AM in Portugal - Nov 5/6th

Southgate News reports on an AM weekend in Portugal in November:

"ARLA - The Portuguese 'Associação de Radioamadores do Litoral Alentejano' is organizing a whole weekend of Amplitude Modulation-AM on the 6th and 7th of November, the sixth edition of the event previously known as 'Dia Nacional do AM em Portugal' (National Day of AM in Portugal).
The broadcast, in amplitude modulation, will take place in 80m, 40m, 20m, 10m, 6m and 2m between 08AM UTC Saturday Nov 5 until 11:59PM UTC Sunday Nov 6.
Therefore, ARLA asks all ham operators and SWL, national or worldwide, to participate in this special broadcast, widen this year and for the first time to two consecutive days, in AM and in the amateur band plan.
The broadcasting will take place in several frequencies and the following should be considered for calling or meeting points between the participants:
3 705.0 kHz (+- 5kHz);
7 146.0 kHz (+- 5 kHz);
14 270.0 kHz (+- 5 kHz);
29 075.0 kHz (+- 5 kHz);
51,575.0 MHz (+- 5 kHz);
144,550.0 MHz (+- 5 kHz).
As referred above, this year we've widen the event to 48h due to several requests of previous participants, tho maintaining the same goals as the last events:
a) to give the opportunity of putting old recovered or collecting equipment's on the air
b) promote an different experience as well calling, whenever possible, to this type of broadcast that it's not that used anymore, focusing on new ham operators
c) pay our respects to the old short wave amplitude modulation broadcasting in Portugal, nowadays extinct
The logbook isn't mandatory but it would be great if you send your log to the organization.
Those who can and are willing to give us that joy, please send them to cs5arla+dia.do.am@gmail.com
All participants that make a contact with CS5ARLA station, operated by Carlos Mourato (CT4RK), will receive a participation certificate.
 
João Costa CT1FBF
Vogal da Direcção da ARL"

A better 10m day

I have been on 10m JT65 all day. So far 6 South Americans spotted together with a couple of spots of my own 2W QRP 10m JT65 signal from Europeans.

UPDATE 1550z:  Now 7 South Americans spotted. Best 10m JT65 RX spot is LW7EMM (11483km).

UPDATE 1702z: Now spotted 10 South Americans on 10m JT65 RX.

10m JT65 since before breakfast

Although on 10m JT65 since before breakfast, I see IZ0AIS (1506km) spotted me a few minutes ago. I assume this is Es. I don't think there were earlier spots.

Sunspots - Wednesday October 19th 2016

Solar flux is 77 today. The sunspot number is 24 .  K=2 . As mentioned yesterday, assume 10m F2 propagation is forecast to be "poor" unless I say otherwise. In future, I shall NOT be mentioning 10m F2 propagation.

Disappointment

Well it is now 1730z and I have been on 10m JT65 most of the afternoon. Not a single spot given or received on 10m JT65. Yesterday was quite different.

I shall stay on the band for a while longer, but think the DX chances have gone for the day.
 
UPDATE 1818z:  When not looking for QSOs, I usually monitor PSKreporter maps in the lounge on a different PC. I see that PU4ENY (Brazil) was spotted at 1358z calling CQ, although he did not upload to PSK reporter. So, there was just one South American logged on 10m JT65 today after all. G0VUH was also spotted. I am still active, but 10m JT65 is very quiet here.

Exchange rates - NOT amateur radio

See https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/currencies/investing.html for how the UK pound is fairing against other currencies. Although I voted to remain in the EU, I can see the Euro weakening in the next 18 months. The UK (a big contributor to the EU pot) is leaving, the Greeks have little prospect of ever repaying their debts and there is a general sentiment that the EU is dated and holding back its members.There is no doubt that the UK will have a difficult few years, but the EU is in for a rough time too.

New Greenland 6m Beacon

Southgate News mentions a new 6m beacon OX6M in Greenland on 50.047MHz. This is worth listening for, especially in the Es season. I have worked Greenland with 2.5W handheld on 15m SSB in the past from the back garden with just a base loaded whip on the rig.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/october/new-ox6m-beacon.htm

1.3GHz UKAC this evening

This is a band I do not go on. Tonight is the 1.3GHz leg of the UK activity contests organised by the RSGB.

If this is like the 2m and 70cm contests, it is a good opportunity to come on the band and work a few new stations and squares.

In the distant past I borrowed a converter and listened on the band with a homemade, indoor 4 el yagi made of 2.5mm silver plated wire. I recall hearing a local well.

Really it is a band I should try,  like 10GHz. I have always been put off by a lack of test gear. My site is quite good, but I am not good on ladders these days and decent antennas are a must.

45 countries on 10m JT65 in the last week

Despite the declining solar conditions and my poor antenna, 45 countries were copied here on 10m JT65 in the last week alone. Who says 10m is dead?

See http://www.solen.info/solar/ .

QSYed to 10m JT65

At 1332z I QSYed to 10m JT65 only. No further 6m JT65 or 10m WSPR spots received. It will be interesting to see how 10m JT65 performs today.  I run 2W QRP on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1435z: A very quiet day so far on 10m JT65. No spots given or received here at all so far. Things may change - I hope so!

UPDATE 1442z:  It may be coincidence, but I seem to get better results into South America when there is good European propagation, which I presume is  Es. I wonder if the Es (?) gets signals into the TEP region? I am pretty sure the South Americans are TEP, but TEP tends to be better further south than the UK. I am so grateful we have 10m JT65 and WSPR as these weak signal modes tend to be monitored when SSB users think 10m is a dead loss.

UPDATE 1525z:  Still no 10m JT65 spots here today. Bad hair day? I'll give it a few more hours, but time is running out.