10m USA spots early today

KT5W (6314km) was spotting my 500mW WSPR beacon at 1324z, which is earlier than of late. I was expecting 10m to open to the USA, but this was much earlier than I was expecting.

UPDATE 1422z:  A few more USA stations have been spotting me. Already, more different stations are spotting me than yesterday.

UPDATE 1612z:   My 500mW WSPR beacon has been copied by PY3OL (10412km) as well as by lots of USA stations. So far, 12 different USA stations spotting me.

UPDATE 1946z:  PY3OL has spotted me 20 times so far today at up to -18dB S/N.  As the solar cycle declines I expect these N-S 10m openings will be far more common than E-W ones.  As I have mentioned before, I have worked LUs on 10m SSB when using QRP in the sunspot minimum before, so expect these N-S paths to still be there even with very low sunspot numbers. Often the maximum usable frequency (MUF) is much higher for paths over the equator, possibly as the F layer splits (equatorial spread-F) and the "bounce" over the equator occurs at a shallower angle than a normal F2 reflections - no ground reflection occurs over the equator.  Don't quote me on this as I am no propagation expert, but it is a fact that N-S paths over the equator "work" at much higher frequencies than paths in other directions. Of course, here I am referring to F layer propagation. Most years you may strike lucky and hear USA stations in the summer time by Es. Some Es paths are massive and it is not that uncommon for S.America,The Caribbean and N.America to be worked on 6m in the Es months.   In summer 2007 I worked a USA station on 6m CW when I was using real QRP to a vertical V2000 omni antenna. I have heard 6m DX from S.America, The Caribbean and N. America by Es many times. My best DX on RX by F2 (years ago) was the USA and South Africa.  I doubt I'll see these F2 conditions ever again in my lifetime.

UPDATE 2210z: KT5W (6314km) was spotting my 500mW WSPR beacon at 2100z.  I think this was the last spot from the USA today as it has been quiet now for over an hour.

First (restarted) VLF earth-mode test

5W VLF beacon TX

OK, I was only testing from the shack to the lounge, but this is a start.  TX is 5W from my TDA2003 beacon.

TX frequency 8.976kHz initially with 10wpm CW, 300Hz bandwidth, sending my callsign and a dash. Nothing copied at first using a dummy load but over 70dB over noise using the earth-electrode "antenna" with no attempt to optimise match (fed via the same 3C90 step-up transformer used on 472kHz).   With no probe at all (i.e.no RX antenna) the S/N was still some 40dB i.e. very good using the TX into the earth-electrodes.

QRSS3 signal received on Spectran (0.37Hz BW)

Later with QRSS3, a 50 ohm TX dummy load, E-field probe at the RX, I got the signal at 10-20dB S/N.  At the RX end I was using my simple E-field probe into a USB soundcard into my Windows 8.1 laptop. 

E-field probe

The blue photo shows the signal at the RX. The first part shows the TX signal on the earth-electrodes and the second part (weaker) was the signal on the EFP with the TX into a dummy load.

Honestly, this has really exhausted me!

Sunspot number and 10m propagation - April 1st 2015

Sunspot number remains at 53 today and 10m propagation is again expected to be "fair".  Is this the same as I haven't a clue"? So far this morning just G4IKZ (18km) but it is very early still.  Based on yesterday when conditions were slightly more disturbed (K==1 today, but yesterday K=2) and there was a marginal 10m opening to the USA, I would expect 10m to open to the USA later this afternoon.

Rainbow and churches blog - NOT amateur radio

See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .

Today we visited Wilburton St Peter church located some 10-12 miles north of Cambridge.  Parts of this light and airy church date back to the 13th century.

Today was a showery and blustery day.   On the way home we saw a great rainbow, but it soon disappeared.

10m USA WSPR spots of me today

Well yet again, I was totally wrong:  10m did open to the USA this afternoon and quite early too!   AE7YQ (8533km) was the first to spot my 500mW WSPR at 1534z. Since then,  WB2TQE (7097km) has spotted me a few times too.

UPDATE 1948z:   WB2TQE (7097km) was currently the last USA station to spot me on 1806z. So far today just him and AE7YQ have spotted me in the USA. I suspect there will be no further USA posts today.

472kHz WSPR and VLF earth-mode experiments

So I checked that I am regularly synced to internet time - I am - but 472kHz has been very quiet today since breakfast time. The last spot of me was from G3THQ (88km) at 0608z. Overnight WSPR spots were exchanged (both ways) with F1AFJ (607km) in JN06ht square. I should be getting him much better, suggesting my RX system is somewhat deaf!  His ERP is much greater than mine.  I am still using 5mW ERP and my earth-electrode "antenna".

Unique WSPR spots overnight on 472kHz

My new soldering iron is on its way, so I hope to do some VLF earth-mode field tests soon. First job will be to alter the match to my earth-electrodes on my VLF 5W beacon.  Initially, I may try the existing VLF beacon on a dummy load and receiving it in the lounge to test the RX set-up. This will test my preamp and Spectran settings.  It is so long since I have done any VLF work I have almost forgotten what settings I used!

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday March 31st 2015

Sunspot number has dropped back to 53 and 10m propagation is still "fair". K index is 2.  Based on the last day or so, I do not expect to be spotted in the USA on 10m today. Of course, being 10m, I could be totally wrong! We'll find out later when the afternoon and evening are over. If 10m does open to the USA, which seems unlikely based on conditions on the band this morning, I doubt my 500mW WSPR would be copied over there much before our teatime, i.e. after 1600z at least, or even later.

10m WSPR - quiet morning

This morning on 10m WSPR has been very quiet with just local G4IKZ (18km) and EA8BVP (2986km) spotting my 500mW WSPR beacon. No "DX" DX as such at all.   Not even spots from Eastern Europe or Israel. Conditions must be changing.

472kHz - lack of WSPR spots?

I was beginning to wonder why I was not getting spots on 472kHz WSPR.   At first, I thought it was just down to too few stations in range, until I noticed a "peer unreachable" message, so I was not synced to internet time, at least recently.   Having changed my internet time server and re-synced, I am now being spotted weakly by G3THQ (88km). The band does seem quiet though with very few UK stations active on 472kHz this evening. Perhaps those stations who are active are using different weak signal modes like OPERA?

The future of HF broadcasters

Deutsche Welle (DW) is closing its last relay station, which is in Kigali, Rwanda. In recent years DW like many shortwave broadcasters, has been facing financial cutbacks. Also there are far fewer broadcasters using shortwaves these days.

As a youngster in the 1960s, I recall shortwaves crowded with AM broadcast stations, many from all over the world transmitting in English, with their distinctive interval signals. There was a magic about shortwave broadcasting back then. Quite a few could be copied with very simple receivers too. There is something quite nostalgic about listening again to those long-gone interval signals from behind the Iron Curtain. I remember getting some excellent freebees from China back in the early 1980s. Of course, it was all to spread the propaganda.  All I really wanted was their QSL card!

These days, users are often reached using the internet. Of course, it begs the question, "who is now filling the empty, vacated channels?"  In the long run amateur radio might gain some allocations, although the noise floor on HF is increasing too. SMPUs, cable TV and numerous other sources are mainly to blame.

See http://www.dw.de/deutsche-welle-closes-kigali-outpost/a-18340960.