20m - real DX at breakfast time!

20m WSPR was running overnight and lots of Ws seen last night. Breakfast time on 20m WSPR was excellent with ZL3DMH (18887km) in RE66im square (Christchurch,NZ) and several VKs spotting me. It was a very good start, especially as my 20m antenna is so low and so poor (PAR 10/20/40m end-fed at about 3-4m AGL).

Sunspot count today is 94 and 20-30MHz propagation "fair". A QSY to 10m is now called for to check for F2 and Es propagation.

I am still in awe of the pure magic of radio: 2W into a very indifferent antenna and this can be detected on the far side of the planet. I know others have done far better, but it still sends shivers down my spine!

20m activity

I called CQ on 20m in JT9-1 and then JT65 just before tea without success. Since switching to 20m WSPR I was met with immediate success.  VK5MR was copied and now there are plenty of Canadian and USA stations being spotted or spotting me.  WSPR really is a good mode.

UPDATE 1856z:  OX3XR (3206km) was a new country on 20m WSPR just now. 12 reports received in a single WSPR 2 minute transmission!

10m - still good Es and GDX , but no F2 seen here yet

PT2WWV stopped coming through late last evening but this morning Es has been good from southern Europe since before breakfast. Overnight  a couple of new G stations were seen G3ZTU (144km) and G7EOB (76km).

Sunspot count today is 90 and 20-30MHz propagation "fair". F2? Any ones guess.

UPDATE 1507z: Spanish stations have been coming in by 10m Es all day. So far,no F2 propagation has been seen here,

UPDATE 1525z:  QSYing to 20m for some JT9-1 2-way QSOs I hope,

73 magazine online

Just received this from Martin Mann in Cambridge. For some years Martin ran Cambridge Kits although I think he is now retired. When looking for a particular edition of 73, be sure to replace the year and month with the one you need. The year has to be changed in two places in the link!

"Roger, 

Have you heard of Bill Hoisington, K1CLL, now sadly a silent key?  He was a prolific contributor on UHF to 73 Magazine in the '60s and 70s and is still a good read today, at least for a dabbler like me.  No expensive ICs, ha.  There is a list of his articles at http://mikeyancey.com/73mag/listauthor.php?Author=K1CLL and you can download complete copies of each issue of 73 Magazine as at http://library.vss.pl/lib/mag73/1967/73%20Magazine%20-%201967-07.pdf .  The files are about 30MB and take about 5 min to download, the 73 server being rather slow.  For something a bit meatier the HICKMAN, I. (2002). Practical Radio-Frequency Handbook (3rd ed.) at http://worldtracker.org/media/library/Electronics%20and%20Communications/Electronics%20ebook%20collection%20II/HICKMAN,%20I.%20(2002).%20Practical%20Radio-Frequency%20Handbook%20(3rd%20ed.).pdfis pretty good and only 2 MB.  Do you know any other magazines with back issues on pdf ?  Hoping talking is easier for you now,  

Martin"

Sunspots and 10m

Sunspot count today is 64 (modest) and 20-30MHz propagation "normal". 10m F2 is possible. Es and GDX are still quite likely, although so far on 10m WSPR it has been quiet with just local G4KPX (14km) spotted strongly at -7dB S/N.

There are a couple of signals coming through for much less than 2 minutes that may be Es or even MS. So far, these have not decoded.

G0LRD (25km) has spotted me now at -13dB S/N.

UPDATE 1538z:   PT2WWV (8873km) has been spotted by F2 this afternoon. Earlier in the afternoon,there was Es from Spain.

UPDATE 1835z: Italians now being spotted by 10m Es - IK1WVQ (1084km) and IK3NLK (1136km).

UPDATE 1900z: PT2WWV (8873km) is again being spotted. Not sure if this pure F2 or a combination of F2 and Es. So far, the Brazilian has been spotted 5 times.

UPDATE 2025z:  PT2WWV has been spotted 11 times so far today.

UPDATE 2200z: PT2WWV  has been spotted 19 times on 10m WSPR today so far. I shall leave WSPR running overnight to see when this F2 opening finally ends. 8873km is a decent distance on 10m this long into the evening and darkness here.

472kHz WSPR overnight

Overnight, I ran 472kHz WSPR but only the same old stations spotting and being spotted.  After G3XDV last night, no new stations in the log. Even with 5mW ERP, I don't think I am missing much: this seems enough to reach most stations.

Have now QSYed to 10m WSPR.

Back on 472kHz WSPR - and a new reporter!

About 50 minutes ago, I returned to 472kHz WSPR and was rewarded by a report from a new reporter this summer G3XDV. In the last 2 weeks of MF operation I have been spotted by 16 different stations. A lot more stations, if active, would be in range. Activity seems low regrettably.

Early evening on 472kHz WSPR

UPDATE 2030z:  The last time I looked there were 41 stations active on 472kHz WSPR. This is more than I can ever recall.

Now back to 20m

As 10m was the same as before (plenty of Es) I have returned to 20m WSPR but will try 20m JT65 and JT9-1 shortly. 10m F2 propagation is being seen in S.Europe, but has been absent with me.

UPDATE 1422z:  Best report so far on 20m WSPR is LA9JO (2096km). Nothing outside Europe so far.

UPDATE 1555z:  Just spotted VK5MR (16144km) on 20m WSPR. He was spotted again a little later. This is the best DX today. VK5MR was -23/-25dB S/N with 10W. This means my 2W (ERP less) would be inaudible his end.  He'd need to be around -16dB S/N with me for a chance of him copying me.  In the past, I have been spotted in  Australia on 40m, 20m and 10m with 1W WSPR or less, but not today.

UPDATE 1745z: VK5MR has now been spotted 4 times.

Gone back to 10m

Since about 5 minutes ago, I have QSYed back to 10m WSPR.  OZ7IT and G4KPX are good signals currently. I may try JT65/JT9-1 later on 10m or 20m.

UPDATE 1400z: All very quiet on 10m now with just locals G0LRD and G4KPX.  I may QSY back to 20m?  SM67464 (999km) was the last Es spot before lunch. G8JNJ/A (184km) was spotted at lunch time presumably by tropo and aircraft reflection (GDX).

40m WSPR

For the last 40 minutes I have been on 40m WSPR with the very indifferent PAR end-fed. Plenty of spts given and received, as might be expected. Will QSY back to 10m soon.

40m WSPR uniques in first 40 mins