Even though conditions on 10m WSPR today did not seem to have been as good as on recent days, I still got lots of spots from the USA again. We are definitely seeing autumn conditions and overall the DX is still there with Australians spotting my 500mW WSPR now on 3 different days in October. We are now in November so I expect there will be even more Australian spots this month.
10m is still a very good DX band. Enjoy it while you can - you only need low power and a very modest antenna, smaller than for any HF bands. It is still my favorite HF band, and probably my favorite band anywhere in the spectrum.
1 Nov 2015
USA 10m WSPR
W4DEX (6390km) appears to be the last USA 10m station to spot my 500mW WSPR beacon at 1806z this evening. I shall probably remain on 10m and 630m through the night but am not expecting much on 10m if I am honest. If anyone spots me on 10m WSPR that would be a bonus. On 630m (472kHz) I expect to spot, and be spotted, by several stations.
A full 4MHz at 6m in Region 1?
Southgate news reports that a full 4MHz wide amateur band in Region 1 may be on the agenda for the next WRC in 2019. If this happens it would be very useful, although this is 4 years away and may not even make the next agenda! A 4MHz wide band would harmonise the allocation across the world and possibly allow satellites on this band. A 4MHz wide band would be wide enough for most modes and wider than any existing band below UHF.
See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/october/proposed_50_54_mhz_agenda_item_for_wrc_19.htm#.VjZIdStEd81 .
See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2015/october/proposed_50_54_mhz_agenda_item_for_wrc_19.htm#.VjZIdStEd81 .
Sunspots and 10m - Sun Nov 1st 2015
Sunspot number is 73 (K=3) and 10m is expected to be "poor".
On 630m (472kHz) my 5mW ERP has been copied by PA0A (417km). Lots of spots end of PA3ABK/2 (306km) and one of F6GEX (590km).
UPDATE 1712z: The first 10m USA spot was by W4DEX at 1220z. FR1GZ (9724km) remains the most distant station to spot me on 10m today.
UPDATE 1725z: It looks like we are now seeing skywave DX coming through on MF with F5WK (436km) being spotted.
UPDATE 1805z: DH5RAE (995km) is the best DX spot on MF so far this evening.
On 630m (472kHz) my 5mW ERP has been copied by PA0A (417km). Lots of spots end of PA3ABK/2 (306km) and one of F6GEX (590km).
UPDATE 1712z: The first 10m USA spot was by W4DEX at 1220z. FR1GZ (9724km) remains the most distant station to spot me on 10m today.
UPDATE 1725z: It looks like we are now seeing skywave DX coming through on MF with F5WK (436km) being spotted.
UPDATE 1805z: DH5RAE (995km) is the best DX spot on MF so far this evening.
Return to 630m and 10m WSPR
At about 1030z, I returned to 10m WSPR (500mW) and 630m WSPR (5mW ERP). I shall give 6m a miss today as it has been days since I achieved any results on that band.
31 Oct 2015
Last 10m USA WSPR spot
Yet another good day for USA spots on 10m WSPR. The last spot of the day from the USA seems to have been N2NOM (5581km) at 1804z. 10m has been good to the USA for several weeks now. I suspect there will be the odd days when the USA won't be there but on present form it will be open to the USA most days this autumn and winter.
UPDATE 2035z: I did think about going on 472kHz tonight but this may have to wait until tomorrow night. I shall be going QRT on 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR shortly.
UPDATE 2035z: I did think about going on 472kHz tonight but this may have to wait until tomorrow night. I shall be going QRT on 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR shortly.
All quiet on 6m WSPR
As you will know, as well as 10m I have been on 6m WSPR most of the day (20% TX, 80% RX). Yet again here I have had no success at all on 6m. Not really sure why I try 6m.
Tonight I may return to 630m (472kHz) WSPR and try my luck with the 5mW ERP and earth-electrode "antenna". I have no idea how many others will be active.
Tonight I may return to 630m (472kHz) WSPR and try my luck with the 5mW ERP and earth-electrode "antenna". I have no idea how many others will be active.
Low tech internet - NOT amateur radio
We get very spoilt here with internet speeds approaching 30MB per second commonplace with fibre-optic cable. In some rural areas such speeds are unheard of, especially in 3rd world countries. Some have taken to making their own internet networks.
See http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/10/how-to-build-a-low-tech-internet.html?utm_source=amateur-radio-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
See http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/10/how-to-build-a-low-tech-internet.html?utm_source=amateur-radio-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
Australia (again) on 10m WSPR
It took me CQWW SSB last weekend to realise that I get more fun from my tiny 10m WSPR beacon, the size of a pack of cards - totally stand alone with no PC needed - as I would from a rig costing 20 times more. My beacon (by W5OLF) costs just $49. It has been spotted all over the world this autumn already including lots of spots by VK2KRR (16789km). My antenna is nothing at all special. In CQWW I only stayed for 1 QRP QSO across the Atlantic. WSPR with 500mW is more fun. In the last year I have used my tiny 10m WSPR beacon far more than any other rigs.
UPDATE 1305z: The first 10m WSPR spots from the USA were by K9AN (6505km) at 1244z. I see there were nearer Europeans spotting me, which may have been Es or F layer backscatter.
UPDATE 1435z: I don't think I'll be buying a new HF rig until my voice is much better. Lots more 10m WSPR spots from the USA.
UPDATE 1305z: The first 10m WSPR spots from the USA were by K9AN (6505km) at 1244z. I see there were nearer Europeans spotting me, which may have been Es or F layer backscatter.
UPDATE 1435z: I don't think I'll be buying a new HF rig until my voice is much better. Lots more 10m WSPR spots from the USA.
Sunspots and 10m - Sat Oct 31st 2015
With a sunspot number of 88 (K=1) and a decent solar flux, I expect decent results on 10m WSPR even though the 10m forecast is "fair". This is better than recent days.
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