Sunspots and 10m - Sun Jan 3rd 2016

For the last 24 hours we were away visiting relatives in Yorkshire, so I had no chance to update the blogs. In the gloom and rain we are now home again and I am currently on 10m WSPR and 630m WSPR.

Solar flux today is 100, sunspot number 52 (K=2) and the forecast for 10m remains "poor". I am not expecting much on 10m WSPR today.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat Jan 2nd 2016

Solar flux is 97 and sunspot number 40 (K=3). 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor" today.

Low 472kHz WSPR activity on TX in Europe

Although WSPRnet shows 64 active stations on 472kHz WSPR,  just 8 of us are transmitting on 472kHz WSPR in Europe! This is a very low number. I do wish more were active.

UPDATE 1948z:  EA5DOM (1525km) is now the best DX on 472kHz WSPR RX here this evening. I am still using the "barefoot" FT817 without an external preamp and with the earth-electrode "antenna". At this QTH I am blessed with a very low man-made noise level. On TX the ERP remains close to 5mW (20%).

Sunspots and 10m - Fri Jan 1st 2016

Solar flux is 95 today and sunspot number has fallen to 18 (K=3).  10m propagation is forecast to be "poor" again. With such a low sunspot number and K=3, I was pleased to be copied in South America this morning on 10m at 1132z. I somehow doubt we'll see the USA on 10m WSPR today.

UPDATE 1922z:  FY5KE (7110km) was the only station to spot me all day on 10m WSPR all day.  I have now gone QRT on 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR and am active on 630m (472kHz) WSPR with 3 stations already spotted (best DX on 472kHz RX is DJ0ABR (983km).

UPDATE 1927z:  Best DX on 472kHz WSPR RX is DH5RAE (995km).

10m and 6m WSPR

It is New Year's Day and I am active on 10m and 6m WSPR at present.

UPDATE 1315z:   G8VDQ (93km) has been spotted several times already on 6m (he was also copied earlier on 630m) and FY5KE (7110km) spotted me on 10m WSPR.  A promising start to the new year.

2016 - A Happy New Year!

So, the new year is with us. A time for new beginnings and new hopes. May I wish  every reader of this blog, where ever you live on this small, shared, planet of ours, a very happy and peaceful 2016. I hope we can all enjoy 2016 in peace and goodwill.

My main ambition is to make the most of life: it is a precious gift.

Amateur radio wise, I think I shall try to work 2-way QRP QSOs  on JT65 and JT9-1 on HF and maybe some PSK31. I shall continue with WSPR when not able look for 2-way QSOs.

So I really hope you have a great 2016 whatever your situation. We must grab life with both hands.

2015 - NOT amateur radio

As I write this we have just over one hour to go of this year. In some parts of the world it is already the new year. For me, it has been a "challenging" year with slow, slow improvements in my stroke. My voice is still poor, I still have problems with many drinks and I have not made the full recovery by now that I was hoping for so much. I just hope next year is better, or at the very least that I can better adapt to the "me" I am these days.

2016 challenge

With my voice still poor (stroke) and still the same few reappearing night after night on 472kHz, I think my challenge for 2016 will be to work as many countries as possible using JT65 and JT9-1 on HF. I have tried these modes before but as it is now integrated with WSPR in WSJT-X I really should give it a go.

South America on 10m WSPR

So far, 3 spots from FY5KE (7110km) on 10m WSPR, Nobody else spotting me today.

Newmarket - NOT amateur radio

Newmarket Horses

Newmarket, the worldwide home of horse racing, is just 4 miles away. We do most of our food shopping there - mostly in Waitrose and sometimes at Tesco. Today we drove through Newmarket and did a walk at nearby Dalham, which is a real "chocolate box" village filled with thatched cottages. A hundred and fifty years ago these would have been tithed cottages for agricultural workers living in abject and grinding poverty. These days they are worth a small fortune and they are probably homes for the well grounded.  Many may be second homes for people coming to Newmarket for the races.