ICOM IC7300

Although UK dealers are happy to take a deposit, I am not aware of a "final" (initial!) price or of any shipments. Maybe the design is still be optimised? I would hope that 5MHz is covered as standard as there will be a worldwide allocation (in most countries) from 2017 and some European nations have contiguous allocations of up to 150kHz I believe. Maybe they are looking at the FT991 to see if there are any bands/features that can/should be added?

Personally, I hope they release the 10W version in Europe as well as Japan. This would be a fine successor to the IC703. I'd buy one of these. Buy the 100W version? Probably not.

It is a pity 472kHz TX is not included in any Japanese (any?)  transceivers. I guess this design would stretch the PA and ATU designs too far.

Sunspots and 10m - Tues Dec 8th 2015

Solar flux is 101. Sunspot number is 50 (K=2) but 10m propagation is yet again expected to be "poor". How 10m will be today is anyone's guess!

UPDATE 1054z:  All quiet, so far, on 10m and 6m WSPR here.

UPDATE 1122z:  Again DK6UG (633km) has spotted me on 10m WSPR.

QRT on 630m and active again on 10m and 6m WSPR

After an evening and night on 630m (472kHz) WSPR, I have QSYed back to 6m WSPR and 10m WSPR. Overnight PA0O/1 (440km) spotted me several times on 472kHz WSPR. He is a new station this season.

Back to 472kHz WSPR

FR1GZ (9724km) was spotting me this afternoon on 10m WSPR but yet again there were no spots of my 500mW WSPR beacon from the USA. It looks like the declining solar activity is already having an impact. To be honest, I was not expecting to notice this until late next year. DK6UG (633km) also spotted me on 10m WSPR - winter Es?

As it is dark here, I have returned to 472kHz WSPR wth 5mW ERP, although I am on RX 80% of the time. Lots of Europeans being copied on MF with best DX on RX again 995km.

G8VDQ (93km) was copied several times on 6m WSPR by aircraft reflection/tropo earlier.

Quiet - NOT amateur radio

The house is very quiet. My XYL is out in Cambridge at her weekly U3AC course and I am just quietly relaxing. It is good to do nothing much and just relax. I think it does me good.

QSYed

About 10 minutes ago I went QRT on MF. I am now on 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR instead. It takes a little while for things to settle, but all is very quiet as yet. Certainly no choice DX yet, although I'd be surprised. I shall return to 472kHz (630m) WSPR tonight when it gets dark.

UPDATE 1100z:  G8VDQ (93km) has just been spotted on 6m WSPR.

IARU VHF news

The next WRC, to be held in 2019, could see some threats to some of our microwave bands. I have to confess very little interest in microwaves. I preferred lightwaves as I was able make all my own kit and test gear. Although 10GHz operation is possible without that much test gear, having some decent 10GHz test equipment must help.

At present, the after effects of my stroke have meant very little building, or field work, has been possible. I sincerely hope that things will get better next year.

See http://www.iaru-r1.org/images/VHF/newsletters/Newsletter_68.pdf

472kHz WSPR update

I stayed on 472kHz WSPR overnight but only spotted the same stations again. At breakfast G4AYT (114km) in JO01mi was spotting me from 0732z lots, although he was spotting me through the night at times.

Overnight I received spots from 5 unique stations with the best DX being (again) a report from DL-SWL (701km). I was also spotted by G3XKR (347km) in north Devon. My ERP is still around 5mW from the earth-electrode "antenna", so all credit to these stations for finding me down in the noise! Here, on RX, my best spot was (again) DH5RAE at 995km.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon Dec 7th 2015

Solar flux is 103 today. Sunspot number is 38 (K=3).  10m propagation is expected to remain "poor" today. I do not expect great things on 10m today.

First 10m WSPR spots from the USA

With improved conditions, I was not surprised to see my little 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been spotted in the USA this afternoon. KZ3X (5737km) was the first at 1508z. I expect there will be some more.

UPDATE 1545z:  We must be on the downward slope of the sunspot cycle now as 1508z was late for a first 10m WSPR spot from the USA. Still, we must be grateful.  This time next year, we'd be grateful if 10m opened E-W at all! Some of us can remember winter afternoons when 6m was wide open to the USA! I recall hearing lots of USA stations on 6m with just a fixed wire dipole. Never again in my lifetime, although I expect to hear the USA on 6m some summers via Es.

UPDATE 1600z:  PA3ABK/2 (306km) has been spotted a few times already on 472kHz WSPR late this afternoon.

UPDATE 1712z:  No further 10m WSPR spots from the USA. KZ3X may have been it for the day.