Only local spots by G4IKZ (18km) all day, apart from one spot by 4X4TAU (3564km) at 1018z. No sign at all of spots from the USA, and I feel this is unlikely to happen.
UPDATE 1556z: Still no sign of USA spots here on 10m. Still transmitting, ever hopeful. Only 39 stations are shown on WSPRnet as being active in the world. We need a few more!
UPDATE 1955z: This is another day without any spots from stations in the USA. No USA spots at all and only one station other than locals all day. Will be going QRT on 10m WSPR quite soon.
17 Apr 2015
472kHz WSPR
Very quiet since breakfast time. PA0RDT (243km) has spotted me several times, but nothing since breakfast.
Sunspots and 10m - Friday April 17th 2015
Sunspot number is 85 (K=4) today and 10m propagation is expected to be "fair". Based on yesterday, I am not expecting my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon to be spotted by USA stations today. But, as always, 10m may surprise us!
So far this morning local G4IKZ (18km) and just one spot of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon from 4X4TAU (3564km) not long ago. No further DX spots reported.
So far this morning local G4IKZ (18km) and just one spot of my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon from 4X4TAU (3564km) not long ago. No further DX spots reported.
16 Apr 2015
472kHz (630m) WSPR rather than 6m
Overnight and today I have stayed on MF rather than QSY to 6m. Another few weeks and I shall definitely turn my attention to 6m. I think I was rather too early (time of year) to catch any 6m Es.
On 472kHz, the best spot of me was by G3XKR (347km) in North Devon several times overnight. My best spot was of DK7FC (669km) several times last evening. His report would have been much better with an optimised RX. I know my 472kHz RX system is deaf. It has been very quiet all morning on MF.
UPDATE 2000z: G4JVF (151km) has spotted me several times this evening on 472kHz WSPR.
On 472kHz, the best spot of me was by G3XKR (347km) in North Devon several times overnight. My best spot was of DK7FC (669km) several times last evening. His report would have been much better with an optimised RX. I know my 472kHz RX system is deaf. It has been very quiet all morning on MF.
UPDATE 2000z: G4JVF (151km) has spotted me several times this evening on 472kHz WSPR.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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/ .
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