Another 6m totally blank day

I have been on 6mWSPR (1W ERP)  most of the day, in addition to being on 10m WSPR  (500mW), Still, after days and days of trying on 6m I have spotted no-one and been spotted by no-one at all.

UPDATE 2050z:  I shall stay on 6m overnight, but think I'll be wasting my time!

UPDATE 2244z:  Apparently I am set to the wrong frequency on 6m by some 400Hz (checked by G0LRD) despite using a 0.5ppm TCXO and using the same offset as for 28MHz, which puts me pretty spot on. I'll QSY in the morning. Lack of activity and frequency error are my issues. I am puzzled by the frequency error. In the meantime, you will spot me if set to 50.292600 and not 50.230000MHz

10m transceivers

Looking on the internet, there is a wide selection of 10m (28-29.7MHz) transceivers available. Many can be extended (illegally in the UK) to cover CB frequencies.

As an example, the Alinco DR135 is available for £144.99. I am sure shopping around will show that lower prices are possible. This rig was available (special offer) for less than £100 recently. At one time, single band 10m rigs were illegal in the UK. This is no longer the case and these rigs can be a low cost way of getting on this most interesting band.

First 10m WSPR spot from the USA

No earth-shattering DX spots on 10m WSPR this morning, which was a bit disappointing, as I was expecting great things today.  My first USA spot (of my 500mW beacon) was W3CSW (5886km) at 1238z, quite late in the day really. The 10m band is wide open to the USA currently (1455z).

Sunspots and 10m propagation

Sunspot number today is 152. 10m propagation is forecast to be "good". 10m should be in good shape today.

UPDATE 1455z:  Although the 10m band is wide open to the USA, I was spotted by no great (further) DX stations today, well so far that is.

QRSS and WSPR frequencies

Being a keen WSPR user, I have not used QRSS on HF, although I have done on MF, LF and VLF.  A useful page about QRSS is here.  QRSS requires manual intervention to interpret the signals whereas WSPR using WSPRnet is automatic. This is one of the reasons why WSPR gets used here a lot.

First and last 10m USA WSPR spots today

The earliest USA spot today was at 1240z by W3CSW (5886km).

It is now almost teatime at 1658z and KB9AMG (6300km) is currently still spotting me. Somehow I doubt this will be the last.

UPDATE 2012z:   KE6BID  (5295km) was the last USA spot at 1812z. Since then, just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting me. His beam must be better aligned my way tonight as he as been getting around the -19 to -21dB S/N level.

Full marks to Hans Summers

Thanks to my blog post about the Ultimate 3 beacon yesterday, Hans Summers has arranged to send me the missing GPS unit from my order earlier in the year. I was going to write, but Hans beat me to it! Hans - thank you.

UPDATE 2022z:   I agree that the Ultimate 3 is a pretty comprehensive beacon, but currently it is beyond my (currently clumsy) building skills. I hope next year I'll be able to manage it.

Sunspots and 10m

Sunspot number has risen to 175 and 10m daytime propagation is forecast to be "good". Looks like a good day ahead on 10m.

Ultimate 3 WSPR (and other modes) beacon

The Ultimate3 QRSS/WSPR Transmitter Kit is the third version in the "Ultimate" QRSS/WSPR kit trilogy. It can produce QRSS, Hell, WSPR, Opera and PI4 slow-signal modes anywhere from audio to 10m and above. Plug-in LPF filters are available for all 12 HF/MF/LF bands.

The price is USD $29.00. To order please visit QRP Labs.

The Ultimate 3 is probably the lowest cost beacon available. I still have my unbuilt kit awaiting better health to build, although several kind folk have offered to build mine for me. Jay W5OLF kindly supplied me a 10m 500mW, single PCB, WSPR beacon (WSPR-AXE-CW) ready assembled and that has blown me away: it has been copied in every continent on 10m.  The Ultimate 3 is the more flexible design but the WSPR-AXE-CW is an ideal tiny WSPR only beacon.

My Ultimate 3 kit was ordered with GPS, but it was supplied without this, but with an extra PCB - I think I got the wrong order. I really should write to Hans Summers, but I have been too unwell. For now, the kit remains unbuilt. I intend to build it when I am fitter and less clumsy, hopefully in 2015.

472kHz WSPR - much more productive!

Despite my very low ERP (5mW) on 472kHz and just a short baseline earth-electrode "antenna" system I am decoding M0PPP, G8VDQ, PA3ABK/2 (306km) and PA0O (440km) and I am being spotted by G0LRD (25km).  These are all within minutes of switch-on.

UPDATE 2030z:  4 spots per transmission on latest TX period - not too bad considering the non "antenna" and my very low ERP.  Good to be spotted by G3ZJO (79km).  Eddie must have made improvements as he is regularly spotted here and he often spots me.