Sunspot number today is 77 with very disturbed conditions (K=8) and 10m - in fact all HF bands - expected to be "poor". Do not expect much on HF today. Es may give us some EU and possibly further DX on 10m and 6m.
Overnight and this morning I am just being spotted on 10m by local G4IKZ (18km). Although very early, no signs of Es here on 10m yet.
Best DX on 6m overnight was G0OQK (98km) - spots both given and received - and a single spot received from G8DOR (103km). A reminder that I use 1W ERP on 6m (V2000 vertical) and 500mW on 10m (Par 10/20/40m end fed low wire).
UPDATE 1026z: Conditions have improved a little with K=6 now. Still disturbed though.
23 Jun 2015
22 Jun 2015
New country (I think) on 6m WSPR
EA6GF (1428km) in JM19gm, has spotted me several times recently on 6m WSPR. This is the Balearic Is in the Med. Obviously Es. I have worked this country on QRP SSB on 6m in previous summers.
UPDATE 1428z: So far this summer, no sign of North African stations on 6m WSPR. In previous summer Es seasons CN8LI was a very regular reporter, but totally absent (for me) this summer.
UPDATE 1810z: 6m WSPR has been good all day with Es propagation. These are just the recent spots. As you can see, some of the signals are very strong.
UPDATE 1855z: Just exchanged 6m WSPR spots with CN8LI (2113km). Signals are strong too. Funny!
UPDATE 1428z: So far this summer, no sign of North African stations on 6m WSPR. In previous summer Es seasons CN8LI was a very regular reporter, but totally absent (for me) this summer.
UPDATE 1810z: 6m WSPR has been good all day with Es propagation. These are just the recent spots. As you can see, some of the signals are very strong.
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| Recent 6m WSPR spots |
Thunder?
So far the weather here in East Anglia has been good today. I managed to cut both lawns this morning. It has just started to rain and there is a risk of thunder, although at the moment the storms are well east of this QTH. If the storm risk persists, I shall disconnect rigs and the PC. The rain is, of course, Sod's Law as I just erected the hose to water the grass later!
See http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en .
UPDATE 1445z: The sun is now shining again.
UPDATE 1706z: Thunder and lightning appeared here at 1645z, so I have closed down on both 10m and 6m, disconnected the antennas and the PC. According to the thunder maps, the storm was about 2 miles or less to the west. I'll monitor the maps and return to 10m and 6m WSPR when the storm has passed.
UPDATE 1810z: It looks like the storm has passed, so I have recommenced 10m and 6m WSPR.
See http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en .
UPDATE 1445z: The sun is now shining again.
UPDATE 1706z: Thunder and lightning appeared here at 1645z, so I have closed down on both 10m and 6m, disconnected the antennas and the PC. According to the thunder maps, the storm was about 2 miles or less to the west. I'll monitor the maps and return to 10m and 6m WSPR when the storm has passed.
UPDATE 1810z: It looks like the storm has passed, so I have recommenced 10m and 6m WSPR.
EA8BVP - Es or F2 on 10m?
EA8BVP (2986km) is again spotting my 500mW WSPR on 10m. He spotted me at 1228z and, so far by 1332z, 7 times already today. This could be by F2 or Es as there is a lot of Es about on 10m today, including stations in northern Spain around the half way point. Last week, when I was away from home on holiday, I missed this station: he has been a regular 10m WSPR spotter most days for months. It was good to see him in the logs today again. In the past, I am pretty sure he was copied by single-hop F2, but today may well have been Es.
I am still hopeful of far more distant 10m (and 6m) WSPR spots well outside Europe by Es. In past years North America has been reachable by Es as has the Caribbean or even South America. So far, at least on WSPR, it has been Europeans and Israel only for me, the latter on 6m!
When conditions are good, people tend to leave WSPR and go to 10m SSB or CW or even AM or FM. This is understandable, but a pity as WSPR is most useful "sniffing out" fleeting openings. You are far more likely to see a short (2 mins or even less) opening with WSPR as signal levels needed are low and there are usually plenty of people monitoring via WSPRnet.
