40m WSPR

At 1905z, with all chance of 10m WSPR DX gone, I QSYed to 40m WSPR. There have been plenty of spots of my signal but I have only spotted one other station so far tonight because of my high local noise floor.

UPDATE 2240z:  Stations in the USA are again spotting my 2W 40m WSPR to an antenna that is far from any good for DX on 40m. It will be interesting to see how many USA stations spot me on 40m WSPR.

10m WSPR GDX

Since this morning the only spots on 10m WSPR have been G stations with the latest being G8VDQ (93km).  I suspect this is tropo and aircraft reflection. No international DX spots since this morning on 10m WSPR.

7-day high - NOT amateur radio

Last weekend I was away staying with one of our sons with limited internet access. Yesterday, the number of visitors to this blog was at a weekly high again.

In the past I have been able to update the blogs using my Apple iPod Touch 4g and Safari, but this no longer works for some reason. So, unless I take a PC with me I have to wait until I get back home.

Yet another stroke after-effect - NOT amateur radio

I have mentioned this before, but I seem far slower at noticing errors than in the past.

As an example I used the Roman phrase caveat emptor on my blog yesterday. Only a day later when this appeared on AmateurRadio.com did I notice that I had the wrong spelling caveat emtor . On my blog I have corrected the mistake, but I had not seen it! Sometimes it is a keying error, but I should have noticed this.

Sunspots and 10m - Fri Feb 26th 2016

Solar flux is 90 today and sunspot number 26 (K=1). The forecast for 10m propagation today remains "poor". I have been on 10m WSPR since breakfast but no spots given or received as yet.

UPDATE 1030z:  It helps to check the right band on WSPRnet - not 20m.  10m WSPR stations in Australia have been spotted yet again today and I have (yet again) been spotted in Australia this time by VK5AKK  (16231km) and G4CUI (172km) has spotted me.

20m JT9-1

As 10m WSPR appeared dire here this afternoon, I QSYed down to 20m and had a 2-way QSO using JT9-1 with  SP6EIY.  My power was 2W.

I have now gone on 20m WSPR so I can monitor in the lounge and enjoy a cup of tea.  These are the 20m WSPR spots so far.

UPDATE 1830z:  Several 20m WSPR spots from the USA, both received and given. I shall probably QSY to 40m WSPR later.

UPDATE 2020z:   Still lots of 20m WSPR spots from Canada and the  USA. For now, I shall remain on 20m.

UPDATE 2130z:   The last 20m USA WSPR spot was at 2106z from K3SC (5869km), so I am staying on 20m for now, whilst the band is still open E-W.

Migrants trying to reach the UK - NOT amateur radio

Mixed views. I do not like unrestricted EU access into the UK and firmly believe it is up to the UK to decide who can live and work here. At the same time I feel so sorry for the true refugees who have fled war and conflict who wish to come to the UK for a peaceful life. Some of these people are really desperate.  In all conflicts it is the children who suffer the most. One woman is trying to make life in Calais just a little better for some children.  She is trying to raise money to buy a double-decker bus to convert.

If you would like to help just a little see https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/sophie-besse-bus?comment_id=1325867307439276&fb_comment_id=1324719837554023_1325867307439276#f30de133eed222e

Whatever your views, the little ones are the innocent victims. Life can be cruel and hard. You could help just a little?

More QRP Club News

More from Oleg...

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

just  reminder  about  QRP  Rendez-Vous  round  table  in  Tuesdays,
Thursdays,  Saturdays  at  9.00  UTC  around  14060  kc +/- QRP, QRL,
RIT/xtal (alternative 10116 kc for Contests QRM).
Comments and reports appreciated to "mr72" e-mail

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"
 

Continued stroke after-effects - NOT amateur radio

One of the post stroke effects I think I have mentioned before is driving the car.  I have done some quite longish drives in the last year but my brain "feels" like I am going faster than I am. To me, 40mph feels like 50mph and 50mph feels like 60mph. So, I drive at slower speeds than I did.  I have no idea why this should be so. I assume this is to do with the way my brain is processing data.

Also, time seems to be different. I take longer to do things and yet time seems to be going along faster - but this may just be me getting older!

So far, all very quiet on 10m WSPR

At the moment (1242z) this looks like being another very quiet day here on 10m WSPR with no spots at all so far! I remember a few days ago when 10m WSPR seemed quiet and then I got a spot from Texas. I shall stay on the 10m band until this evening, ever hopeful.

If there is no long distance DX, it would be good to see some DX inter-G.  In the past I have spotted, and been spotted, on 10m WSPR out to about 250km by a combination of tropo and aircraft reflection.

After dark, I shall QSY to either a MF or lower HF band.

UPDATE 1344z:  Still no 10m spots.