40m Pixie now on 7.030MHz

Thanks to Andy Cutland, my 40m Pixie is now on 7.030MHz, the QRP frequency. Although I have not seriously tried for other than local QSOs, I shall do so. When fitter, my intention is to switch between two crystal frequencies to increase my chances of QSOs. As the TX and RX netting is perfect and BC breakthrough quite reasonable, sensitivity not bad,  QSOs at decent ranges are entirely possible.

USA 10m WSPR spots today

The first USA 10m WSPR spot today was from WB8ELK/01 (6872km) at 1342z.

UPDATE 1830z:   The 10m opening to North America is still in full swing.

UPDATE 1930z:  W8QYT (5798km) at the moment is the last USA station to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon at 1912z. We'll see if any others spot me later. Somehow I doubt it.

UPDATE 2002z:  As if just to prove me wrong KB9AMG (6300km) has just spotted me at 1930z and again at 1932z!  K1OF (5500km) has now spotted me too as had WG2Z (5600km). This 10m stateside opening ihas not ended yet.

UPDATE 2056z:   K4BYN (6231km) has just spotted me. Opening still going strong.

UPDATE 2100z:  WB8ELK/01 (6872km) has just spotted me. I wonder if the end of the opening is near?

UPDATE 2115z:  Since 2056z all spots have been from G4IKZ (18km). I think the USA opening on 10m WSPR is now over.

UPDATE 2150z:   Just locals on 10m now for nearly an hour. QRT now on 10m WSPR.  A good day though.

500mW 10m WSPR spotted in VK today

The image below is on VK6XT's website and not on this blog. If copyright or any other issues exist it will be immediately removed.

http://vk6xt.com/communities/7/004/011/576/907//images/4586656359.jpg

VK6XT (14719km) in Western Australia has spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon twice already this morning.  

4X1RF (3519km) and other "usual suspects" on the fringes of Europe are spotting me too on 10m WSPR.

At the moment, despite predictions of just "fair" 10m conditions, this is shaping up to be a very good day on 10m WSPR.  It surprises me how good 10m often is when the forecasts are "fair".

UPDATE 1630z:  It looks like VK6XT spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon 6 times today.This was pretty impressive considering my antenna is nothing special at all.

10m VK WSPR spots of my 500mW today

14MHz WSPR

Overnight, for a change, I decided to give 14MHz WSPR a go, although the PC decided to install updates at 0300z and turned off the computer! At breakfast I restarted everything. Stateside late at night and Europeans now.   Will go back on 10m shortly.

UPDATE 0951z:   Now back on 10m and 630m (472kHz)

Sunspots and 10m - Friday March 13th

Sunspot number has risen a bit to 56. 10m propagation is expected to be "fair" yet again.

UPDATE 0958z:  Only local G4IKZ (18km) spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon on 10m so far.   Best DX on 472kHz (earth-electrode "antenna" and 5mW ERP) is a spot from G8HUH (250km).

RadCom Plus

This morning I received a request to write for RadCom Plus, the on-line RadCom supplement for members only. I shall have to think about this. My health is still not too brilliant but I do enjoy writing, so may try to give this a go. Need to think what to write about first, HI.

USA 10m WSPR spots

10m yet again opened to the USA this afternoon. First USA station to spot my 500mW WSPR was K4RCG (5995km) at 1312z.

UPDATE 1410z:   It was a pretty uneventful morning on 10m WSPR.  The usual stations on the eastern fringe of  Europe spotting me plus a few inter-G stations until the band opened to the USA. At the moment the 10m band does not feel as lively as it did yesterday. Only 2 different USA stations spotting me so far today.

UPDATE 1506z:   10m seems to be lively now with all the usual USA suspects now spotting me again.

UPDATE 1920z:  The 10m opening to the USA ended at 1928z with WG2Z (5600km) being the last to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon. Since that time just locals. Time to go QRT on 10m.

SDR transceivers (more)

Several people have contacted me - thank you for the feedback so far. I have been reminded that the Elecraft KX3 has an SDR architecture and retails from about £850, ready built, in the UK, Of course with all the leads and options it works out considerably more expensive, but it is a very good unit.

Sunspots and 10m - March 12th 2015

Sunspot number is little changed on yesterday. It is 42 today.  10m propagation is expected again to be "fair" whatever this means.

I turned on my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon a few minutes ago. It usually takes about 20 minutes  for the PA to warm and the box stabilise. I see a few Hertz drift in my very first reports then it is stable all day long.

UPDATE 0950z:  My little beacon is still stabilising, so no reports as yet on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1020z:  Almost as I was writing the above, G4CUI (172km) started to spot me on 10m. The unit has now fully stabilised. Reports are at the -24/-25dB S/N level.  This is probably tropo and aircraft reflections. 172km is quite a distance for regular spots by tropo, but certainly possible. It would be interesting to see the screenshots from G4CUI to see if there are multiple Doppler shifted signals, which would suggest aircraft reflection. An absence of Doppler might suggest pure 10m tropo.

472kHz WSPR

At the moment my 472kHz WSPR (5mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna") is being copied by the usual suspects with the best DX spot being by being PA0RDT (243km). Although I shall go QRT on 10m shortly I will stay on 472kHz overnight.