Free webcams across the UK (Camsecure)

Sorry, this is NOT amateur radio, but you may be interested. It is a  useful place to look on a rainy day when HF conditions are poor.   See http://www.camsecure.co.uk/Camsecure_Live_Demo_Index.html for a map listing many UK free webcams. You need to click on a county on the map to see what webcams are available in that county.

Hunting around on the site reveals worldwide webcams too.

Return to 10m WSPR and sunspots

The return to 10m WSPR was made just before 0900z, but so far just locals G0VQH and G0LRD are spotting me. At present, 10m seems very quiet, but it is early still.

Sunspot count is 90 (up a little on yesterday) but 20-30MHz propagation is forecast to be "poor".  We'll see.

UPDATE 1045z: Just locals all morning so far. A very quiet start on 10m.  A very disappointing morning so far. Things may change later. We can hope!

472kHz WSPR

I had a very brief spell in the 50MHz UKAC contest this evening, but only worked one local. I was not helped by (a) my poor voice, and (b) using just a V2000 vertical. The latter is fine for Es DXing, but a beam is really needed to work weakish UK stations and I am not going to invest in a 50MHz beam: they are big and really for once a month just not worth the effort.

Initial results on 472kHz WSPR this evening

Instead, I headed down to 472kHz where my very first 5mW ERP transmission was rewarded with WSPR spots from PA0RDT (243km), G3XDV (61km) and M0LMH (223km). There are quite a few stations active on MF this evening, but very few on TX from the UK.

Best MF spot of others so far this evening is F5WK (436km) at -24dB S/N. G3WCB (101km) is the best G so far on 472kHz at -19dB S/N.

UPDATE 2128z:  DJ0ABR (983km) now best DX on receive so far this evening.

UPDATE 2157z:   I will be staying on 472kHz overnight.  Although it would be good to spot, and be spotted, by some totally new stations, I have my doubts. Just going to check PC clock is resync'ed to internet time.

EA7IHT - 10m Es?

The propagation within Europe is quite hard to be sure of at present, but EA7IHT (1643km) may well be Es. It is the right time (teatime) for a brief, isolated Es opening, this is the only Eu DX station seen on 10m WSPR for some time and the distance is right for Es. It is hard to be sure with so much F2 around. My bet is on late Es. Signal level at -27dB S/N was weak.

PA0O - Es, F2 backscatter, or tropo?

PA0O (440km) has been spotted 8 times since 1342z today on 10m WSPR. This is an odd distance and I am unsure of the propagation mode. It would be very short Es skip (and it is late in the Es season) and I would prefer to think this is tropo. He has been copied all afternoon. However, with HF F2 conditions good on 10m WSPR I guess it could be F2 backscatter?

No USA stations have been copied on 10m WSPR since KZ8C (6290km) at 1656z, whereas PA0O has been spotted several times since, tending to suggest tropo.

10m - again wide open to the USA and elsewhere

My first spot (on WSPR) of a USA station was W3PM at 1302z. USA stations have been spotted, or are spotting me, still. FR1GZ has been spotted multiple times (21 times to 1604z) today and he has spotted me 4 times so far, mainly this morning and at lunch time.

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.