UPDATE 1310z: Just got a 10m WSPR report from DK6UG of +11dB S/N. This is classic Es with enormous signals, much stronger than reports from locals. Es can be like this some days: just hugely strong signals. The implication is he would still have copied me even if I was using much less than 1mW.
UPDATE 1340z: Not seen any sign of 6m stations from Japan. Don't know if this path has been open for the better equipped stations, but this very long path seems to open nearly every year in early June, possibly as a result of reflections off noctilucent clouds in the mesosphere?
UPDATE 1434z: EA8BVP (2986km) has spotted me 23 times today so far.
UPDATE 2010z: EA8BVP has spotted me 63 times so far today. Could the recent spots be F2?
I am still hopeful of far more distant 10m (and 6m) WSPR spots well outside Europe by Es. In past years North America has been reachable by Es as has the Caribbean or even South America. So far, at least on WSPR, it has been Europeans and Israel only for me, the latter on 6m!
When conditions are good, people tend to leave WSPR and go to 10m SSB or CW or even AM or FM. This is understandable, but a pity as WSPR is most useful "sniffing out" fleeting openings. You are far more likely to see a short (2 mins or even less) opening with WSPR as signal levels needed are low and there are usually plenty of people monitoring via WSPRnet.
UPDATE 1310z: Just got a 10m WSPR report from DK6UG of +11dB S/N. This is classic Es with enormous signals, much stronger than reports from locals. Es can be like this some days: just hugely strong signals. The implication is he would still have copied me even if I was using much less than 1mW.
UPDATE 1340z: Not seen any sign of 6m stations from Japan. Don't know if this path has been open for the better equipped stations, but this very long path seems to open nearly every year in early June, possibly as a result of reflections off noctilucent clouds in the mesosphere?
UPDATE 1434z: EA8BVP (2986km) has spotted me 23 times today so far.
UPDATE 2010z: EA8BVP has spotted me 63 times so far today. Could the recent spots be F2?
Greece and Europe - NOT amateur radio
Greece seems to be in a serious mess financially, although the EU seems
desperate for the Euro to survive the current crisis. It would appear
Greece became a member of the Euro club based on rather dubious figures.
Tax avoidance and early retirement ages appear to be a way of life in
Greece and this is anathema to countries like Germany.
If Greece doesn't get kicked out of the Euro, they certainly need to change. We will see what happens. I expect we'll see yet another EU fudge and somehow Greece will survive, although it is not clear for how long. I'm very glad not to be Greek right now. Life there must be very hard, especially if you have no work.
With the EU ministers minds very much fixed on Greece and the very survival of the Euro, I cannot see David Cameron's mission to forge a new deal with Europe getting a very serious or good audience.
Each nation should ultimately have the last word on those who live and work in their particular country and on it laws, unless they sign up for a United States of Europe. The UK will not want this for the UK. We have always, I think been in favour of free trade, but not the USE. If others wish this then that is their choice.
Personally, I hope we remain a part of the EU, but it does need to change.
If Greece doesn't get kicked out of the Euro, they certainly need to change. We will see what happens. I expect we'll see yet another EU fudge and somehow Greece will survive, although it is not clear for how long. I'm very glad not to be Greek right now. Life there must be very hard, especially if you have no work.
With the EU ministers minds very much fixed on Greece and the very survival of the Euro, I cannot see David Cameron's mission to forge a new deal with Europe getting a very serious or good audience.
Each nation should ultimately have the last word on those who live and work in their particular country and on it laws, unless they sign up for a United States of Europe. The UK will not want this for the UK. We have always, I think been in favour of free trade, but not the USE. If others wish this then that is their choice.
Personally, I hope we remain a part of the EU, but it does need to change.
Castle trust bonds: avoid? - NOT amateur radio
The top of my Gmail seems to have regular ads for Castle Trust offering
bonds with very good interest rates.
