A night away - NOT amateur radio

This last weekend we drove up to Barnsley, Yorkshire, staying one night away, to help one of the relatives of Lis (bottom LHS of photo) celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary.  It was my furthermost drive since my stroke. The weather driving back was appalling. I now think I should be able to drive to Devon in May with a stop with friends on the way there and back. I miss Devon.  The get-together was a good chance for Lis to see relatives she has not seen for many years and to revisit old haunts.

FTSE 100 - NOT amateur radio

So the FTSE 100 share index has opened the year well down and is currently some 2.62% down on the day. I wonder where it will be in Jan 2017?

Sunspots and 10m - Mon Jan 4th 2016

Solar flux is 102 and the sunspot number is 52 (K=0). 10m propagation is again forecast to be "poor" today.

UPDATE 1338z:  10m WSPR has been dead here with no a single spot all day, so far.  At the moment I am just active on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1846z:  No 10m WSPR spots of my signal all day.

JT65 and JT9-1

Tomorrow, all being well, I shall make a start on 2-way QRP QSOs in 2016 using these digital modes with WSJT-X V1.6.  Probably I'll start on 20m.  Up to now we seem to have been busy with grandchildren over the holidays, or away. Apart from doing my tax return online (a job I love not one bit - the hardest thing is finding all the documents), I think we have a fairly free week.

QRP Newsletter

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
see the QRP Rendez-Vous weekly report and comments on the Club 72 blog
page here - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
Visitors of the week:
UA4NU,  ON6KZ,  DF5SF,  UR5EFD, G4VUX, UA1CEG, RV3GM, UA1ADF, OH6NPV, YO2IS,  IK2RMZ,  UR7VT,  EW1CY, HB9DAX, OH5LP, SM7RYR, UR3VZ, IZ3GHP, 9A0QRP, RZ4NWA, UA1CEX, RU3NJC, UA1ASB, UR0ET, OK1DQP, MM0CIN, DJ0PM, OH3GZ, RU3ZL
IK2RMZ  entered  in  the honor QRP rendezvous "frequenters" list. See
full  "frequenters"  and  "visitors"  lists  on  the  Club  72 page -
www.club72.su
Remind QRP "rendez-vous" schedule:
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at 9 UTC on 14060 (alternative 10116 if
Contests) +/- QRM, QRL, VXO. Your comments and results are appreciated
to "mr72" e-mail. please.
Thanks ALL for activity and comments!

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

630m WSPR and 10m WSPR

I am again spotting plenty on 630m (472kHz) WSPR although no-one has yet spotted my 5mW ERP on that band today. No luck on 10m WSPR, although I was very very later getting on the band. I only started up just before it was dark here. I left 10m too late.

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).