Sunspots and 10m - Sat Oct 24th 2015

Sunspot number is 91 (K=1) but 10m is forecast to be "poor" again. CQWW SSB contest is in full swing with good signals from LU and PY stations, but I feel too exhausted to take part today. Maybe I shall try tomorrow? Today I have just turned on the 10m 500mW WSPR beacon and the 1W 6m WSPR station.

We have had our younger grandson with us until about 1 hour ago and I think this has taken it out of me. I was fine yesterday.

Time to go QRT

The last USA spot of my 10m 500mW WSPR signal was at 1740z and that was K9AN (6505km). Since them just local G4IKZ (18km) and G4CUI (172km) by a mix of tropo and aircraft reflection. 6m WSPR has been quiet all day. Now it is time to go QRT.

Another UK Rally

Sunday 25 OCTOBER : 26th GREAT NORTHERN HAMFEST
Barnsley Premier Leisure Complex, Queens Road, Barnsley S71 1AN or follow the brown Metrodome signs. GNHF in association with SYRG. OT 10am, TS, SIG, C, FAM. Ernie, G4LUE, 07984 191 873. www.gnhf.co.uk.

 A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

6m WSPR today

I have been active on 6m WSPR most of the day but no spots whatsoever given or received so far. I am looking for others 80% of the time on 6m. It was a bit surprising that not a single G was copied on 6m. On 10m there were some nearer Europeans so I wonder if this was out of season Es?

Both 10m and 6m WSPR will be active here for a few hours yet, so there is still a chance of copying some Gs on 6m WSPR.

Tomorrow and Sunday I hope to be active for some of the time in the CQWW contest on 10m SSB. Most activity is likely to be on Sunday afternoon. A lot depends on my (poor) voice.

Park and Ride - NOT amateur radio

Younger grandson and XYL

Today we went into Cambridge to visit the Dinosaur Museum (free and on the Sedgewick Site) and John Lewis for a snack with our younger grandson.

We used the "Park and Ride" bus for the last part of the journey as we can use our bus passes and it saves worrying about the city traffic and parking. In John Lewis we treated our grandson to some Lego too.

Best day on 10m WSPR this season so far

6 x 10m WSPR spots from Australia, plenty of USA spots as well as Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Today the 10m forecast was "poor" but, for me, it has been the best day on 10m this autumn. What do "good" conditions bring on 10m?

Last words on Sputnik QRP tests?

These emails came in from Bert and Oleg:

"Hello dear Sputnikers,
Although I did not participate on the bands, I enjoyed to follow your
"adventures" here on the Sputnik Days report.
I enjoyed all, from the wigwam shack to Pampus.
Thanks to all.
73, Bert PA1B"


"Dear Space Friends,
> I enjoyed all, from the wigwam shack to Pampus.
> 73, Bert PA1B
Bert,  thank you very much for nice comments! Hopefully, milliwatting
will be continued all the year, not only in Sputnik Activity Days. We
can inform about mW results here in discussion e-mail group any time.
Dead  line  for  all Sputnik Days results is October 25. Send me your
results/pictures/comments  if anybody forget it before. After October
25  I'll  send  e-mail  nice  art  memorable  Certificates  for  all
participants    (including   assigned  personally honor titles, hehe)
Club  72  art designer Vlad UR0ET (Dnipro, Ukraine) have hardly works
with it now - thanks Vlad!
72! beep-beep-beep...
Deep Space Communications Center
operator on duty -
Oleg ("Mr. 72") RV3GM / KH6OB"

Sunspots and 10m - Fri Oct 23rd 2015

With a high solar flux (119) and a decent sunspot number of 94 (K=1) I am surprised to see 10m only expected to be "poor" today. Yesterday it was "fair".  On the face of it conditions look at least as good as previous days and possibly a little better.  Only time will tell.

I shall turn on 10m and 6m WSPR shortly.

UPDATE 0940z:  Early 10m WSPR spots by F2 from 4X1RF (3519km) bode well for the day. Two spots on 10m WSPR by VK2KRR (16789km) are even better!! Remember this is meant to be a "poor" day on 10m!

Solar Panels? - NOT amateur radio

Just received this from Steve G1KQH. I thought about solar panels on the roof but decided not to in the end. Our electricity bill is well below average already due to widespread use of LED and economy lights. I doubt solar panels would repay the investment in my lifetime. Also they have a finite lifetime too. Also new panels are getting smaller and more efficient all the time.

"The washing stacked up there wasn’t enough produced to heat the kettle? Soon the subs will be nowt..

 

Only once in Summer did the output peak at 3.9KW read on:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-3281593/Why-shouldn-t-solar-panels-ve-saved-hundreds-driving-poor-wife-twist.html

 

Glad I have never bothered.

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/"

More 10m F2 DX

At 1324z I got a spot from FR1GZ (9724km) on 10m WSPR.  A few minutes later he spotted me again twice. It looks likely that my little 10m WSPR beacon will be spotted in the USA later.

UPDATE 1855z:   USA spots started today at 1542z. There seem to be spots from the USA on 10m WSPR most days now.

UPDATE 1924z:  Lots of Germans on 10m WSPR. Out of season Es?

UPDATE 2010z:  All quiet now on 10m and 6m WSPR, although I shall be on both bands overnight.