I read somewhere that these funds are "dodgy" and you could end up losing capital. I have no idea whether true or not, but personally I shall be avoiding them. I once read that if something appears to be too good to be true then it is and is best avoided.
Generally, interest rates are poor.
I read somewhere that these funds are "dodgy" and you could end up losing capital. I have no idea whether true or not, but personally I shall be avoiding them. I once read that if something appears to be too good to be true then it is and is best avoided.
Generally, interest rates are poor.
Sunspots and 10m - June 22nd 2015
Sunspot number is 79 today (K=4, quite disturbed) and 10m propagation is "fair" again. I'll be lucky to catch any F2 spots on 10m today, although Es looks promising on both 10m and 6m WSPR with plentiful EU Es DX on both bands. Yet again, the greater distances are on 6m. I assume the optimum Es skip must be greater on 6m than 10m?
UPDATE 1054z: All the 10m activity seems to be Es currently apart from the locals. I have received no "outside Europe" spots on 10m since before my holiday last week.
UPDATE 1054z: All the 10m activity seems to be Es currently apart from the locals. I have received no "outside Europe" spots on 10m since before my holiday last week.
Early start on 6m Es
Not long after 0400z I was spotted by OH1KK (1848km) on 6m WSPR. Yesterday my 6m best DX was nearly twice as far as the best DX on 10m, which was via Es.
UPDATE 1035z: Lots of 6m (and 10m) Es around with spots from right across Europe. The Es season was late starting here with me, but certainly across Europe is now in full swing.
UPDATE 1035z: Lots of 6m (and 10m) Es around with spots from right across Europe. The Es season was late starting here with me, but certainly across Europe is now in full swing.
21 Jun 2015
4X1RF (3519km) spotting me yet again on 6m WSPR
I truly believe this is too regular and too far for multi-hop Es. I remain to be convinced. Yet again 4X1RF (3519km) has spotted my 1W ERP signal on 50MHz. So far, he has spotted me 4 times today on 6m WSPR. Amazing. Signal at the moment seem to be getting stronger.
UPDATE 1726z: 4X1RF (3519km) has now spotted me 9 times on 6m WSPR so far today and the signal is getting stronger. The last report was -15dB S/N.
UPDATE 1821z: 4X1RF has now spotted my 6m WSPR signal 13 times today so far. There is other Es about too at much shorter range.
UPDATE 2005z: 4X1RF has now spotted my 1W ERP on 6m 22 times today. Incredible almost.
UPDATE 2018z: Plenty of 6m Es about with spots from HB9 and EA1. Spots from 4X1RF seem to have stopped now.
UPDATE 1726z: 4X1RF (3519km) has now spotted me 9 times on 6m WSPR so far today and the signal is getting stronger. The last report was -15dB S/N.
UPDATE 1821z: 4X1RF has now spotted my 6m WSPR signal 13 times today so far. There is other Es about too at much shorter range.
UPDATE 2005z: 4X1RF has now spotted my 1W ERP on 6m 22 times today. Incredible almost.
UPDATE 2018z: Plenty of 6m Es about with spots from HB9 and EA1. Spots from 4X1RF seem to have stopped now.
UKAC 70cm results so far this year
At the moment I am in 97th position out of 141 entries in the AL section of this, once a month, RSGB activity contest on 70cms. It takes place on a Tuesday evening between 8.00pm and 10.30pm UK clock time.
With a small 5 element hand-rotated beam and 5W and having missed one session in May, I don't consider this too bad. I usually am only able to operate for about 40% of the contest time because of my poor (stroke affected) voice.
The next 70cm session of the UKAC is on Tuesday, July 14th. All being well, I shall be active for this session, probably for an hour or thereabouts.
With a small 5 element hand-rotated beam and 5W and having missed one session in May, I don't consider this too bad. I usually am only able to operate for about 40% of the contest time because of my poor (stroke affected) voice.
The next 70cm session of the UKAC is on Tuesday, July 14th. All being well, I shall be active for this session, probably for an hour or thereabouts.
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