Sunspots and 10m - Tues March 8th 2016

Solar flux is 92 and sunspot number 61 today. K=2, which is less disturbed than yesterday. The forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor" today.

QSYed from 10m to 630m WSPR

About an hour ago I moved down to 630m (472kHz) WSPR as 10m seems to have closed for any DX now. Best DX on RX tonight on 630m (472kHz) is LA1TN (1269km). On TX (5mW ERP) the best DX is G8LCO (58km) only, so far. I am still using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground on both RX and TX. On RX I am just using the FT817 without a pre-amp externally.

UPDATE 2112z:  Best DX on TX (5mW ERP) is now DL-SWL/W (701km). I wonder if any of the Norwegians will copy me tonight?

UPDATE 2218z:  These are the 472kHz WSPR RX spots so far (unique and in distance order).

K prefix

Stations in Cornwall are being allowed to use K in their prefix this year only. K stands for Kernow, which the ancient name for Cornwall.

An old work colleague, Richard G3TFX, worked the Poldu club station when they were using the special prefix on 40m SSB in recent days. I have still to work a Cornish station this year, although I have not really been trying.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/march/k_for_kernow_st_pirans_day.htm .

10m WSPR - still no spots

It is now 1542z and I have given and received not a single spot on 10m WSPR all day. Conditions seem to be dire here today. Not even a G station! I'll stick with 10m WSPR until dark, but think spots are unlikely on 10m WSPR today.

Probably I shall QSY to 630m this evening. Even my very low ERP on that band seems to get spots.

UPDATE 1806z:  Just a single spot all day on 10mWSPR - by OZ7IT (853km) at 1734z.

Historic Amateur Video

My thanks to Amateur Radio Weekly and Steve VE7SL for pointing me to this video made in the 1920s.  Although a lot of the video is of people messing around and just having fun, there are some shots of 1920s radio gear and early QSL cards. A fascinating video, copied from an old 16mm film. Amateur radio 90 years ago - well before the Wall St Crash and WW2. An age when everything was fun? Certainly radio was still new.

See http://www.qsl.net/sccara/SCCARA%20in%20the%201920's.mp4 .
This is on the SCCARA website.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon March 7th 2016

Solar flux is 95 today and the sunspot number 68 (K=5). 10m propagation is forecast to be "poor" again. There was a visible aurora over a lot of the UK last night.

UPDATE 0936z:  Although I've been on 10m WSPR since about 0700z, no spots given or received as yet. There were no 10m WSPR spots overnight. Conditions are considerably more disturbed than yesterday.

QRP Club

More from Oleg..

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
See weekly report of QRP Rendez-Vous on the page - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
Visitors of week: UR7VT, OH6NPV, RV3GM, UA1ADF, UA1CEX, HB9DAX, DK1AY, RV3UF,  HA7TF,  UR0ET,  F6ABG,  RD7K,  RK4NAR, UA1ASB, UA1CEG, OM6TC, SM2FIJ,  RN4NAA,  RA1M, G4HOM, DL5DAL, PA0PJE, DM5MU, OE6GWG, OK2BJR, RU3NJC,   UA0SBQ, SM7RYR,   DL2XL,  F5SJB,  HA7TF,  DL3XZ,  ON6KZ, 5B/UR4MCK/p, UA4NU, G3KJC, G3ASG, R2FAE, R1OA
G4HOM became Frequenters of QRP Rendez-Vous
Full "Visitors" and "Frequenters" lists see on the Club 72 web page - www.club72.su
See  you  ALL  on  the  QRP  round tables "Rendez-Vous" each Tuesday, Thursday,  Saturday  at 9.00 UTC on 14060 kHz (alternative 10116 kHz) +/- QRM, QRL, keep RIT to hear XTAL stations.
72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

Tuning In - a history of radio

My thanks again to the Southgate News for finding this on the BBC.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nnw8t .

Shortage of biscuits? - NOT amateur radio

Sorry, but I had not even noticed that we are supposed to have a shortage of biscuits on the shelves of UK shops as a result of floods in Cumbria. Perhaps we don't buy that many.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-35696027 .

Greenland on 10m WSPR

XP3A (3206km) has recently been spotted on 10m WSPR. This bodes well for the USA and Canada shortly. Although I have worked Greenland with 2.5W SSB handheld on 15m in the past, I was pleased to see these 10m WSPR spots today. I think this was F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1410z:  I have recently been spotted on 10m WSPR strongly by KD0VWO (7412km) who is monitoring in Brazil. In this case 500mW would have been quite enough power.

UPDATE 1534z:  Plenty of USA spots given and received on 10m WSPR this afternoon. Best DX currently is a spot by WB2TQE (7097km) in EL96vh square. W1VR (6965km) has been incredibly strong at times.

UPDATE 2238z:  The last DX spot on 10m WSPR seems to have been OH1KK (1848km) at 1950z. No other spots since then. I shall stay on the 10m band overnight hoping to catch some DX in the early hours.

UPDATE 1735z:  Still plenty of 10m WSPR spots with best report (greatest DX) from KD6RF (7571km). It has been a good day on 10m today.

UPDATE 1915z:  At the moment W1VR (6965km) was the latest 10m spot here at 1904z. This is very late.