18 Mar 2015
Another total blank on 6m WSPR
After another whole day on 6m WSPR not a single spot was given or received. This is the last time I try until the Es season. Really, I am wasting effort on 6m.
No 10m USA spots again today
Although several spots were received by EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) and 4X1RF (3519km) on 10m WSPR today of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon, not a single spot was received again from the USA.
Conditions have been disturbed but they are also on the change. I shall continue to WSPR beacon on 10m in the weeks and months ahead.
Conditions have been disturbed but they are also on the change. I shall continue to WSPR beacon on 10m in the weeks and months ahead.
The finest church in England? - NOT amateur radio
Alec Clifton-Taylor once called Walpole St Peter the finest church in England. Today, for the 4th time, we visited it and I have updated our East Anglia Churches blog accordingly. It is a real gem.
See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .
See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .
Sunspots and 10m - Wed March 18th 2015
Sunspot number is 60 today but conditions remain disturbed with 10m propagation expected to remain "poor".
So far this morning on 10m WSPR, apart from local G4IKZ (18km), I see my 500mW WSPR beacon has been spotted by 4X1RF (3819km) at 0722z and by EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) several times. It is now 1045z.
So far this morning on 10m WSPR, apart from local G4IKZ (18km), I see my 500mW WSPR beacon has been spotted by 4X1RF (3819km) at 0722z and by EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) several times. It is now 1045z.
17 Mar 2015
Auroras and WSPR?
I have never (before) now used WSPR on 10m and 6m during an auroral opening. Certainly on 2m the Doppler is likely to make it impossible, I would think. On 10m ,and maybe 6m, I think the mode might have some promise.
I have decided to leave both my 10m and 6m WSPR systems running overnight just in case.
Anyone know what happens to WSPR in a typical auroral opening?
UPDATE 2128z: Well 10m and 6m WSPR are dead currently, with just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting me on 10m. No-one at all on 6m WSPR.
UPDATE 2140z: Just checked outside for signs of visible aurora but street lights and poor weather make it impossible. I saw a visible aurora once at the old QTH years ago and once out of a plane window at night when returning from the west coast of the USA near the North Pole.
I have decided to leave both my 10m and 6m WSPR systems running overnight just in case.
Anyone know what happens to WSPR in a typical auroral opening?
UPDATE 2128z: Well 10m and 6m WSPR are dead currently, with just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting me on 10m. No-one at all on 6m WSPR.
UPDATE 2140z: Just checked outside for signs of visible aurora but street lights and poor weather make it impossible. I saw a visible aurora once at the old QTH years ago and once out of a plane window at night when returning from the west coast of the USA near the North Pole.
Severe solar storm
We are currently experiencing the most severe solar storm in very many years with HF very badly disturbed. There are auroras expected far further south than normal. This is a result of a CME event on the Sun interacting with the magnetic field of our planet.
If the weather is clear, check for a visual aurora!
It is also worth keeping eyes and ears alert for auroral propagation on 10m, 6m, 4m and 2m. I have in the past worked stations via aurora using QRP SSB and CW with very simple wire antennas on 10m and 6m. As frequency goes down SSB becomes more possible. What may be a very rough hissy CW note on 2m maybe a fairly decent SSB signal on 10m. The 10m and 6m bands are very worth a try when there is an aurora about.
See http://spaceweather.com/ .
If the weather is clear, check for a visual aurora!
It is also worth keeping eyes and ears alert for auroral propagation on 10m, 6m, 4m and 2m. I have in the past worked stations via aurora using QRP SSB and CW with very simple wire antennas on 10m and 6m. As frequency goes down SSB becomes more possible. What may be a very rough hissy CW note on 2m maybe a fairly decent SSB signal on 10m. The 10m and 6m bands are very worth a try when there is an aurora about.
See http://spaceweather.com/ .
Israeli Elections - NOT amateur radio
So exit polls suggest no clear winners, so no surprises then.
Coalition governments are a way of life in Israel and there will no
doubt be some tough bargaining in the coming weeks.
All I hope is that whatever coalition is formed that it takes the peace process very seriously. The Middle East has too many conflicts and a good, solid peace deal with Israel's neighbours is way overdue.
I am always amazed that the Israeli's seem to choose conflict and violence to settle old scores. Let peace blossom. Israel, you know it makes sense.
Yes, I know it takes at least 2 to forge peace, but frankly Israel has not even been trying for as long as I can remember. I was born in 1948. Peace, as a result of quiet talks, has worked in Northern Ireland (Ulster) and in South Africa. 30 years ago these would been thought impossible. Peace works.
Israel, sit down with your enemies and really negotiate a peace deal that is fair to you and to your historic enemies. Give peace a real chance, please.
.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel .
Did you realise that about one fifth of the population of Israel is composed of non-Jewish people? Neither did
UPDATE 18 March 2015: Peace has NO chance as the existing PM is likely to form the next government.
All I hope is that whatever coalition is formed that it takes the peace process very seriously. The Middle East has too many conflicts and a good, solid peace deal with Israel's neighbours is way overdue.
