16 Apr 2015

10m WSPR - quiet

EA8BVP (2986km) has just spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon, but apart from this only local G4IKZ (18km) copying me this morning.  In summary, 10m WSPR has been very quiet with no sign of what I'd call real DX. I think EA8BVP was F2 single-hop, but this could have been Es

UPDATE 1300z:  a few spots from EA8BVP, quite a lot from G4IKZ and nothing else, well so afra at least.

UPDATE 1532z:  A few Italians spotting me on 10m WSPR this afternoon. I think these were by Es. It is early in the season but 10m is probably the band with a good chance of catching early openings - 6m, 4m and 2m would be progressively later I think.  2m Es openings tend to be rare, whereas they are much more common on the lower frequencies.

UPDATE 1700z:  Still no sign of spots from stations in the USA on 10m WSPR. Somehow I think I shall not be copied in the USA today. If it does open, it will be a very short opening on 10m today. It looks like the good times of daily USA F2 10m openings have ended at least this spring. I am still hopeful of 10m USA openings in the autumn. This year I must not forget the CQWW SSB contest in late October!

Loop motors

Magnetic loop antennas can be very effective, small, antennas. They work well and are ideal for modes like WSPR, JT65, JT9-1 and PSK31 where frequencies don't have to be moved much. Their main disadvantage is they are narrow-band so require retuning if moving very far in frequency and they are directional.

As ever, Steve G1KQH has been tracking down bargains - in this case motors that could be used to either tune or rotate loops.

Tune up your loop remotely, only needs a coupler and a bit of ingenuity which I know your not short of?



They also have 6 volt too


Just needs a simple adjustable Voltage regulator.

20RPM model on eBay




Sunspots and 10m propagation - Thursday April 16th 2015

Sunspot count has dropped back to 85 (K=5) and 10m propagation is expected to be "fair" today. So far, just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting my 500mW WSPR on 10m.  Things feel subdued on 10m.  I am not expecting to be spotted in the USA on 10 today.

15 Apr 2015

QSYed from 6m to 630m (WSPR)

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.

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.

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/ .

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.

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.

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?

14 Apr 2015

432MHz UKAC tonight

Stations worked with 5W/5el tonight
I was late starting this evening and my stroke affected voice means I stay on for quite a short time. Best DX with 5W/5el (hand rotated) from home was 199km and I managed to work 4 QTH locator squares.