Sunspots and 10m

Sunspot number has dropped to 117 and 10m propagation is expected to be "fair".  I restarted WSPR on 630m and 10m a few minutes ago but only local G4IKZ spotting me on 10m so far.

70cm AM test with low cost modules

This evening I listened for G6ALB on 70cm. Andrew is 3km from me. We both have V2000 vertical co-linear antennas. He was using a very low cost SAW locked TX module, which produced as much FM as AM when modulated with an electret mic. The biggest problem was Andrew's low power and low level of modulation.  He needs more mic gain, more TX power (10dB more?) and some pre-emphasis on the audio. TX power today was very low milliwatts. From 433.925MHz up to at least 433.990MHz a lot of squeaks and whistles could be heard, presumably from more local ISM devices. I was receiving G6ALB using an FT817 at about RS41 on FM and weaker on AM. This very initial test produced results that were expected. To use a super-regen module on RX (the intention is a very simple AM voice transceiver) will require G6ALB to be considerably stronger than on these first tests.

10m USA spots

10m has been open across the Atlantic since lunchtime. First USA station to copy my 500mW WSPR today was K4RCG (5995km) at 1316z.

FR4OZ (9733km) on Reunion Is was copying me a couple of times around lunch on 10m WSPR, as was ET/G8DYK (5931km). 10m certainly seems in pretty decent shape. In addition to other N.American stations, lots of Europeans have been spotting me today.   It certainly feels like 500mW on WSPR to a very modest antenna is like 100W plus on SSB!

UPDATE 2000z:  I am sorry for the SPAM comment, which has now been removed.  Similar SPAM posts will be removed, without exception, as soon as spotted.

UPDATE 2140z:  Now QRT on all bands. The last USA station to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon today was AB4QS (7087km) at 1736z.

10m to South America

YV5ESN (7294km) has been copying my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon a couple of times since lunch. This is the first time I've been seen in Venezuela I believe on this mode.

Sunspots and 10m - Feb 2nd 2015

Sunspot number today is 132 and 10m propagation expected to be "fair". So far today, conditions on 10m have seemed pretty reasonable.

Going QRT on 6m and 10m WSPR

After a totally useless afternoon and evening on 6m WSPR, I am going QRT. I am going QRT on 10m  as well. Plenty of activity on 10m, but 6m was yet again a total dead loss.

10m USA spots of my 500mW WSPR beacon

I  am being spotted by lots of USA stations on 10m today. Th first was K4RCG (5995km) at 1316z. Today looks like a typically good day on 10m WSPR at this time in the solar cycle. As I have said before, in a few years time we'll look back on these days with envy, hardly believing them possible! At the time of writing this (1452z) the 10m band is "humming" nicely with plentiful USA stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1815z:  The last USA station to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon was WB1FIG (5304km) at 1734z. This was probably the last spot by a USA station on 10m today. Official sunset in Cambridge today was at 1646z. The days are lengthening again by more than 3minutes a day.

Australia again on 10m WSPR with 500mW

VK6XT (14719km) was spotting my 10m QRP WPR beacon this morning at 1138z. As well as this report, there were quite a few new reporters active this morning from Asia and Europe. Conditions do seem good on 10m. ET/G8DYK (5931km) is again spotting me on 10m WSPR in Africa.

I am slightly tempted to try 6m again in the hope of getting some winter Es-F2 or TEP. Probably will be a waste of time?

At the present time I am also RX and TX on 630m using the earth-electrodes, but only spotting, and being spotted, by the same old stations!

Sunspots Feb 1st 2015 and 10m

Sunspot number today is a respectable 153 and 10m propagation is expected to be "good".

Another G1KQH bargain

This came in from Steve, G1KQH, today. It is often cheaper to buy the completed, built modules from China than to buy the parts in the UK! What is the world coming to?

I bought 5 LM317s on PCB with heatsinks for a fiver:

 

 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-x-LM317-Adjustable-Voltage-Regulator-Step-down-Power-Supply-Buck-Module-Board-/221577652687?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item33970ea9cf

 

Why bother building it any longer, that used to be half the fun! The heatsinks would of cost a Quid each over here, never mind the LM317 and the PCB with connectors..

 

Happy days 

 

73 Steve G1KQH

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