Stroke update - NOT amateur radio

Although overall I get less tired (but some things still exhaust me), I still have poor speech and I feel giddy when walking, especially when turning. Thin liquid swallow is still not good - in fact I can only take sips of any liquids - but my taste is returning to normal. Real orange juice was a "no no" as was cheese and bread, but these are fine now.  In fact I enjoy orange and cheese again. Wine and whisky still taste odd (bitter) and I have yet to enjoy these again. Very very slowly things are improving, although I was expecting to be my old self a year ago! Overall, I still feel not right.

Others think I am fine. Indeed I look well, but inside I am not still. Climbing ladders is basically out of the question and anything over about 15-20 minutes of physical or mental effort really floors me. I really want to do some antenna work but this will require help unless things rapidly improve in the next few months.

I am able to drive, but this requires lots of concentration.

Sun? Surely not - NOT amateur radio

Is this really the sun in the sky? We have hardly had any sun for days now - just lots of rain. The sun has popped out from behind the clouds. I think I must be seeing things.

10m WSPR - just locals so far

I have remained on 10m overnight and this morning, but only local G4IKZ (18km)  has been spotting my 500mW beacon so far. Maybe there will be some Es later. There is no doubt that getting 10m WSPR spots is getting more difficult. This is a combination of summertime conditions, falling sunspots and fewer active WSPR stations. Undaunted, I shall carry on on 10m WSPR!

Sunspots and 10m - Mon July 27th 2015

Sunspot number today is 38 (K=2) and 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor". We will probably have to wait until the autumn for better 10m conditions, although some N-S F2 propagation can occur. 10m (or even 6m) openings to North America may occur by Es. Even QRP SSB can work the USA in the right Es conditions on 10m. I worked the USA in summer 2007 with real QRP (about 1W ERP) CW on 6m.

472kHz WSPR overnight

Overnight I was spotted by PA0RDT (243km) for my best DX on the band. Even though summer time, it is good that stations are still able to copy my weak 5mW ERP signal.

Blog post numbers

I never fail to be amazed by what is popular on my blogs. Today, nothing special (I thought) was posted yet we seem to be heading for a new record number of visits. I have no idea why.

Now QSYed to 472kHz WSPR

OK, so I have now left 6m and QSYed down to MF instead. I am still on 10m WSPR at the same time.

It is still summer time and I think people will struggle to copy my very weak (5mW ERP) signal, especially in daylight. Anyway, I am still using the earth-electrode antenna for now. At least I have a better chance on 472kHz. As mentioned before, with some help, I hope to erect a better antenna that will raise my ERP on 472kHz. This may not happen before late autumn.

UPDATE 1510z:  I see that G6AVK (78km) is spotting me on 472kHz WSPR. This is daylight. So far, I have not copied anyone, but at least I am getting out OK on MF. I am not sure why I like MF so much, but I guess it is because I am using my homemade transverter and a fairly unique "antenna". Let no-one tell you you cannot radiate a useful signal on 472kHz. If I can get out with my low ERP (I have been copied over 1000km away on this set-up) and just a couple of earth-electrodes about 12m (at most) apart in the garden, I am sure you can do at least as good or better.

UPDATE 1535z:  No further Es on 10m WSPR since the Italian earlier today.

UPDATE 1645z:  G6AVK (78km) is now getting me at 5dB S/N better than earlier, not sure why. Still no reports of others or reports from anyone else yet. Things may change as night falls.

UPDATE 1655z: WSPRnet show 17 stations worldwide on 472kHz WSPR. I need a few more "in range" stations active this evening, such as G8HUH (250km) who copied me last time I was active in the summer.

UPDATE 1840z:  Plenty of spots by G6AVK but no-one else spotted or spotting me so far on 472kHz WSPR.

UPDATE 1910z:  G6AVK spotted (eventually) in the last few minutes. Also G8LCO (58km) spotted me.

UPDATE 2102z:  PA0A (417km) and G8HUH (250km) are the best DX on 472kHz WSPR today, well so far.

Chinese factory video

Steve G1KQH sent me this link to a video. It shows the Quixang factory in China. Few people and lots of automation. Watch out Japanese amateur companies! Change or die. The writing is on the wall for Icom, Kenwood and Yaesu. I can see these will go under unless they cans lash prices by designing in Japan and making in China.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2FOZvtD9wU .

Last day on 6m WSPR?

Today will probably be my last day of this Es season on 6m WSPR. I am not ruling out the occasional outing to 6m, but I do not intend to be on 24/7 as I have largely been for months. Apart from 4X1RF (3519km) no great DX was had on the band (given or received spots). This was disappointing but I am flogging a dead horse on 6m WSPR. We need hundreds of active stations and, sadly, these are just not there.

It is getting harder now on 10m WSPR too with less activity, but I intend to run the 10m beacon 100% of the time when not doing anything else. I am still hopeful that this will show up fleeting 10m openings in the quieter years. I just hope a devoted core of WSPRers stick with 10m. In the quiet solar years there may be days with nothing before a fleeting N-S opening. I think this autumn and winter we will still have decent 10m conditions although autumn 2016 onwards may be much harder. There will be openings even in the quiet solar years, especially N-S.

UPDATE 1150z:  This morning, just 6m WSPR spots exchanged with G0OQK (98km). No Es DX seen on the band, well not yet. G0OQK seems to be nearly always there, although sometimes a 2min WSPR transmission is too long to decode. I think some of the problem is drift as I go from TX to RX in the FT817. WSPR software can handle with a few Hertz drift, but more than that and it just cannot cope. This is one reason why other modes may be better: JT65 and JT9 only need 1 minute TX times. Although not as sensitive as WSPR the shorter transmission time may be better.

UPDATE 1316z:   EA1KV (1304km) has been spotted by 6m Es WSPR since 1154z. He has also be spotting me. No other Es seen on the band.

UPDATE 1320z:  IK0OKY (1480km) was spotting me on 10m WSPR just now. No other Es seen so far on 10m WSPR.

Sunspots and 10m - Sun July 26th 2015

Sunspot number today is 41 (K=1) and 10m is expected to remain "poor". We are hoping that Es will liven up what otherwise may be a quiet band.