4X1RF now spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon

At last, I am now being spotted on 10m outside the local area. 4X1RF (3519km) has spotted me a couple of times starting at 1056z this morning. Reports are weaker than usual.

Maybe I shall be spotted in the USA on 10m WSPR after lunch after all?4
 
UPDATE 1124z:  So far, just a couple of weak spots by 4X1RF. Conditions on 10m do seem down on the last few months.

UPDATE 1210z:  Better reports now from 4X1RF (-13dB S/N). Looks like 10m is coming to life.

5MHz world wide contiguous 60m amateur band?

Around the world, several administrations allow some access to 5MHz for amateurs.  Mostly, these are channelised allocations, which are far from ideal. What is needed is a continuous 60m band, say 200kHz wide. There was/is some hope of this being allocated to the amateur service at WRC2015 which is due to take place late this year.

I wonder what the chances of radio amateurs getting this band are? I have rather lost touch with the news on this. Certainly it was to be an agenda item. With decreasing solar activity, this would be ideal for the amateur community. I do hope it happens. Even if allocated at WRC2015, it could be a few years before administrations can make the necessary changes. If anyone has any further news I'd appreciate being updated.

Sunspots and "poor" 10m

Sunspot number is 63 today. 10m conditions are expected to be "poor". This is the first time in a long while I've seen this. Been on 10m WSPR for 45 minutes but only being spotted by G4IKZ (18km).

UPDATE 1048z:   Still just local G4IKZ spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon. No Europeans even. Conditions do feel poor today. I wonder if we'll have our usual USA 10m opening after lunch?

UPDATE 1056z:  4X1RF (3519km) spotting me at last.

472kHz WSPR results - 5mW ERP earth electrode "antenna"

 

472kHz 5mW ERP - result on WSPR in last 2 weeks

In the last 2 weeks I have been spotted by 13 unique stations with the best DX still F1JBB (722km) when using (at most) 5mW ERP and the short baseline earth-electrode "antenna". I think G1GKN is a new reporter, but I need to check.

UPDATE 2212z:  G1GKN has only reported me today.

On receive on 472kHz WSPR I have spotted 18 unique stations in the last 2 weeks. Best DX was LA3EQ (769km).

472kHz WSPR - stations spotted here in last 2 weeks

USA 10m WSPR spots of my 500mW beacon today

KE6BID (5295km) was the first USA station to spot my 10m 500mW beacon at 1244z today. Since then, plenty of USA stations have been spotting me on 10m WSPR.

I am also active on 630m (472kHz) WSPR where I run 5mW ERP and I am on 20% TX and 80% RX. Best 472kHz WSPR DX on RX here was F1AFJ (607km). On 472kHz TX my best daylight DX today is G3THQ (8km) and M0ELS (81km).

UPDATE 1742z:   Currently KB9AMG (6300km) was the last USA station to spot my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon at 1722z. This may be it for the day, but we'll see.

UPDATE 2154z:   KB9AMG was the last spotter on 10m of my 500mW WSPR beacon at 1722z..

Sunspots - Jan 22nd 2015

Sunspot number today is 50 (gradually sliding downwards now on average) and 10m propagation forecast to be "fair". Certainly, my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has not been spotted beyond Israel so far today.

Early morning on 10m WSPR

As early as 0856z, I was getting EU spots of my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon. 4X1RF (3519km) was not much later.    Some of these spots were very strong, suggesting either single hop Es or F2 propagation.   Local G4IKZ (18km) was spotting me all through the night.

AM and UK Band Plans

Because of my poor voice (as a result of my cerebellum brain bleed) I tend to use digital techniques, like WSPR and JT65, but I still enjoy AM.  Like many, I've worked transatlantic AMers on 29-29.1MHz with real QRP and simple antennas using AM. It makes a great change from SSB.

One could be forgiven for thinking AM is a dirty word at the RSGB.  In UK Band Plans published in the February 2015 edition of RadCom, AM gets no mention on 28MHz and 50MHz and gets a (begrudging) comment as a footnote only in the 144MHz Band Plan when other modes get "centres of activity" mentions. AM is alive and well in the 29-29.1MHz sub-band. AM on the 144MHz (2m) band here in the UK can be found on and around 144.550MHz. There has been AM on 29-29.1MHz for years and years and years - in fact almost as long as I've been active on the air. Yes, this is in the all-mode section, but why not say this is the 28MHz (10m) AM sub-band? Also, why are 144MHz AM users asked to "consider adjacent channel activity"? AM should easily fit in 6kHz!!

Yet again, AM is being treated as a dirty and outdated mode. Here in the UK, ex-PMR AM rigs ripe for use on VHF can be picked up for virtually nothing and there is certainly room for AM on all bands from 28MHz upwards. AM has its enthusiasts on other bands too, but yet again the RSGB seems keen to kill off this mode. Why I wonder?

Allegedly, a RadCom article on digital TV in the 146-147MHz band was pulled last month at the last minute because "someone at the RSGB" thought it would not fit in the new band! Sometimes one wonders. Maybe the day when I only get SPRAT is closer than I thought? Thankfully, there are many good articles in RadCom.

10m USA WSPR spots

The first USA spot of my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was at 1240z today by WG2Z (5600km). All morning I was being spotted by EU stations and 4X1RF (3519km) but no further.

Apart from one day, the 10m band has been open here to the USA every day since the early autumn.

UPDATE 2040z:  My last USA 10m WSPR spot today was by K9AN (6505km) at 1858z.

10m 3 transistor DSB transceiver

In case you missed this:

http://www.cqpub.co.jp/hanbai/books/15/15061/15061_p.180-181.pdf

This gives the schematic and lots of data in Japanese.

All RF circuit inductors could be replaced by small  (T50-6 or T37-6) yellow toroids and variable caps.