10m WSPR

10m WSPR has been good again today with GDX, Europeans from Iberia and DX from much further afield.  Although sunspot numbers have slid a bit, propagation is excellent. FR1GZ (9724km) is the best DX so far, although I see there are USA stations coming through now.

Sunspots

Sunspot count today is 87 and 20-30MHz propagation is "normal". We have already seen F2 propagation today from Reunion Is in the Indian Ocean on 10m WSPR.

Another G1KQH eBay bargain

Our old friend Steve G1KQH has found another bargain on eBay.  As before, you see this as I do - I've no knowledge of the supplier or goods. At 99p it is low cost!

See:

....and another handy tool Roger,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hot-IC-SMD-Easy-Pick-Picker-Up-Hand-Tool-Vacuum-Sucking-Pen-3-Suction-Headers-/121219424659?pt=UK_Baby_BabyFeedingUtensils_EH&hash=item1c393da193

          73 Steve

http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

10m WSPR - USA wide open again

Each two minute 10m WSPR transmission, at 2W, this afternoon receives 4-8 spots every time and the vast majority of reports are from the USA. We are clearly experiencing very fine conditions. If you want to enjoy 10m at its best get on the band in the next few months and enjoy the very good conditions while you still can as in 12 months from now it will be much harder.

UPDATE 2100z:  This morning a couple of locals (G8AKL and G3ZAY) worked a ZD9 on Tristan da Cunha on 10m.  The DX appears to have ended on 10m WSPR for the day with just locals being copied now.

UPDATE 2145z:  Just spotted G6NHU (78km) as my best GDX today I think. He is using 200mW. Now going QRT here.

10m WSPRing again and sunspots

10m WSPR was resumed at 0844z this morning at the 2W level. Apart from locals, the best DX (as of 0916z) is RA6AAW (2780km) by what I assume is single hop F2 propagation. Spots have been exchanged both ways.

Sunspot count today is 72 (still falling) but 20-30MHz propagation is "normal".

UPDATE 1145z: RA3APW (2443km) running 100mW to an indoor antenna has been spotted a couple of times this morning on 10m WSPR, once at a strong -9dB S/N.   Karen uses an Ultimate 3 beacon into an indoor antenna. I suspect this is F2 propagation. Also OZ7IT has been spotted and I have been spotted in Finland by OH7AI (2000km) and also by UA3ARC (2436km).

Now QRT. The next few years on 10m and 6m.

I decided to go QRT about 10 minutes ago. All kit has been switched off.  In the morning I shall probably return to 10m. Today, the band has been in good shape again.

We are now moving into autumn conditions. With sunspot numbers still being quite high, we can expect excellent 10m conditions for months to come. If anything, 10m is going to be "too easy".

6m is unlikely to support much F2 propagation although N-S paths may open by TEP (trans-equatorial propagation) especially from latitudes closer to the geomagnetic equator. Stations in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece etc will have much better TEP chances than stations in the UK.

WSPR is likely to help "smoke out" openings on both bands, but when these bands close it is usually quite sudden. What WSPR allows is near continuous monitoring with little need for intervention. As WSPR works with signals some 12-14dB lower than CW, just a few watts should be enough to see if either 10m or 6m is "open". Of course, this depends on stations being active.

PT2WWV - multiple 10m WSPR spots

PT2WWV (8873km) in Brasilia, has been spotted 7 times this evening so far up to 1900z. I suspect he'll be coming through for a while longer. I wonder if he is monitoring too and if he will be able to decode my 500mW TX?

UPDATE 1945z:  PT2WWV has been spotted 11 times so far this evening.

Another G1KQH eBay find - pen multimeter

Another G1KQH eBay find:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Pen-Type-Autoranging-Multimeter-MS8211D-voltage-current-LOGIC-Test-probes-/380887668542?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item58aeac973e

At  £15.11 this looks good value with free post and packing. Of course, the supplier is in China.

Time to reduce 10m power to 500mW?

My 2W 10m WSPR is getting me daily spots from the USA now.  I think I should drop to 500mW now to see how it goes. USA spots of my signal will be fewer, but it is probably more than enough for a lot of the stations to still copy me as long as the noise floor is not the limitation at the RX end of the path. Sometimes, especially in urban areas, this can be a real issue.

UPDATE 1725z:  I reduced power to 500mW and my first spot was from AB4DF (6436km) in EM8ti square (at -20dB S/N). Both locals G0VQH and G0LRD also spotted me. I shall stick with 500mW for the rest of the evening on 10m WSPR.  In the next 500mW TX transmission I got 4 WSPR spots with best DX spot being from KD6RF (7547km) near Fort Worth, Texas.

G3TFX visit

Just before lunch, Richard G3TFX called in on his bike. He was on the way to his granddaughter's birthday party in the village.

This is a photo of us in my shack. Richard is on the left. He is a regular visitor.

It was Richard's alertness that probably saved my life a year ago. I shall always owe him a debt of gratitude. Richard has recently returned to the hobby. He is usually on 40m SSB, but is fighting a very high noise level on RX. Already he has worked some impressive DX.