Quiet on 10m and 6m WSPR?

It looks very different, so far at least, on 10m WSPR with not a single spot in the log apart from G4KPX earlier in the day. Things may change, but I am not holding my breath.

So far today, not a single spot on 6m WSPR either given or received. I had the same problem on 6m in previous years with more activity on SSB/CW and not that much on 6m WSPR. It is a pity there are not a few more 6m WSPR users as it is a great way to "smoke out" DX if it is there, albeit briefly.

No FT817 replacement announced at Dayton

So, there was no FT817 replacement announced at Dayton. In my view this means one is unlikely to appear ever now. I am amazed by the stupidity of Yaesu.  Yes, I know many are very happy with their FT817 units but it would have been so easy to upgrade it with a LiIon battery pack, an internal auto ATU and a speech processor. Darn it, they could even have reused the case and sprayed it a different colour.

No, they have well and truly missed the boat and they have only themselves to blame!

Return to 6m WSPR

As well as 10m WSPR (500mW 100% TX) I am back on 6m WSPR (1W TX 20%, 80% RX, vertical omni). I have been on 6m for about 7 minutes. If this is a repeat of yesterday there will be no 6m spots, but I am an optimist!

10m Es

Yesterday, 10m WSPR was good for Es all day. I was being spotted by OZ stations until very late. This morning, so far, just G4KPX (14km) is spotting my 500mW WSPR beacon on 10m.

Sunspots and 10m - Fri May 27th 2016

Solar flux is just 88 today. Sunspot number is 30 (K=3) and the forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor" today.

UPDATE 1300z:  Even 10m Es seems poor here today, well so far at least.

QRP News: Beacon Hunt

From Oleg:

Dear QRP Friends,
keep in your diaries, please. Friend of mine Igor R2AJA ask me to help
in  announce original game - Beacon Hunt. He'd like to invite as much
QRP operators as possible. Detailed rules on his blog page - http://lavrinenkov.blogspot.ru/2016/05/beacon-hunt-v.html
Wish you all the best, 72!
Oleg "Mr. 72" RV3GM / KH6OB

472kHz WSPR overnight

Much to my surprise, my 5mW ERP was copied by G8LCO (58km), PA7EY (306km) and PE1RKT (285km). The reports from the Dutch stations were marginal but at least I was copied. Both the Dutch stations were in JO22 square.

QSY to 472kHz WSPR

As 6m WSPR was not at all productive all day, I have QSYed to 472kHz WSPR, which I shall stay on all night. I started on MF about 10 minutes ago. I also did a time resync. I am still on 10m WSPR too.

UPDATE 2020z:  PA3ABK/2 (306km) has been spotted on 472kHz WSPR already. The last 10m WSPR spot of me was at 1906z.

UPDATE 2044z:  G8LCO (58km) has spotted me on 472kHz WSPR.

Evening walk - NOT amateur radio

As it was a lovely evening, we decided to go for a walk in our local meadow this evening.  At the moment the cow parsley is splendid. Altogether, a perfect late spring evening.

Still no 6m WSPR spots

Although 10m WSPR is still very good for Es with spots received from all over the place (in Europe), 6m is still not producing any spots here. Maybe later?

I was also hoping for some brief N-S F2 DX on 10m WSPR, but it has just been Es so far. My 10m antenna is not the best, so others may fair better?

UPDATE 1905z:  Still no spots given or received on 6m WSPR, although 10m WSPR has been good with Es all day long. I shall probably QSY from 6m to MF later.