Greece:not off the hook yet? - NOT amateur radio

The last time I checked, the international creditors were still unhappy with the Greek proposals to overcome their debt problems. All sides are working to resolve these issues, but Greece could well have to leave the Euro. Things in Greece are bad now but without the ECB's support Greek banks will run out of money and the situation in Greece will be dire. This is not a good time to be Greek.

10m WSPR - EA8BVP (2986km) spots me yet again!

Over teatime EA8BVP (2986km) was spotting me yet again.  He spots my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon most days and has done so for months now. Since 1808z just been spotted by local G4IKZ (18km) again. I presume this path to the Canary Is is F2 although the time suggests Es. He has spotted me 19 times today. No further DX was copied all day. Although there was at least one S.American active on 10m WSPR, clearly the propagation was not there, at least with my low ERP. Others may have been more successful.

Gardening - NOT amateur radio

This afternoon was fine and dry, so it was a chance to do a bit more gardening.  Because of my 2013 brain bleed, I soon get very exhausted and this was the case today. I managed a couple of plants and dug in some flower bed edging, by which time I was so tired. What has changed is that I soon recover. In the past I would be totally exhausted for hours but within 15 minutes I was out with the hose.

This last few weeks I do seem a little bit better.  Although I still get tired I don't seem to be "done in" totally. Although I still have to take just sips, I do seem to be able to drink more thin liquids. Progress is slow, but I think I can still see progress.

Still life on MF and LF

It is some time since I was active on 137kHz and 472kHz WSPR, but there are still stations active I see. I shall return to 472kHz WSPR in the autumn and may even try some tests from this QTH on 137kHz. I do need a better antenna and earth system though. My earth-electrode "antenna" is remarkable, but I know I should be able to increase my ERP considerably with a loop or loaded long-wire. I managed 250km on WSPR with a loop at the old QTH on 137kHz and a vertical loop with similar loop area should be possible I think. I shall probably need help from locals with erection though in my present state. I might change to a 2m big-wheel stack at the same time?

Weeks since decent F2 spots on 10m here

Although EA8BVP (2986km) seems to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR signal on most days, it is some weeks now since I have been spotted on the band at greater distance. I know my antenna is not brilliant on 10m, but I was expecting more 10m spots from S.Africa and S.Ameríca. I fear many have migrated to lower frequency bands now, which is a pity, or possibly other modes. At the last time I looked there were only 32 active 10m WSPR stations worldwide. A few months ago this was over 100.

Sunspots and 10m - June 24th 2015

Sunspot number has fallen to 61 (K=3) and 10m propagation is expected to be "poor".

UPDATE 1100z:  K index has worsened a little to 4.

Nighttime DX on 6m

Although I was not spotted by any DX on 10m, I spotted on 6m WSPR, in the middle of the night at 2000km, a station in Finland (OH7AZL). Magic band! The "common wisdom" is this is Es although with these very northern openings especially at these odd times might be due to noctilucent cloud reflection? I wonder if any better equipped European stations were copied in Japan on 6m?

6m Es I presume

It is getting quite late in the day now, but I am spotting 6m Europeans by Es I assume. LA3JJ (993km), SQ6IUS (1158km) near Warsaw. As yet, I have not been spotted by any Europeans on 6m WSPR, just Gs. I assume this is Es, but these are all northern Europeans, so I always wonder if noctilucent clouds are someway involved?  Probably not.

UPDATE 2214z:  Sadly no Es DX appeared on 6m here after the LA3 and SQ6.  I have checked all is well on 10m and 6m WSPR, so will run the station through the night, hoping to catch some DX by Es either overnight or first thing in the morning.

10m Es (no Es seen yet on 6m)

I4ZTO (1185km) was spotting me lunchtime on 10m WSPR by Es. On 6m, just locals and G stations by tropo/aircraft reflection.

UPDATE 1805z:   Es on 10m from across Europe , but nothing like yesterday. 6m has only been G stations here all day so far.

Tidied the shack

I tend to use WSPR a lot at present because my voice is poor with 100% TX  on 10m and 20% TX on 6m.  I can be on both bands at the same time. Usually I monitor on a different PC in the lounge. If there is any problem I go to the shack to check and reset.

Although I have managed a little building, my fine motor skills are still far from good.  The shack was becoming untidy. This morning I decided to give the shack a tidy! Although really superficial, it does look better. It is now XYL acceptable, I think.

UPDATE 1817z:   My fine motor skills were put to the test today: my son managed to cut through the power cable of the hedge trimmer, so I had to mend it. I managed it OK and all was fine after I tested it.