Sunspots and 10m - Wed Dec 9th 2015

Solar flux is 105 and sunspot number 58. K index is 1 so quite undisturbed today. I think 10m WSPR should open to the USA this afternoon. If not, there is little hope for the rest of the winter and spring! The forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor" though.

UPDATE 1104z:  No spots at all on 10m WSPR as yet. By now, I'd have expected a few Russians on 10m WSPR at least.

Return to 6m and 10m WSPR. QRT on MF

Just before breakfast I returned to 10m and 6m WSPR. G8VDQ (93km) has been spotted several times on 6m WSPR.

Back to MF

I have closed down on 10m and 6m WSPR and returned to 630m (472kHz) for the evening and night. G8VDQ (93km) was spotted 3 times on 6m WSPR probably by a mixture of tropo and aircraft reflection. On 10m WSPR only the single spot of me was by DK6UG this morning. Where are the USA WSPR reports?

UPDATE 2148z:  On 472kHz WSPR just the same stations copied on RX with best DX, so far,  DH5RAE (995km). No-one has copied me yet this evening.

UPDATE 2238z:   PA0O/1 (440km) has copied me this evening on 472kHz WSPR as has G4AYT in Kent.

Stroke exhaustion - NOT amateur radio

It is perhaps surprising that well over 2 years since my stroke, I still get very exhausted so easily. We have had good old friends staying for a couple of nights and after helping to prepare lunch, I was totally exhausted. After 10-15 minutes I am OK again, but anything physical or mental gets me very tired after a short time. I guess I have to accept this is how it is going to be, although people tell me I am getting slowly better. They can see progress, although I cannot generally see it.

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.