Sunspots and 10m - Thurs July 23rd 2015

I am afraid this is much later than normal as we have only just got our broadband back: it has been off most of the day. Sunspot number is little changed on yesterday at 35 (K=3) and 10m remains "poor".

In a minute I'll check how 10m and 6m have been today. I resynced the 10m beacon before we lost internet just after breakfast. 6m has depended on the PC clock and may have drifted off during the day.

UPDATE 1930z:  There was a little Es evident from Italy at teatime on 10m, but just Gs by tropo and planes on 6m, with no evidence of 6m Es here.

No internet all day

It is unusual for our internet and phones not to work, but we had been without both for most of the day. Our services come via fibre and our broadband speed is pretty good. So, this is my first chance to update blogs  and check social media and emails. Our service is via Virgin Media.

I think they may have increased the speed now. Certainly download speeds which were good are now very good.

Time to go QRT on 6m WSPR?

I am seriously considering closing down on 6m altogether. I may give it a few more days but it is really not worth the effort, especially on WSPR. The trouble is, I have very little choice WRT antennas.  I use my 40/20/10m end-fed on 10m so I would not be able to use another HF band at the same time as 10m.

4m band across Europe?

This article appeared on the 70MHz website last week. It may mean 4m becomes a common European amaallocation in the near future?  At the very least it makes it easier for individual countries to allocate 4m to radio amateurs.

"A new revised edition of ERC Report 25 - the European Common Allocation Table - has been published. The revision was approved at the WGFM#83 meeting and takes into account the latest Decisions made at the ECC#40 (30 June - 3 July 2015).

The new ECA inter alia includes a secondary allocation to the amateur service in the band 69.9 - 70.5 MHz.

However everyone should be aware that implementing the ECA is not mandatory on CEPT administrations."

A reminder of the current 4m allocations is available at http://www.70mhz.org/index.php?categoryid=2&p2_articleid=316 .

Some Es on 10m and 6m

CN8LI (2113km) spotted me just once at 1744z on 6m WSPR at a strong -13dB S/N. I suspect this was a brief Es opening.  Earlier EA1KV (1304km) was spotting me on 10m WSPR at 1146z.  Es today was not outstanding on 6m, well so far at least. On 10m, there were WSPR reports from across Europe albiet no brilliant.

Sunspots and 10m - Wed July 22nd 2015

Sunspot number has fallen slightly to 37 (K=1) and 10m F2 propagation is expected to remain "poor". Es may make 10m and 6m liven up a bit.

Soon be time to return to 472kHz WSPR?

Another poor start?

I have been on 10m and 6m WSPR overnight but no Es seen, even in daylight, on either band. Of course, things may well change, but I am now convinced more than ever that sticking with WSPR is causing me to miss some DX. Activity levels on WSPR are just too low, which is a great shame  Also, when conditions are more marginal a bit more antenna gain and power might help? In the past I have questioned this.

Quitest day yet?

It is now 1540z and on 10m I have only been spotted by local G4IKZ (18km) all day and not a single station on WSPR by Es or F2. 6m has been equally dire with just Gs by tropo and maybe off aircraft. Around teatime there is often a small Es peak so I am not giving up just yet!

Conditions are a little disturbed, but I am amazed how little Es there is here (none!) on both 10m and 6m WSPR. Maybe later or tomorrow things will be better?

Come September we will start to see autumnal conditions returning on 10m. Last autumn, winter and spring there were stateside spots of my 500mW 10m WSPR on most days. I was spotted in every continent, including Antarctica and Australasia on 10m WSPR.  It will be interesting to compare this year with last, as sunspot numbers will, on average, be way down. Soon be time to improve the LF/MF antennas too.

Just wondering if I should move to JT65 and JT9 for the F2 DX season? I like WSPR as it fits my operating style (and poor health) and I can monitor it remotely in the lounge.  JT modes are really 2-way and need more active intervention on my part. Maybe this will be good for me? Maybe JT65 and JT9-1 will ease me back into 2-way QSOs?

UPDATE 1908z:   I notice that G4IKZ (18km) has had a bad day on 10m too. Apart from an ON (tropo?) around breakfast there were only G spots in his log according to WSPRnet.

UPDATE 1942z:  I see that G4IKZ has spotted PY and CX on 10m WSPR just now. There is obviously some F2 propagation.  I guess Nick's Moxon beam is helping! He is probably able to copy signals at least 10dB weaker than me, although I am 100% TX currently on 10m WSPR.

Stroke update - NOT amateur radio

I am still having great difficulty with giddiness when walking. Also, I have poor speech and poor thin liquid drinking, although most foods are OK. I still get days when I am profoundly tired, especially after physical or mental exertion, although I seem to bounce back more quickly. Overall, my poor voice and giddiness are my biggest concerns. Getting better, but only very slowly.  Overall, I still feel very unwell. By this time last year I was expecting to be back to full health.

Still no Es here today on 6m or 10m

It is now 1305z and still there is no Es evident on either 6m or 10m WSPR here. This is, by a long way, the worst day on both bands for some time, here at least.  I wonder if we really are seeing a poor Es season?  Of course, there is always the chance that people are moving to other modes and deserting WSPR.  WSPR activity levels are very low on both bands currently, which is a pity. Without active stations on WSPR openings are being missed. Of course, WSPRnet only shows stations very recently spotting or spotted, so if they have been active but unsuccessful they appear as inactive and do not get shown. On a poor day there may be lots of stations trying on 10m and 6m WSPR but without success.