Sunspots and 10m - Fri Feb 5th 2016

Things are looking up.  For the first time in many weeks to 10m propagation forecast is"fair" rather than poor. Solar flux is 120 and sunspot number 95 (K=3).  Today should be decent on 10m.

472kHz (630m)

Since moving QTH 2.5 years ago, I have been active (mainly at night) on 630m with my "antenna" that consists of 2 earth rods in the ground about 12m apart. The ERP was measured at 5mW.  Despite this, my best DX this winter was a WSPR spot by DH5RAE at 995km and last winter I reached 1047km to Norway.  On RX, I have copied stations even further away.

Although more ERP and a better antenna would certainly help, let no-one tell you either are necessary. A lot of fun can be had with just an FT817 and a simple transverter to an indifferent "antenna". On RX just the barefoot FT817 (a bit deaf on MF) is enough to decode most of Europe on 472kHz WSPR.

UPDATE 1944z:  I am about to QSY from 10m to 630m.

UPDATE 2018z:  Now active on 472kHz WSPR (20% 5mW ERP TX, 80% RX). QRT on 10m until tomorrow.

UPDATE 2026z:  DL6TY (629km - new?) and DH5RAE (995km) spotted.  Local G0VQH (15km) spotting me.

UPDATE 2106z:   DL-SWL (701km) is the best DX on TX this evening so far.

Yet more 10m Es, I think

As well as a spot from the USA by KD6RF (7571km) I see that I am spotting IK1WVQ (1076km). Although these latter spots could be back-scatter, I think it is wintertime Es yet again on 10m.

UPDATE 1840z:  Other short-skip stations copied here this evening on 10m WSPR.

Weather in the UK - NOT amateur radio

Our village green in winter

Some have been forecasting a very cold winter here. So far, we have had very little frost and lots of dull,wet days. The ground here in East Anglia is wetter than I can ever recall. If we do get a cold snap, this will be the first real snow here for several years. I'd say our weather is changing. East Anglia used to be cold and dry, but not any more.

Australia on 10m yet again today

VK2KRR (16789km) spotted my 2W 10m WSPR twice this morning. Despite the "poor" forecast for 10m, the band is again far from dead as WSPR shows. The band does need more activity.   It is still good for real DX. These days it is a lack of activity rather than conditions that is the main issue. People casually listen, hear nothing and go away.  My recommendation is try WSPR and you'd be surprised how good conditions are on 10m.  In a few years things will be a lot tougher but right now on 10m DX is still there to be had. Also, my antenna on 10m is far from the best and another 10dB of antenna gain should easily be possible. If you run 5W rather than 2W that is already about 4dB.

Sunspots and 10m - Thurs Feb 4th 2016

Solar flux is 112 today (quite good) and sunspot number is 78 (quite good). K index is 2 (not bad). 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor", although I am expecting decent results today on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1035z:  Just G8VDQ (93km) spotted so far on 10m WSPR, but it is still very early.

Stoke, poor voice - NOT amateur radio

Today and in December I had appointments with probably the 2 best speech consultants in the UK. Sadly, both said the same - there is little wrong with my voicebox (both put cameras down my throat through my nose) and, as I have a neurological problem, there is nothing they can do for me. I hope my voice does improve, albeit slowly, but I guess I have to come to terms with the possibility that my voice might be poor for ever. There are things I can do to improve the situation - I cannot tell when my diction is poor or I am speaking too quietly (to me it sounds loud enough!) - so I need to work on these! Not long ago I was told I might never eat again and I proved them wrong. Let us hope I prove them wrong about my voice too.

QRP Club

More from Oleg...

"Dear Club 72 members and friends,

Firstly, thanks everyones for Snowman QRP Game support!
If someone have even one QSO with "field" stations in Snowman, fill the
declaration form on the page - www.club72.su please.

Remind  about  QRP  Rendez-Vous  round  table in Tuesdays, Thursdays,
Saturdays  at  9.00 UTC around 14060 (alt 10116 if Contests). Log and
comments to "mr72" e-mail please.

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

Amaryllis - NOT amateur radio

Our son and daughter-in-law gave us an amaryllis for Christmas, which we potted in early January. After a slow start, it has shot up and will probably be in flower in the next week. There are 2 flower heads, one looks ahead of the other.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaryllis .

10m WSPR

I have been on the band for about 15 minutes. So far, no spots given or received but it is still very early. TX is 2W 20% and I am on RX 80%.

UPDATE 1120z:  Still no spots on 10m yet today.

UPDATE 1328z:  KD0VWO (7412km) monitoring in Brazil has spotted me 6 times already on 10m WSPR. There is also some GDX with G0LUJ (278km) spotted. Not a bad start on a 10m band where the forecast was "poor". The lesson is, yet again, 10m is open more than you may think.

UPDATE 1406z:  These are the 10m WSPR spots today so far. ON7KO (295km) could be aircraft assisted tropo or pure tropo.

UPDATE 2010z:   Even more short-skip (Es?) this teatime on 10m WSPR in the form of SP5TWA (1302km) and YL2GL (1747km). Short-skip has been very good on 10m WSPR this winter.