6m WSPR this morning

G8VDQ (93km) has again been spotted on 6m WSPR, although many of his bursts did not decode as the Doppler was too great. The multi-path nature of these signals again seems to confirm aircraft reflections. It seems decodes occur with little or no Doppler, so either the direct tropo path or aircraft flying in the right directions at the right spots.

One USA spot on 10m WSPR yesterday

Looking back at my logs I see that WY1R (5504km) spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR yesterday at 1412z. This was the only USA spot on the band. I this was F2 although  there is a possibility it was multi-hop Es. F2 is more probable. Conditions must have been very marginal with just a fleeting opportunity of my little beacon being briefly copied.

Very good 472kHz WSPR conditions

EA5DOM (1525km) was coming in at -16dB S/N just now without the preamp! If I am going to copy anyone at greater range then tonight will be a good chance. I keep hoping to copy some USA 472kHz stations, but no luck so far. I may go and add the preamp overnight.

UPDATE 2352z: I have just switched to 472kHz WSPR RX only with the preamp. As tonight is my best chance this season so far, I am giving the RX the best chance too!

UPDATE Dec 20th  0014: Sod's Law says tonight WSPRnet will fall over. I need to check the overnight local logs carefully. t breakfast time tomorrow.

Reminder: Christmas Eve (Dec 24th) SAQ VLF test

See http://alexander.n.se/?lang=en .

The next SAQ transmission (17.2kHz CW) from Sweden will be on Christmas Eve, December 24th at 8:00 UTC (9:00 CET). It will also be broadcast live on their webpage (see link above).

Albert Einstein visited the New Jersey HF alternator TX. This is not SAQ of course!

 This image is located at http://gereports.cdnist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/10165119/121442-Steinmetz-and-Einstein-uncropped1.jpg

QRP Club

From Oleg...

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

See the weekly QRP Rendez-Vous report and "soapbox" here -
http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
Visitors  of  the week: UR7VT, UA1ADF, UR5EFD, RN4NAA, UA1CEX, OM6TC, OH6NPV,  RU3NJC,  RA1M/mm,  UA4NU, 9A6DR, G3UD, RA3AL, SM7RYR, DM4RW, G4HOM, LZ2NV, 9A1AA, HB9DAX, DL7MA, RA6YA, ON6KZ, PD0HRS

Schedule of the weekly "rendezvous";
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at 9 UTC on 14060 kHz +/- QRL, QRM, VXO (alternative 10116 kHz if Contests QRM)
Welcome all QRP operators!

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"
=== In QRP We Trust! ===

472kHz WSPR

DL-SWL (701km) spotted my 5mW ERP 472kHz WSPR signal at 1628z today, which is very early. He must have a good RX system.   

PA3ABK/2 (306km) has been spotted here throughout the day on 472kHz WSPR.

Winter Es on 10m WSPR

So far today, WSPRnet has been OK. Not sure why. Lots of short-skip spots on 10m WSPR that I presume are a result wintertime Es (EA, DL, I). I may well try JT65 and JT9-1 later.

UPDATE 1608z:  It is getting late so JT65 and JT9-1 will have to wait until Sunday.  I shall go QRT on 10m WSPR soon.  I have been on 630m (472kHz) WSPR all day and will remain on for the evening and night.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat Dec 19th 2015

Solar flux is a respectable 116. Sunspot number is 49 (K=1) but 10m propagation is expected to be "poor" today. Yesterday 10m was again disappointing. In all, 21 unique statio (ns have reported my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon in the last 2 weeks, including several in  the USA. I thought it was fewer than this. The majority of the USA spots were earlier in the month. Best DX spot was by FR1GZ (9724km). No Australian spotters in the last 2 weeks on 10m.

UPDATE 1005z:  All quiet on 10m and 6m WSPR so far.

UPDATE 1009z:  This often happens! Just after my last entry I was spotted on 10m WSPR by DF4UE (758km) by wintertime Es I assume. Far too short for F2.

JT65 and JT9-1 tomorrow?

From Sunday we have grandchildren here for over a week, so amateur radio will take a back seat. I may set WSPR running some of the time, but that will be all.

Tomorrow, as WSPRnet seems so "hit and miss" at the moment, I may well try JT65 and JT9-1 to see how I get on. I've used these modes in the past, but not for some while. My fellow blogger PA4BAS Bas in the Netherlands tells me that beaconing is possible in these modes, although the watchdog timer only allows 6 transmissions before the TX has to be reset. I may well try 20m initially to make sure all works first. After that, I may give 10m a go although it has been quiet on 10m WSPR of late.

See http://pe4bas.blogspot.nl/2015/12/beaconing-with-jt-modes.html .

More WSPRnet issues?

Yet again, WSPRnet seems to be struggling. If this continues I think I shall be forced away from WSPR, which would be a great shame in my current state of health.

The choices are to move to PSK31, JT65, JT9-1 and OPERA on MF. I can use SSB and CW, but I find these modes hard at present.  Unlike WSPR (which is mainly a beacon mode) these digital modes are really 2-way modes, so I'd have to be in the shack rather than the lounge. Maybe this is no bad thing as I need to make more 2-way QSOs. Maybe my challenge for 2016 should be to see how many countries I can work with QRP using these digital modes?

WSPRnet is a core benefit of WSPR as it allows everyone to see who is spotting you and who you are spotting. Feedback is almost instant, which is great for those interested in propagation or experimenting with antennas or rigs.