I am always amazed that the Israeli's seem to choose conflict and violence to settle old scores. Let peace blossom. Israel, you know it makes sense.
Yes, I know it takes at least 2 to forge peace, but frankly Israel has not even been trying for as long as I can remember. I was born in 1948. Peace, as a result of quiet talks, has worked in Northern Ireland (Ulster) and in South Africa. 30 years ago these would been thought impossible. Peace works.
Israel, sit down with your enemies and really negotiate a peace deal that is fair to you and to your historic enemies. Give peace a real chance, please.
.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel .
Did you realise that about one fifth of the population of Israel is composed of non-Jewish people? Neither did
UPDATE 18 March 2015: Peace has NO chance as the existing PM is likely to form the next government.
10m and 6m - both hopeless this afternoon?
Since getting lots of WSPR spots from around the borders of Europe this morning, I have only been getting spots from local G4IKZ (18km) all afternoon. No signs of USA spots on 10m today.
I have been on 6m most of the day but not a single spot given or received - totally hopeless.
I shall stick around on both 10m and 6m for several more hours yet, ever hopeful.
UPDATE 1950z: I think today is only the second day since last September when I was spotted by not a single USA station on 10m WSPR. On the vast majority of days someone over there has spotted my 500mW WSPR beacon, but not today. I know conditions are badly disturbed today (a visual aurora is forecast down here, which is very rare) and conditions are starting to change. Only EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) has spotted me late this afternoon apart from local G4IKZ. EA8/LA3JJ is probably single hop F2 although the time of day and distance could possibly suggest Es? On 6m I have had no success at all on TX or RX. I shall now abandon 6m until the Es season starts.
I have been on 6m most of the day but not a single spot given or received - totally hopeless.
I shall stick around on both 10m and 6m for several more hours yet, ever hopeful.
UPDATE 1950z: I think today is only the second day since last September when I was spotted by not a single USA station on 10m WSPR. On the vast majority of days someone over there has spotted my 500mW WSPR beacon, but not today. I know conditions are badly disturbed today (a visual aurora is forecast down here, which is very rare) and conditions are starting to change. Only EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) has spotted me late this afternoon apart from local G4IKZ. EA8/LA3JJ is probably single hop F2 although the time of day and distance could possibly suggest Es? On 6m I have had no success at all on TX or RX. I shall now abandon 6m until the Es season starts.
6m WSPR
Not quite sure why I bother as I usually get no spots (TX or RX) but I am again WSPRing on 6m. TX 20% 30dBm ERP vertical and 80% RX on 50.293MHz USB dial setting.
At this time of the year, outside the Es season, the most likely propagation is tropo and aircraft assistance up to about 200km. I am not expecting Es or F2 propagation on 6m.
UPDATE 1654z: So far, not a single spot given or received all day on 6m. Outside the Es season 6m has proved useless here with 1W ERP from my V2000 vertical. I shall stick around longer today (ever hopeful!) but I probably won't bother with 6m again for several weeks.
At this time of the year, outside the Es season, the most likely propagation is tropo and aircraft assistance up to about 200km. I am not expecting Es or F2 propagation on 6m.
UPDATE 1654z: So far, not a single spot given or received all day on 6m. Outside the Es season 6m has proved useless here with 1W ERP from my V2000 vertical. I shall stick around longer today (ever hopeful!) but I probably won't bother with 6m again for several weeks.
Sunspots and 10m - Tues March 17th 2015
Sunspot number today is 57. 10m propagation is expected to be "poor" according to the forecasts I have just seen. So far 10m spots have only been received from local G4IKZ (18km), but it is still very early.
UPDATE 0925z: 4X1RF (3519km) has already spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon twice.
UPDATE 1052z: 4X1RF has spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon 17 times already today. So far, my 6m WSPR attempts (TX and RX) have again drawn a total blank so far.
UPDATE 1155z: Now being spotted in UR, CT, G, LZ, and 4X1. Nothing outside Europe and near Asia yet today. I think the non-G spots are F2 propagation?
UPDATE 1225z: 4X1RF has spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon 45 times so far today.
UPDATE 1700z: No USA spots received all day, well not so far. Yesterday, 10m did open to the USA very very late in the afternoon and my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon was copied only by 3 unique stations. Today, so far, looks dire on 10m to the USA. All HF bands have "poor" predictions so maybe it is a bad day, full stop.
UPDATE 0925z: 4X1RF (3519km) has already spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon twice.
UPDATE 1052z: 4X1RF has spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon 17 times already today. So far, my 6m WSPR attempts (TX and RX) have again drawn a total blank so far.
UPDATE 1155z: Now being spotted in UR, CT, G, LZ, and 4X1. Nothing outside Europe and near Asia yet today. I think the non-G spots are F2 propagation?
UPDATE 1225z: 4X1RF has spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon 45 times so far today.
UPDATE 1700z: No USA spots received all day, well not so far. Yesterday, 10m did open to the USA very very late in the afternoon and my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon was copied only by 3 unique stations. Today, so far, looks dire on 10m to the USA. All HF bands have "poor" predictions so maybe it is a bad day, full stop.
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