Having got one spot on 6m all day on 6m, G6AVK (78km), I have just QSYed to 630m (472kHz) WSPR. Within minutes I was spotted, albeit weakly, by PA0RDT (243km) despite my 5mW ERP and earth-electrode "antenna".
UPDATE 2102z: I shall stay on 472kHz WSPR overnight. Let's hope that Windows 7 does not turn the PC off at 0300z in the middle of the night to do updates or that the software does not crash. It has been known to happen.
UPDATE 2106z: I shall also stay on 10m (28.1246MHz) WSPR overnight just in case I get spotted by any Gs off aircraft. I am not expecting any real DX. I see I have just spotted DK7FC on 472kHz WSPR. I must improve my MF set-up for next autumn as Stefan should be much stronger and it is my deaf receiver that is at fault.
15 Apr 2015
10m USA - not today, well not yet at least
It is now 1648z and there is no sign of 10m opening to the USA and my 500mW WSPR beacon being spotted. Of course, it is possible the band may open to the USA later, briefly. Local M0MVB (30km) was spotted several times this afternoon.
UPDATE 1945z: No sign of 10m WSPR spots today of my 500mW beacon. It is now getting quite late so it is very unlikely my 10m WSPR beacon will be spotted across the Atlantic this evening. Just in case, I am wrong (and I frequently am wrong!) I'll leave the 10m beacon running. I may QSY from 6m to 630m though on the other rig.
UPDATE 1945z: No sign of 10m WSPR spots today of my 500mW beacon. It is now getting quite late so it is very unlikely my 10m WSPR beacon will be spotted across the Atlantic this evening. Just in case, I am wrong (and I frequently am wrong!) I'll leave the 10m beacon running. I may QSY from 6m to 630m though on the other rig.
The active Sun?
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zXN-MdoGM9g . An impressive video showing how active the Sun has been since 2010.
Activity is now declining to the next sunspot minimum. Many experts predict the next solar cycle (cycle 25) will be very weak indeed. Some are even saying we are approaching a Maunder Minimum with extreme cold on the way and virtually no sunspots for many years. Predictions are getting good these days.
See also http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulhudson/entries/6d50a6bd-779a-32d6-bfca-06e4484d6835 . This dates from 2013, but still applies. The last peak was a pretty weak affair. The next could be almost a non-starter. A Maunder Minimum might help offset global warming to some extent?
See also http://www.solen.info/solar/ .
Activity is now declining to the next sunspot minimum. Many experts predict the next solar cycle (cycle 25) will be very weak indeed. Some are even saying we are approaching a Maunder Minimum with extreme cold on the way and virtually no sunspots for many years. Predictions are getting good these days.
See also http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulhudson/entries/6d50a6bd-779a-32d6-bfca-06e4484d6835 . This dates from 2013, but still applies. The last peak was a pretty weak affair. The next could be almost a non-starter. A Maunder Minimum might help offset global warming to some extent?
See also http://www.solen.info/solar/ .
Elections in UK - NOT amateur radio
At the moment the FTSE 100 share index is over 7100 - giddy heights!
With the UK General Election not many weeks away and a very close run contest, I
expect the markets to tumble with the uncertainty of the outcome.
The last poll I saw showed Conservatives and Labour neck and neck. The UKIP vote could lose Conservative votes. I am definitely not voting UKIP who seem to want us out of Europe only. To me, they are not a credible party, more of a protest vote party.
We live in a democracy, so we vote for the party of our choosing.
I shall probably vote Lib Dem again. In a coalition government they could (again) be a good moderating influence whether the major party is Conservative or Labour.
The last poll I saw showed Conservatives and Labour neck and neck. The UKIP vote could lose Conservative votes. I am definitely not voting UKIP who seem to want us out of Europe only. To me, they are not a credible party, more of a protest vote party.
We live in a democracy, so we vote for the party of our choosing.
I shall probably vote Lib Dem again. In a coalition government they could (again) be a good moderating influence whether the major party is Conservative or Labour.
