21 Nov 2015
Late QSY
Much later than usual, I have closed down on 630m (472kHz) WSPR and am now active on 10m and 6m WSPR for the day. I did the QSY at around 1040z, which is much later than normal. Overnight I was on 472kHz RX only with the preamp in circuit. 472kHz is definitely suffering this autumn from a lack of transmitting stations in Europe. The is no shortage of stations on receive. Tonight I shall be on 472kHz TX again. Last night I copied all the usual 472kHz WSPR stations in range. We could do with some new stations!
20 Nov 2015
472kHz WSPR - now RX only with preamp
Since 1954z, I have gone RX only on 472kHz WSPR with the preamp in circuit, so the FT817 is running at maximum sensitivity. This will be on overnight all being well.
Sunshine - NOT amateur radio
Even if it is very quiet so far on the amateur radio front, at least the sun is shining. We have friends joining us for lunch. The wind is turning and it is definitely getting colder. Not that I have much faith in the weather forecasts, but there is an outside chance of snow this weekend here.
All quiet on 10m and 6m WSPR here so far today
As yet, not a single spot on 10m or 6m WSPR here. By now, I would have expected to have got some spots. Solar conditions don't look bad. Patience!
There are regular, strong, traces on the 6m WSPR screen, but these have too much Doppler to decode. I suspect this is G8VDQ (93km). If there was a WSPR mode with 1 min TX period, I suspect he would decode. JT65 or JT9-1 would probably work.
UPDATE 1715z: There were USA 10m WSPR spots this afternoon. The last USA spot was at 1600z.
UPDATE 1720z: G8VDQ (93km) was decoded on 6m a couple of times around lunch, presumably aided by aircraft reflection.
UPDATE 1725z: I have gone QRT on 10m and 6m WSPR and am now QRV on 630m (472kHz) with 5mW ERP again (20% TX, 80% RX, no preamp,earth-electrodes). M0LMH (223km) has copied me on 472kHz WSPR and DK7FC (669km) has been spotted.
There are regular, strong, traces on the 6m WSPR screen, but these have too much Doppler to decode. I suspect this is G8VDQ (93km). If there was a WSPR mode with 1 min TX period, I suspect he would decode. JT65 or JT9-1 would probably work.
UPDATE 1715z: There were USA 10m WSPR spots this afternoon. The last USA spot was at 1600z.
UPDATE 1720z: G8VDQ (93km) was decoded on 6m a couple of times around lunch, presumably aided by aircraft reflection.
UPDATE 1725z: I have gone QRT on 10m and 6m WSPR and am now QRV on 630m (472kHz) with 5mW ERP again (20% TX, 80% RX, no preamp,earth-electrodes). M0LMH (223km) has copied me on 472kHz WSPR and DK7FC (669km) has been spotted.
Terrorist attacks - NOT amateur radio
The FTSE 100 is recovering but it would only take a successful terrorist attack in the UK or USA to send both the FTSE 100 and the Dow into downward spirals.
Back on 10m and 6m WSPR. QRT on 630m (472kHz) WSPR.
As is my normal routine these days, I have QSYed from 630m to 6m WSPR and turned on my 10m WSPR beacon and synced it to internet time.
UPDATE 1015z: No spots on 10m or 6m as yet.
UPDATE 1015z: No spots on 10m or 6m as yet.
Sunspots and 10m - Fri Nov 20th 2015
Sunspot number has risen to 51 (K=3) but 10m propagation remains "poor" according to the forecast. Solar flux is 107 which is still respectable. Yesterday was another day without USA spots of my 10m WSPR beacon.
19 Nov 2015
QSY to 472kHz (630m) WSPR
10m and 6m WSPR were closed down at 2030 and I have now moved to 630m (5mW ERP 20% and RX 80% without the preamp). Still using the earth-electrodes.
UPDATE 2205z: All the usual 472kHz "suspects", i.e. the active stations in western Europe, are being copied including lots of spots of EA5DOM (1525km) on the barefoot FT817 without the preamp. I think I'd spot him more often and at better S/N with the preamp in use.
UPDATE 2205z: All the usual 472kHz "suspects", i.e. the active stations in western Europe, are being copied including lots of spots of EA5DOM (1525km) on the barefoot FT817 without the preamp. I think I'd spot him more often and at better S/N with the preamp in use.
Smart Meters - NOT amateur radio
This amused me as my energy supplier contacted me to arrange an appointment to fit smart meters but failed to turn up! I asked for a human being to contact me, but months have passed and they don't do humans. It seems their computers don't communicate!
This came via Steve G1KQH:
This came via Steve G1KQH:
"Why
they really want you to have a SMART Meter:
A
Smart meter is NOT compulsory:
5MHz amateur band - it is now official
WRC-15 has ratified the first new HF amateur allocation since 1979. Although only 15kHz wide it was agreed internationally. I hope that CEPT allows a wider contiguous allocation. I am sure I cannot be alone in finding all these non-contiguous 5MHz allocations very confusing.
From the RSGB report on WRC-15:
"Z8 has now officially been agreed as the prefix for South Sudan and will be formally entered into the Radio Regulations. Meanwhile the revised Radio Regulations from WRC-15 will officially come into effect from the 1st January 2017. "
From the RSGB report on WRC-15:
"Z8 has now officially been agreed as the prefix for South Sudan and will be formally entered into the Radio Regulations. Meanwhile the revised Radio Regulations from WRC-15 will officially come into effect from the 1st January 2017. "
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