Sunspots and 10m - Sun Sept 20th 2015

Sunspot number is 61 but with K=7 conditions are pretty disturbed. Conditions on 10m remain "poor". Do not expect much on 10m today! Conditions on 6m are likely to be even poorer. A bit of 10m Es might help.

UPDATE 0958z:  Just G4APB (88km) spotted today on 6m WSPR and locals G4IKZ (18km) and G4KPX (14km) spotting me on 10m WSPR.

10m WSPR today

It looks like there was some Es on 10m WSPR today with a few spots from central Europe.

Unique 10m WSPR spots today

There is 10m Es at all times of the year but it is much less common now. On 6m I have again drawn a total blank with no spots given or received at all. I've been on both bands since before breakfast!

Churches blog updates - NOT amateur radio

Today we visited the delightful Norfolk  town with its greens and fine Georgian houses of Hingham. Hingham is a few miles from Attleborough on the road from Norwich to Watton.

We ate lunch at the Lincoln Tea Shoppe and Bistro which is across the main Norwich-Watton road from the church and just off Fairgreen. On the way there and back we visited several churches and I have updated the church blog to include this.

Earlier this week we returned to Dalham church so I have updated the entry last February for Dalham too.

See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .

Sunspots and 10m - Sat Sept 19th 2015

Sunspot number is 62 today (K=4) and 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor" today. With moderately disturbed conditions, it is unlikely that great things can be expected of the higher HF bands today. As always, 10m may throw us a surprise. I am on both 10m and 6m WSPR, ever hopeful.

UPDATE 0915z:  Just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting me, so far, on 10m WSPR.  6m remains dead here! Not sure why I still bother with 6m.

10m F2 this afternoon

Well, 10m has sprung into life on WSPR. I am pretty sure KD0VWO (7412km) is actually monitoring in Brazil judging by the QTH locator. 

As far as I can tell, there is no Es about here on 10m. This looks like F2 propagation. I remain hopeful for the rest of the day. I use 500mW on WSPR and a very average, low 3 band end-fed wire antenna on 10m.

10m WSPR results this afternoon

UPDATE 1530z:  Nothing at all given or received on 6m WSPR since G8VDQ (93km) was spotted at 1602z yesterday.  So far, no further F2 on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1840z:  Still no further 10m WSPR DX by F2 or Es here.

Sunspots and 10m - Friday Sept 18th 2015

Sunspot number has risen to 72 (K=3) but 10m propagation remains "poor". Another poor day on the higher HF bands?

UPDATE 1120z:  So far just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting me on 10m WSPR. As yet, no signs here of any Es or F2 propagation. Others with better antennas on 10m may have fared better.

Another UK Radio Rally

The following Radio Rallies are coming soon:

Sunday 20 SEPTEMBER : CHIPPENHAM & DARC 'MINI' INDOOR RADIO RALLY
Neston Village Hall,
Pool Green,
Neston, Corsham,
Wiltshire SN13 9SN.

OT 10am, £2, U16 free (sellers 9am, £5 per prebooked table), C.

Parking on site is limited but disabled spaces will be made available. Main parking please in Leafield Way (trading estate), 5 min walk, not Pool Green Rd.

E-mail g0iue@btinternet.com or 07584 054 924 on the day only.
www.g3vre.org.uk.

QRP commercial rigs

The FT817 successor may be announced at Dayton next year. If correct, this is about 3-4 years too late.

The ICOM IC703 is not being replaced by the 10W version of the IC7300 outside of Japan. Personally, I do not understand the major Japanese manufacturers. Surely there is a worldwide demand for a 5-10W SDR based, radio?

It seems the huge world-wide QRP market is not being well addressed by the Japanese. It is their loss.  I think they are all nuts!

Ten-Tec seem to be struggling with their latest Argonaut judging by recent price cuts. See http://www.rkrdesignsllc.com/products/transceivers-receivers/ten-tec-model-539-argonaut-vi-qrp-1-10-watt-transceiver/ .

No, personally I think we are seeing QRPers getting a rough deal of late.

FT991 price dropping

Yaesu FT991

MLS are advertising a time limited offer of the FT991 and a bundled SMPSU at £1149.95. Now there will soon be an ICOM competitor albeit with no 2m/70cm but with 4m in the European version (and arguably a better radio?) at less than £1000 in the form of the IC7300.

No, I confidently predict the FT991 will sell for less than £1000 before the year is ended.  If you are in the market for a 100W radio it is a toss-up between the IC7300 (SDR based) and the FT991. At the moment, the IC7300 looks better value.

Yaesu may announce a (long awaited) FT817 replacement at Dayton next spring but don't expect to see units in Europe before autumn 2016 or later, is my bet.  The Yen exchange rate has vastly improved (making Japanese goods less expensive to buy) and now the FT991 has a serious rival - result is Yaesu has to drop its price for the FT991 or they lose out. My advise is wait a few months.

Sunspots and 10m - Thurs Sept 17th 2015

Sunspot number today is 67 (not bad) and K=3 suggesting  conditions are a little disturbed. 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor". So far this morning just spots from local G4IKZ (18km) on 10m WSPR, but I remain hopeful that we'll see some F2 later. I am also on 6m WSPR (20% TX 30dBm ERP , 80% RX).

UPDATE 0925z:  Still just local G4IKZ (18km) on 10m WSPR and nothing at all on 6m WSPR given or received.

UPDATE 1725z:   All quiet on 10m and 6m WSPR still.