6m WSPR - no luck today so far
6m WSPR has again been a disappointment. No spots given or received so far today on the 6m band. F2 propagation is, so far, absent for me even on 10m, so I guess the only hope on 6m is some Es (unlikely) and tropo/aircraft reflection. I shall probably stick on 10m and 6m for the rest of the day whatever. Es (if it occurs at all) is normally best around lunch and teatime, so rather too early in the day for this mode I guess anyway.
Lawns need cutting, so WSPR can run in the background.
UPDATE 1022z: With just a handful of stations shown as active worldwide on 6m WSPR, I shall be lucky to see any 6m spots today!
UPDATE 1315z: Still no 6m spots today.
UPDATE 1950z: At last a 6m spot! My 1W ERP was spotted weakly by G6AVK (78km) about an hour ago. As the drift was quite high, this looks like tropo with aircraft reflection.
Lawns need cutting, so WSPR can run in the background.
UPDATE 1022z: With just a handful of stations shown as active worldwide on 6m WSPR, I shall be lucky to see any 6m spots today!
UPDATE 1315z: Still no 6m spots today.
UPDATE 1950z: At last a 6m spot! My 1W ERP was spotted weakly by G6AVK (78km) about an hour ago. As the drift was quite high, this looks like tropo with aircraft reflection.
Sunspots and 10m propagation - Wed April 15th 2015
Sunspot number has climbed to 97(K=3) but 10m propagation is forecast to remain "fair" only.
UPDATE 0823z: So far just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting me on 10m WSPR, but it is still very early. Obviously conditions are not right yet or my 500mW is too low.
UPDATE 1015z: Still just G4IKZ spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR. WSPRnet shows 49 active stations worldwide on 10m WSPR. Several would normally be in single hop F2 range.
UPDATE 1100z: CT1JTQ (1843km) and EA8BVP (2986km) now spotting me on 10m. Could be Es but probably single hop F2?
UPDATE 1312z: Just G4IKZ for ages now on 10m WSPR. I suspect CT1JTQ and EA8BVP may be Es?
UPDATE 0823z: So far just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting me on 10m WSPR, but it is still very early. Obviously conditions are not right yet or my 500mW is too low.
UPDATE 1015z: Still just G4IKZ spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR. WSPRnet shows 49 active stations worldwide on 10m WSPR. Several would normally be in single hop F2 range.
UPDATE 1100z: CT1JTQ (1843km) and EA8BVP (2986km) now spotting me on 10m. Could be Es but probably single hop F2?
UPDATE 1312z: Just G4IKZ for ages now on 10m WSPR. I suspect CT1JTQ and EA8BVP may be Es?
14 Apr 2015
432MHz UKAC tonight
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| Stations worked with 5W/5el tonight |
East Anglian Churches blog updated - NOT amateur radio
Today we visited Cavendish in Suffolk and I have added this fine place to the church blog.
See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .
See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .
6m disappointment
Despite being on 6m WSPR for most of the day, it was useless, with not a single spot given or received. Outside the Es season the band can be very quiet. I had to double-check all was working and that the PC had not crashed.No,everything was fine. As I write this at 1845z there are just 14 active stations in the entire world on 6m WSPR, so my chances are slim!
USA 10m WSPR spots today
Well, 10m did open to the USA, but quite late with KD6RF (7547km) spotting my 500mW WSPR at 1730z. Since then, there have been a few others too.
UPDATE 2132z: The last USA station to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR was KZ8C (6290km) at 1902z. This turned out to be a short-lived affair. Signal report was not bad at -19dB S/N but the opening just died to the USA. G4IKZ, CT1JTQ and EA8BVP have all spotted me since.
UPDATE 2132z: The last USA station to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR was KZ8C (6290km) at 1902z. This turned out to be a short-lived affair. Signal report was not bad at -19dB S/N but the opening just died to the USA. G4IKZ, CT1JTQ and EA8BVP have all spotted me since.
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