as GDX and LA3JJ (993km) and I have exchanged WSPR spots once via Es. Strange how later in the Es season, it seems to favour more northerly latitudes.

Sunspot count today is just 11 (low) and 20-30MHz propagation described as "fair". We'll be lucky to catch any real DX by F2 today I think. This is the lowest sunspot count in a long time. Although there will still be good days, I think we are "on the slide" now and have passed the peak of this cycle.

As Es conditions worsen, I seem to be spending more time on 10m now than 6m. With patience, both bands will still be good for Es for some time yet.  Last summer I was still regularly working Es DX on 6m right into September.

I was in hospital from mid-Sept to January, so have no idea of 6m conditions during that period. In my current (wobbly) state of health, digital modes (no talking) are easier on my voice than SSB or FM.

UPDATE 0930z:  TF3HZ (1837km) in Iceland spotted at  -26dB S/N via Es.

10m - real F2 DX at teatime (and later)

LU8EX (11208km) running 5W was spotted at 1726z this evening on WSPR at -25dB S/N. This is clearly N-S F2 propagation, much to my surprise today. Even though the sunspot count was just 25, it goes to show there can still be very decent DX around. going N - S. I assume my lower power was buried in the local noise at his end. And/or there was no propagation when I was TXing.

10m unique WSPR spots today, so far - duplicates not shown

LU8EX is just NW of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  It is still possible other S.Americans will be seen before the day is over.

UPDATE 1925z:  LU8EX has now been spotted 5 times at up to -13dB S/N (strong),  No other S.Americans seen so far this evening. At this strength I am surprised not to have been heard in Argentina.  Maybe LU8EX has no WSPR RX capability or a very high noise floor?

UPDATE 2025z:  No further F2 sen here after 1902z (LU8EX).

10m - Es

At 0930z, 10m opened to Scandinavia with SM6WZI (1007km) copied. Later,, SI9AM (1503km) was copied 4 times. I will see if it opens again later.

UPDATE 1712z:  By teatime, the  10m band was pretty productive WRT WSPR via Es. Best Es DX spot was Z35BY (1956km) in Skopje. Also spots seen to/from Italy and some GDX.

10m - early GDX G8VDQ

This morning, I turned on 10m WSPR early at around 0615z. All was quiet until G8VDQ (93km) was successfully decoded a couple of times in the last hour. He is in IO91um square. There were a few weak and badly Dopplered signals (multiple aircraft reflections) copyable, but these were not decoded. Of course, some of the shift is my rig warming, but multiple aircraft reflections are clear to spot. He is using 5W (antenna not known) whereas my ERP is just 1W meaning I am probably below his noise floor. I use the FT817 (2.5W setting) via a length of lossy RG58 to a V2000 vertical.

Although early still, no Es seen yet today on 10m.

Sunspot count is low at just 25 but 20-30MHz propagation is forecast to be "normal". We'll be lucky to see N-S F2 propagation today I think, but 10m is a fickle band and you never quite know.

10m WSPR spots at last

G8JNJ/A (184km) has been spotted 3 times now. I had a partial decode hours ago (just the QTH locator IO90hx). Spotted between 2114z  and 2118z. No Es seen since turning the rig on. Today has been a very quiet day on 10m here.

FT817 - wrong setting!

Just realised that I had my FT817ND set to USB and not DIG, so I was not sending any modulation on WSPR TX! This has now been corrected, so I am hopeful of some spots this evening. This is the second time I have made this mistake. It remains to be seen if this was the reason for no spots earlier.

UPDATE 1820z:  Still no 10m spots!  Must be conditions. Will leave the rig on 10m this evening to see if things improve.

A quiet radio day

With physio this morning and gardening (as best I am currently able), the radio has only just been switched on to 10m. A few weak and watery signals are visible on the WSPR software with several Doppler shifted traces - obviously GDX - but none of it has yet decoded.

Sunspot count is 109 and 20-30MHz forecast is "normal" meaning some F2 DX may be possible. I see CX2ABP is being spotted over 8000km away in the USA.

No 10m Es seen here yet since I switched on about 1 hour ago. 

UPDATE 1745z:  Still no 10m WSPR decodes of anyone  - no locals no GDX, no Es and no F2. I was even wondering if the software had crashed, but it and the clock are spot-on. It's just a very quiet day on 10n here, so far.