Return to 472kHz WSPR

Well, as I think the opportunity for 10m DX has now gone for the day, I have again QSYed down to 472kHz WSPR. I hope WSPRnet is working this evening and overnight.

It will soon be time to fire up the 6m WSPR station as the Es season approaches. There have already been hints of Es on 10m and soon it will be 6m. In the last two Es seasons 4X1RF (3519km) has copied my 1W ERP 6m WSPR signal several times, although I dispute the conventional multi-hop theory. I personally think this is (maybe) some sort of E layer tilt without an intermediate hop on the ground. I may be wrong.

Back on 10m WSPR

WSPRnet seems to be working again. I have been on 10m WSPR for about 20 minutes so far but I am only being spotted by local Jenny G0VQH who is 15km south of me. No DX yet.

QRP station. Currently on 10m WSPR

UPDATE 1615z:  Apart from a single spot this afternoon by OZ9QV (864km) nobody else at any range has copied me on 10m WSPR today. I have copied Norway and Sweden on 10m WSPR today so there is short-skip (Es?) around.  I'll leave the rig running a bit longer on 10m WSPR in case there are any S.Americans. In the coming months you sometimes get mixed modes on 10m with Es joining with F2 further south and some remarkable distances are possible.   USA DX by multi-hop Es on 10m and 6m is usually later in the summer. In past Es seasons I have copied USA, Caribbean and S.Americans by Es on 6m. I have only worked the USA once on 6m CW QRP but that was by Es. At the time 6m sounded like 20m!

WSPRnet - still broken?

Several times I have tried to enter the WSPRnet database, but without success. It looks like it is broken again. Without WSPRnet WSPR is no good, in my view.

EU referendum - NOT amateur radio

There is a poor quality debate on this matter. We vote on whether or not to remain in the EU in less than 10 weeks but the quality of the arguments is very poor.

The UK has looked towards the EU as a common market and never with a view to a political union. Many in Europe see it as a way to keep peace in Europe. At the moment I am still inclined to vote "IN" but the politicians here are certainly not winning hearts and minds on either side.

The debate needs to be more positive! All I hear are fear and uncertainty.

Late spring? - NOT amateur radio

A few months ago everything seemed to be early. We have seen daffodils in flower right through from late November. Some places have loads of daffodils in flower and even some snowdrops still. Yet, if anything, spring is late here. It is now way in to April but I have yet to see a swallow in this area. My laurel hedge is hardly growing. The grass has only been cut a few times. Odd. Yes there buds coming out, but spring is definitely not early here.

Sunspots and 10m - Sun April 17th 2016

Solar flux has dropped back a bit to 108. Sunspot number has fallen a bit to 51 (K=4). The forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor".

Conditions are not as good as yesterday when I managed to copy an LU briefly.

On the face of it, I should not expect much on 10m today. Of course, this assumes WSPRnet works today! Without it I cannot see where I am being spotted and others will not be able to see me spotting them.

Back on 472kHz WSPR

As the storm risk seems to have passed, I have resumed 472kHz WSPR (5mW ERP 20% TX, 80% RX, earth-electrode "antenna") using the FT817 and homebrew transverter.

UPDATE 1922z:  So far only M0LMH (223km) has spotted me twice. He regularly spots me.

UPDATE 2000z:  Not for the first time, I find myself, yet again, the only UK station transmitting 472kHz WSPR.  I just don't understand why this is when transverters are easy and big antennas are not needed for WSPR.

UPDATE 2220z:  Now WSPRnet is playing up and won't load the database with me!  "Problem loading page". Wonderful. I'll stay on 472kHz overnight but without WSPRnet WSPR is not good. WSPR benefits from the internet feedback/reports that WSPRnet provides. One cannot be sure if reports up to WSPRnet are getting through. As many users have said, we'd be happy to pay towards a reliable service. Clearly the database and its maintainers are struggling currently

QRT - hail!

As there is a hailstorm currently, I decided to go QRT on all bands and disconnect antennas and PSUs. I am probably being over-cautious, but I can go on 10m WSPR another day. In the last few hours it has just been locals and no DX on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1700z: See http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en. At the moment the maps show thunderstorms to the north of here. I may go on MF later.

UPDATE 1848z:  As the nearest storm is in the Leicester area, I think it is safe to resume MF WSPR transmissions.

10m WSPR DX

LU8EX (11208km) was spotted here on 10m WSPR this afternoon. Apart from this, spots were local apart from G8VDQ (93km). 

As I have said many times before, WSPR is the ideal mode to spot these brief 10m openings. On SSB it is unlikely anyone would have even realised the path to Argentina was open today. And don't forget, the Argentine station was only running 5W QRP.  With WSPR, only QRP is needed.

There is still a chance of further DX on 10m WSPR, so I shall remain on until after dark.

SteppIR antennas

The designer of the SteppeIR yagi is at W&S next week according to Southgate News.

I am not a great fan of big amateur antennas, but I understand they will appeal to some. As you know, my "thing" is QRP and small wire antennas, but each to their own. What appeals to me is different to what others judge important. There is room in our hobby for many different interests.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/april/steppir_at_w_and_s.htm