Sunspots

Count today is a good 158 and 20-30MHz propagation "normal"

FT991

The FT991 is unlikely to be available in UK until next year says the MLS website according to G1KQH.  Price likely to be just under £1000. That would be a LOT more than the FT450D.

Sunspots

Sunspot count today is 154 (with blackouts) with 20-30MHz propagation described as "normal". This means some N-S 10m F2 propagation is quite probable.

Yesterday was quite a productive day on 10m with GDX, Es amd F2 all in evidence.  Best DX was CX2ABP in Montevideo at 11127km.

10m Es and F2 - this evening

It was worth waiting for. Since 1834z OH5XO (1943km) has been spotted 4 times already. This is the second station on Es seen here today. I am glad I did not QSY to 472kHz too early.

      OE6PWD 
      OH5XO

Yet again, 10m Es is still with us.

UPDATE 1946z:  Now DK6UG (633km) has spotted me a couple of times. Es a May, June, July phenomenon?  No - with WSPR it is longer.

UPDATE 1958z:   CX2ABP (11127km) in Uruguay is now spotting me via F2. This was a long time coming, but come it did.

UPDATE 2130z:  No DX (Es and F2) for the last hour and a half. Is that it for the day?  Time to go QRT now.

10m Es and F2 today

Es is still there today on 10m in the form of OE6PWD (1232km) spotted strongly (-13dB S/N) at 1238z. ZS1ANF was again being copied at 1240z, 1252z and 1300z. It appears I was using 500mW and not 2W on 10m this morning - wrong settings on FT817 - as I forgot to change from the FT817 settings used on 630m (472kHz) into the transverter on that band.

UPDATE 1342z:  The solar forecast has improved with 20-30MHz propagation now "good" (was fair). Is solar forecasting like weather? Hang up better seaweed or look out the window?

UPDATE 1347z:  There are currently 41 active 10m WSPR stations, but a total absence of stations in S.America at the moment. Great pity as that is where the N-S F2 will be next.
UPDATE 1550z:   There are now 44 active stations on 10m WSPR but still no South Americans on. V53ARC in Namibia (Africa) is the nearest active station. Such a pity. Not copied V53ARC here today though. ZS1ANF seems to be QRT now.

UPDATE 1835z:  No DX seen here since 1300z.  Thinking about QSYing to 472kHz but may wait another hour or so in case some 10m surprises appear. CX2ABP is monitoring 10m WSPR: if the band opens he may copy me. 38 active 10m WSPR stations listed currently - far too few.

10m F2 this morning on WSPR

This morning has started promisingly on 10m WSPR with ZS1ANF (9720km) logged at 1034z by F2 and a few GDX stations out to 184km. All stations were using 5W or less.

Sunspot count today is 170 (good) but 20-30MHz propagation described as only "fair".

UPDATE 1326z:  ZS1ANF has already been spotted 5 times today. F2 seems pretty good N-S on 10m today.

2m contest this weekend

Using my voice in an SSB contest is very hard work, so I tend to have short bursts of operation. It really does EXHAUST me!

Stations worked (from home, 5W 3 el) include:

F6KCZ/P  IN99pi (332km)
ON4KHG  JO10xo
PA6NL   JO21bx

Stations nearly worked (call got wrong or lost) included:
GD8EXI  IO74pc (got "BM" but missed the rest)

Several new UK squares worked too. In the end, I had to give in: my voice cannot yet cope.

10m Es - good yesterday

Yesterday was pretty good for Es with the following stations in the log spotted:
HB4SL
HB9FGQ
SI9AM
OH5XO
OK2SAM

Spotting me was:.
GM4WJA

OK, there were long gaps in between sometimes but it goes to show how WSPR is able to seek out weak, fleeting openings on 10m.  Did someone tell you Es is a May, June, July phenomenon? It is September 6th and I am still seeing Es every day on 10m.

10m and sunspots

Returned to 10m WSPR this morning around 1020z, but so far very quiet with just G0LRD and I exchanging WSPR spots.

Sunspot count is 124 (with blackouts) and the forecast for 20-30MHz is "fair". I'll be lucky to catch any F2 propagation on 10m today but Es remains a possibility around lunch and tea times.

UPDATE 1120z:  Still very quiet on 10m here.

UPDATE 1200z:   Such is Es - out of the blue pops OH5XO (1943km) three times so far. Nothing since, but 10m is still producing daily Es propagation.

UPDATE 1255z:   At 1214z GM4JWA (634km) was spotting my 2W at -24dB S/N on WSPR.

UPDATE 1430z:  SI9AM (1503km) in Northern Sweden copied at 1352z.

UPDATE 1620z:  Since SI9AM at 1352z it has been very quiet here. Even G0LRD seems to have gone QRT on 10m.

UPDATE 1850z: At 1842z OK3SAM (1283km) was coming in here weakly at -26dB S/N on 10m WSPR.   No F2 seen here all day

Yaesu FT991 prices?

Has anyone any idea of the likely UK price of this new radio?

It would be excellent if they released one of the low powered versions (normally available in Japan) for UK and Europe too. I think the lower powers are for some Japanese licence classes? It is a lower powered version I quite fancy. 10W or 30W max.

My FT817 units have been excellent buys as have the VX1 and VX2 handhelds. You could call me a Yaesu fan.

I want to concentrate on operating for the next few years. My stroke currently gives me little choice as building and real field experimentation are out of the question, sadly, for a while.