With a sunspot number of 70 (K=4) and a forecast of 10m propagation being "poor", I am not expecting great things today on 10m. So far just spots of my 10m 500mW beacon from Europeans. It will be interesting to see if there are any DX spots today. Conditions do not look promising.
On 6m WSPR just G8VDQ (93km) spotted.
9 Nov 2015
Overnight on 472kHz WSPR
WSPRnet was playing up overnight and would not register my 472kHz RX spots, which included EA5DOM again. Overall, without the preamp, I copied at least 17 unique 472kHz WSPR stations in 8 countries including EA and I using the earth-electrode "antenna". My best DX on 472kHz WSPR this autumn (with 5mW ERP on TX) was DF2JP (448km).
8 Nov 2015
More Pixie transceiver price madness
From Steve G1KQH:
"Continuation
of the Pixie price saga, the more you buy the cheaper they are, £1.94p each if
you buy 10
Its
just impossible to even think how they do it:
73
Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/"
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/"
Stroke - NOT amateur radio
It is just over 2 years ago that I had my stroke. By now I was expecting to be back to normal, but I still have problems. The main issues are poor liquid drinking - I have to take small sips, I have a poor voice and I tire easily. 20-30 minutes of physical or mental activity and I am really done in. A short rest and I am OK again.
One unexpected impact is spelling: sometimes I find it hard to know if a word is spelt correctly, so I change the word to one I am more sure of. Another one is my short-term memory. My wife swears blind I told her something and I have no recollection of having done so! I am also unsure if I read something or it was something in a dream.
Overall, I am lucky but this stroke is still having a profound impact on my life and that of people close to me. I have changed and only time will tell what changes will always be there and which will eventually get better.
One unexpected impact is spelling: sometimes I find it hard to know if a word is spelt correctly, so I change the word to one I am more sure of. Another one is my short-term memory. My wife swears blind I told her something and I have no recollection of having done so! I am also unsure if I read something or it was something in a dream.
Overall, I am lucky but this stroke is still having a profound impact on my life and that of people close to me. I have changed and only time will tell what changes will always be there and which will eventually get better.
Daytime on 472kHz (630m)
M0LMH (223km) is spotting my 5mW ERP WSPR even now in broad daylight in IO93 square. I assume this is ground wave. Signal reports are "only just" at around -28 to -30dB S/N. Earlier G3XIZ (46km) was a very good signal with me on RX without a preamp. I think the preamp may help with weaker signals, but I am able to copy most of the active stations without it in circuit.
UPDATE 1534z: PA0A (417km) is being copied well here on 472kHz WSPR.
UPDATE 1920z: It is dark here. EA5DOM (1525km) has already been spotted here a few times without the preamp.The antenna is still the earth-electrodes in the ground.
UPDATE 2120z: The first spot this autumn of an Italian 472kHz WSPR station this evening. I shall leave the 472kHz WSPR station running through the night.
UPDATE 1534z: PA0A (417km) is being copied well here on 472kHz WSPR.
UPDATE 1920z: It is dark here. EA5DOM (1525km) has already been spotted here a few times without the preamp.The antenna is still the earth-electrodes in the ground.
UPDATE 2120z: The first spot this autumn of an Italian 472kHz WSPR station this evening. I shall leave the 472kHz WSPR station running through the night.
 |
| Unique 472kHz WSPR stations received here this evening so far. |
10m WSPR so far today
It seems that most of the spots of my little 500mW 10m beacon have been from nearer Europeans. This could be "out of season" Es or F-layer backscatter, but today there were far more than usual.
UPDATE 1600z: No USA 10m WSPR spots today, well not so far. I am surprised as usually they would appear well before now.
UPDATE 1614: Well, just to prove me wrong KK1D (5455km) has just spotted me on 10m WSPR. As they say, "one swallow does not make a summer", but at least I am being copied in the USA today on 10m.
UPDATE 1905z: KD0VWO (7412km) copied me at 1700z. Overall, this is has not been a good day for USA WSPR spots on 10m.
UPDATE 1600z: No USA 10m WSPR spots today, well not so far. I am surprised as usually they would appear well before now.
UPDATE 1614: Well, just to prove me wrong KK1D (5455km) has just spotted me on 10m WSPR. As they say, "one swallow does not make a summer", but at least I am being copied in the USA today on 10m.
UPDATE 1905z: KD0VWO (7412km) copied me at 1700z. Overall, this is has not been a good day for USA WSPR spots on 10m.
UK weather forecasts - NOT amateur radio
OK,
this is yet another moan about UK weather forecasts.
I checked the BBC and the local Burwell weather just 1 hour ago. Both said dry until tonight so I planned a last cut of the grass. Stepped outside to, yes you guessed, rain.
Yes I know that the UK weather is complex, but surely they can get it right just 1 hour ahead? Apparently not.
I checked the BBC and the local Burwell weather just 1 hour ago. Both said dry until tonight so I planned a last cut of the grass. Stepped outside to, yes you guessed, rain.
Yes I know that the UK weather is complex, but surely they can get it right just 1 hour ahead? Apparently not.
472kHz WSPR overnight
With 18 unique stations spotted last night without a preamp this was the best night so far this autumn on MF.
EA5DOM (1525km) was spotted 30 times over night at up to -14dB S/N without the preamp.
EA5DOM (1525km) was spotted 30 times over night at up to -14dB S/N without the preamp.
Sunspots and 10m - Sun Nov 8th 2015
With a decent solar flux, sunspot number of 79 (K=2) we could be in for some decent propagation on 10m WSPR today despite a "poor" 10m forecast.
I decided to stop on 472kHz (630m) WSPR today and give 6m a miss. Of course, Sod's Law will ensure there are some excellent 6m conditions today as I am not on!
I decided to stop on 472kHz (630m) WSPR today and give 6m a miss. Of course, Sod's Law will ensure there are some excellent 6m conditions today as I am not on!
7 Nov 2015
472kHz WSPR RX and TX
For the last hour or so I have been on 472kHz RX (no preamp) and TX (5mW ERP) with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I went QRT on 10m and 6m WSPR at the same time. So far this evening best DX with 5mW ERP is 223km and 995km on RX. It be interesting to see if I can spot EA5DOM without the preamp.
UPDATE 2024z: Best DX on TX with 5mW ERP and the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground is PA3ABK (306km). At the moment, most stations are only just copying my weak 5mW ERP signal. I think copying this weak signal is quite challenging for most MF people.
UPDATE 2024z: Best DX on TX with 5mW ERP and the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground is PA3ABK (306km). At the moment, most stations are only just copying my weak 5mW ERP signal. I think copying this weak signal is quite challenging for most MF people.
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