10m WSPR - quiet so far

It is currently 1250z.  So far today, 10m WSPR has been very quiet with G4IKZ (18km) and EA8BVP (2986km) being the only stations to spot me so far today. It certainly feels much quieter than the previous 2 days.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon April 27th 2015

With a sunspot number of 55 (K=1) and a 10m propagation forecast of "poor" I guess we cannot expect great things on 10m today?  It is surprising though how often I am proved wrong and a "dead" 10m band just springs into life. So far this morning, just local G4IKZ (18km) has spotted me on 10m WSPR, but it is still very early.

Of course, a SN of 55 will be considered "high" in a few years' time. We should be grateful. With the Es season now here there is an increasing chance of Europeans (and further) by this mode too. Es is there at all times of the year but it is best late April- September in northern latitudes, the reverse in Australia/NZ.

North and South America on 10m WSPR

Around teatime 10m opened to the USA with K9AN (6505km) spotting me several times from 1624z. Not only that but  LU8WAG (12283km) was also spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon (WSPR-AXE-CW by W5OLF) at 1646z.

Despite the "fair" 10m forecast, my 500mW WSPR beacon has been spotted in 5 continents today. In all, a very good day on 10m WSPR.

Unique station spots today - 500mW 10m WSPR

Big antennas? Lots of power? Don't need them thank you!

UPDATE 1704z: WD4ELG (6211km) has just spotted me at an INCREDIBLE +2dB S/N.  VP8ALJ (12724km) has just spotted me in the Falkland Is.

UPDATE 1711z:  This must count as a pretty incredible 10m day.  Despite falling sunspots and an only "fair" 10m propagation forecast my TINY WSPR-AXE-CW beacon is reaching all over the planet. If there were stations on Mars I could almost imagine being copied there too!

UPDATE 1713z:    6m is still very very quiet, with not even a G to liven things up.

UPDATE 1925z:  VP8ALJ  (Falkland Is) has spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR 33 times so far this evening.

Reunion Island but no USA yet on 10m WSPR

FR1GZ (9724km) on Reunion Island in the south Indian Ocean has spotted me many times this afternoon, but not a single spot, well not yet, by a station in the USA.  By this time yesterday a lot of USA stations had spotted me. This is the magic of 10m - you can never be quite sure. Although FR1GZ was probably just F2 , it is possible this was a combination of Es and F2?

MLS video

Fellow amateur G1KQH has pointed me to the YouTube video by Martin Lynch at their new premises:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD-_AcGnq7I

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

10m WSPR - a good start this Sunday

There seems to be both Es and F2 propagation on 10m this morning. VK2KRR (16789km) is the best DX spot, so far, at 1004z. By Es I have been spotted by IZ6QZB (I assume this is not F2 backscatter, but it could be?) and by EA8BVP (2986km) by F2.  Of course, I am also being spotted by the locals.

Sunspots and 10m - Sun April 26th 2015

Sunspot number has dropped to 77 (K=1) and 10m propagation is expected to be "fair". Yesterday was excellent with some Europeans reporting long path 10m propagation to Australia. I had loads of USA stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon (WSPR-AXE-CW by W5OLF - excellent). Today so far I have just had 10m WSPR spots from local G4IKZ (18km) - much quieter, so far at least.

UPDATE 1935z:   See later post. Today has turned out to be one of my best ever days on 10m WSPR.

10m WSPR - an excellent day

Well, 10m is full of surprises! Today was an excellent day, with loads of unique 10m USA WSPR stations spotting me. There were actually more reporters as W5OLF spotted me but was reporting the wrong band.

Unique 10m WSPR spots of my 500mW WSPR-AXE-CW beacon today

USA already today on 10m WSPR

KK4LNS (6724km) was spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR as early as 1256z today. I assume this is F2 but it could be a mix of F2, F2 backscatter and Es. He has copied me 3 times already and it is only 1310z. Reports are not too bad either at up to -20dB S/N.

UPDATE 1330z:   Several other USA stations now spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon.  This is early and it was unexpected.

Unique 10m WSPR spots today

UPDATE 1335z:   Still no spots at all today on 6m WSPR.

Spanning the Atlantic on 160m - with 10mW!

K3KQV has been copied in France when running just 10mW on Top Band WSPR. OK signals were weak at -29dB S/N, but he made it. Distance was 6214km to F59706 in the early morning.  Not sure of their antennas. I'd be pleased with this on 10m, let alone on Top Band! Here, the main RX limitation is man-made noise. F59706 must have a quiet RX set up or a quiet rural location.

Yet again it shows how good WSPR can be.