6m TEP WSPR

Looking at wsprnet I see VK4TVL and JH1GYE have been spotting each other at a range of 6243km on 6m WSPR earlier today. This is clearly 6m TEP. None noticed on WSPR between the Med and southern Africa or USA to South America. No transatlantic F2 on 6m WSPR seen.

10m - USA today

The first station in the USA, K4RCG (5995km) was spotted at 1218z.  Since that time, there have been lots of USA stations spotted and spotting me. 4X1RF (3519km) has also been spotting me from the other direction.

10m WSPR - excellent start

HB4FL spotted me many times before breakfast starting at 0430z. I was also being spotted in Italy before breakfast. Writing this at 0922z, I see EA is now being spotted. I assume this is Es?

VK3KCZ (16883km) has been spotted a couple of times, so far, although he is running 10W (high power for WSPR).

Sunspot count today is 200 (good, but expect blackouts) and 20-30MHz propagation "normal". Some decent F2 openings are likely on 10m.

Quiet evening on 10m?

At the moment it looks like 10m is now quiet with just locals and the odd European. There seems to be a total lack of North Americans now on the band. I'll be monitoring for a few hours more and things may yet change. 10m has a habit of throwing surprises.

UPDATE 2045z:  Yep, surprises!  Just been spotted on 10m WSPR by three north eastern USA stations. As I half expected, just when the band seems "closed" it opens again to the USA. 10m is indeed a band of surprises!

Long sunny days no more? Until next year.

As the nights get longer and the days get shorter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is useful to know when the sun rises and sets. A useful UK reference is http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/nao/miscellanea/UK_SRSS/. 

It amazes me that we are half way already to the shortest day! I don't want to wish my life away, but I always welcome the time when the days start to lengthen again. Even more, I welcome the return of migrant birds from Africa in April such as Swallows, House Martins and Swifts.

10m WSPR active stations

Active 10m WSPR stations

10m WSPR looks very busy right now.

Note the total absence of stations from South America! This make it look like the band is closed in that direction, which I am sure is not the case.

10m WSPR - plenty of DX about

10m has (again) been good today with plenty of USA station spotted and spotting me. Also, as of 1633z FR1GZ has now spotted me 7 times so far.

UPDATE 1840z: WG2Z (5600km) was still being spotted here at 1826z, but at present there is a shortage of South Americans on 10m WSPR.  This, I think, is  a lack of active 10m WSPR stations rather than poor conditions.  No doubt other modes like PSK31 and JT65 may be "humming" with South Americans! Europeans seem plentiful with several 10m WSPR stations logged presumably Es or F2 backscatter.

USA (again) on 10m WSPR

Right on time, the USA is coming through yet again on 10m WSPR.  K3GEN (5883km) was copied at 1514z and again at 1524z. So far (at 1534z) he has spotted me once.   FR1GZ has been copied 4 times so far this afternoon. KZ8C was copied at 1528z.

The band is opening by F2 to the USA.

UPDATE 1833z:  WG2Z (5600km) is still being spotted here at 1826z at a fairly weak -26dB S/N. The surprise (here at least) is the total absence of any stations from South America so far. I would have expected to spot a few by now.

Sunspots and a return to 10m

Sunspot count today is a respectable 159 (but with blackouts) and 20-30MHz conditions are described as "normal". Having been excluded from my shack for the last 2days (nearly -  granddaughter's cot), I have just returned to 10m WSPR to see how conditions are.

Already EA5WO (1428km) and FR1GZ (9724km) have been spotted here and local G0LRD (25km) has spotted me. Conditions on 10m look normal for late September not long after a weak solar peak. Next year is likely to be harder going.

On current form, South and North America will appear soon on 10m.

Early QRT this evening

As I have a very young granddaughter in a cot in the shack, I have now gone QRT and no doubt missed some choice DX on 10m WSPR! It is always the case that best conditions occur just after I close down, irrespective of the band.

This afternoon, PT2WWV (8873km) was spotted here 20 times. He spotted my 2W WSPR 6 times before I went QRT.  Another new station and country was TA2AEG (Turkey) who was a huge signal but he was using 50W. I don't think he knows that WSPR only needs a few watts. He'll soon realise he can save on his fuel bills!