A little activity on 6m WSPR

G6AVK (78km) was spotted at 2048z on 6m WSPR.  Judging by the Doppler or drift, I suspect aircraft reflection was involved, or G6AVK had just come on the band and he was still drifting.

A few minutes ago I went QRT on both 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR until after breakfast tomorrow.

The back garden in autumn - NOT amateur radio

We are clearly in autumn now, with the back lawn carpeted in fallen leaves. Soon the ornamental cherry (just visible on the RHS) will be bare until the spring. There is something good about all UK seasons.

Here is my wife taking a photo.

WRC-15 in Geneva

The important conference at which a contiguous 5MHz amateur band is being discussed opens next week in Geneva for 3 weeks. This item, for a new secondary amateur allocation, is an agenda item (1.4). Watch this space...

We will certainly need this band in the quiet years ahead.

A useful resource

See http://www.w5dor.com/w5dor-links.html . Originally the link was wrong (thanks for telling me), but it was corrected.

This looks a very useful page to add to your bookmarks. It is filled with useful links of all sorts mostly related to amateur radio. I see my Tenner 500mW 10m CW transceiver is listed.

Sunspots and 10m - Tues Oct 27th 2015

Sunspot number today is 72 (K=1) but forecasts for 10m remain "poor". Despite this, 10m seems in good shape to me (see earlier post). It never fails to amaze me how I seem to get good 10m results when the forecasts are "poor". Moral is to never give up on this band which is full of surprises!

Australia already on 10m WSPR!

As well as spots from RA3, LZ and EA8 I see that VK2KRR (16789km) was spotting my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon at 0942z this morning. This looks promising for another good day on 10m. Recent reports from LZ have been very strong.

On 6m WSPR, all quiet so far today.

UPDATE 1136z:  Apart from Australia, the best 10m DX report today so far is from FR1GZ (9724km) at 1058z.

UPDATE 1415z:  The first 10m WSPR spot from the USA today was W4DEX (6390km) at 1250z. There have been plenty more USA spots since.

QRT on 10m WSPR

My 10m 500mW WSPR beacon was closed down about 15 minutes ago. It is some hours since I was spotted by any DX stations. It will be back on again around breakfast time in the morning. As has been the case for several days now, USA spots are a common occurrence, and likely to be regular now unless conditions are very bad.

OFCOM ......again

See the latest from OFCOM. Oh dear me, they really do try so hard to justify their existence! Bureaucrats and all that matters is £££!

"This document sets out Ofcom’s decisions on outstanding issues connected with the award of the 2.3 and 3.4 GHz spectrum bands. In particular, it sets out our decision to proceed with an auction of all the newly available spectrum without imposing spectrum caps, and our decision on the reserve prices that will apply to spectrum awarded in the auction."

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/2.3-3.4-ghz-auction-design/statement/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2.3-3.4-ghz-auction-design-statement

Last words on Sputnik Days?

From ON6WJ and Oleg....

"to Sputnik

dear Oleg (and radiofriends)
thank you very much for the magnificent “Sputnik” Certificate:
Here proud to be the owner of such exclusive “Award”
will print this on “brilliant photopaper” to decorate the shackwall.
Here no contester at all , neither a chaser for Diploma’s,Awards or Certificates,
but this “Souvenir” will be cherished ,always remembering me the ufb  QRPp QSO’s we had !

Spasibo Oleg

Jos
ON6WJ
(ps Sputnik Certificate already to see at my QRZ.com page hi)

> Dear Space Friends,
> Thanks for all operators taken part in the Sputnik QRPp Days!
> I send memorable certificates for all "Cosmonauts" and "Astronauts".
> The  list  of  all  participants  over  all  years  (2015 and before)
> published on the "Sputnik" page of Club 72 site - www.club72.su
> Cosmonauts: AA1TJ, DL3PB, OM6TC, ON6WJ, UA1CEX, UA3UAD, US5EVD
> Astronauts:  AA1TJ,  DL3PB,  OK1DPX,  ON6WJ,  RV3GM,  UA1ASB, UA1CEG,
> UA3UAD, UI7K.
> Also,  you can see results and pictures on the "Archive" page of Club
> 72 site.
> If  I  miss or forget somebody or something, put my nose to the facts
> :-)
>
> 72! beep-beep-beep...
> Deep Space Communications Center
> operator on duty -
> Oleg ("Mr. 72") RV3GM / KH6OB"

10m in good form (again)

FG5LA (6689km) was the first South American to spot me at 1224z on 10m WSPR. Again, I was using 50mW to my indifferent antenna.  The first USA spot was W4DEX (6390km) just 2 minutes later. Since then, other USA stations have spotted my little beacon as well as being spotted by EA8/LA3JJ (2870km).  Already the little 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been spotted in 5 continents today.

As I needed the PC for something else, I went QRT on 6m WSPR some hours ago.