Cameroon and Canaries - but no USA on 10m today

EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) and TJ3TS (5478km) have both been spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon, the former many times, but, no USA spots so far again today. TJ3TS is Cameroon (Africa).  The band is obviously quite reasonable for  N-S paths, but E-W paths don't seem to be as good. Maybe it will open to the USA later?

As the solar conditions decline on the higher HF bands, this sort of pattern will become more common on 10m. Of course, well into Africa and the Americas is possible via Es propagation on some occasions. Best months are June/July. In June we sometimes get weak openings on 6m from western Europe to Japan. Some theories put this down to noctilucent clouds. I think we really don't know, but this is very consistent.  Signals are usually weak and best times are in the mornings in Europe.

UPDATE 1718z:  Still no USA stations spotting me today. I shall be on 10m for a few more hours, but I think there will be no spots from the USA today.  Since 0916z EA8/LA3JJ has spotted me 115 times.

UPDATE 2040z:  No USA spots at all today again on 10m WSPR, so now going QRT on that band. EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) has spotted me 130 times since breakfast time.

472kHz WSPR

Just the "usual suspects" being spotted and spotting my 5mW ERP this morning and overnight. Best spot of me in the last 12 hours was from PA3ABK/2 (306km) before breakfast time today. I hope being active will encourage others to come on to this wonderful band.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday March 19th 2015

Sunspot number has dropped back to 44 today. 10m propagation is again expected to be "poor".

UPDATE 0833z:  So far just G4IKZ (18km) and G4CUI (172km) spotting  me on 10m WSPR .

UPDATE 1003z:    EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) has spotted me several times now.

Return to 472kHz WSPR

After an abortive couple of days (and overnight) on 6m WSPR I have abandoned 6m WSPR as a right off and returned to 472kHz WSPR this evening.

Within the first few minutes I have been spotted by 5 unique stations despite running only 5mW ERP from my earth-electrode "antenna". Certainly, 630m (472kHz) is far more productive than 6m at this time of year. No great DX, as yet, this evening, but at least there is activity!

Initial 472kHz WSPR results this evening

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.

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/ .

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.

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.

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/ .