29 Oct 2016

Sunspots and 10m - Saturday October 29th 2016

Solar flux is 78 today. Sunspot number is zero.  K=4 .

CQWW SSB contest all weekend so bands you thought were dead will spring into life magically only to appear dead again on Monday. Even with real QRP 5W or less SSB I usually have no problem filling a couple of pages of my log book.

28 Oct 2016

ISWL (International Short Wave League)

Back in the 1960s, when the ISWL was thriving, I joined. Subsequently I left and rejoined some years ago. After a few years, I left again. When I left there were about 200 members only. I have no idea of membership numbers now, but I''d be surprised if it was more than 150 and probably far fewer?

Sadly, ISWL was no longer "for me". When I  left a few years ago not one email was received saying they were sorry I was going. I was surprised. Every month I had contributed a log, as well as several articles.

My feeling is this is now a very small group that is on the way out. Back in the 1950s and 1960s it was a very strong, international group. No longer do I feel this is true, sadly.

If you are considering joining, then my recommendation is join GQRP Club instead. I have never been disappointed.

See http://www.iswl.org.uk/ .

Hamsphere Newsletter

This is not real radio. It is virtual ham radio with the internet acting as the propagation medium. If you have real issues with antennas, rigs, etc, it may offer you a kind of amateur radio experience.

See http://www.hamsphere.com/23_43446_read.html .

Sunspots and 10m - Friday October 28th 2016

Solar flux is 75 today. Sunspot number is 12 and K=3. It will be interesting to see how 10m is later. If we get N-S DX I shall not be too surprised. Apart from Florida (once) I have not seen USA spots on 10m this autumn.

10m JT65 overnight and today

Last night I decided to stay on 10m JT65 overnight. Not unexpectedly, there were no spots overnight. I shall check internet sync soon, although this should happen every 1000 seconds automatically if the internet connection holds up. Yesterday, the internet was not reliable. This is unusual as normally it is good.

UPDATE 0930z: Just did a manual resync to internet time "just in case".  No 10m spots overnight and so far today, but I see I spotted GD0TEP yesterday too on 10m JT65. This is an interesting distance. Could have been tropo, aircraft or backscatter.

UPDATE 1050z:  My 2W QRP 10m JT65 has been spotted in Greece and Spain. Es I assume. RK6MF (2838km) is currently the best DX on 10m JT65 RX here. I assume this is F2.

UPDATE 1106z: A45XO (5708km) in Oman is now the best RX DX on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1122z:  EA5IDQ (1576km) in Spain now spotting my 10m JT65 (2W QRP). Looks like quite a widespread opening on 10m.

UPDATE 1606z: So far, 3 South Americans, in the Sao Paulo area of Brazil, spotted on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1750z:  No further South Americans and USA still noticeably absent.

UPDATE 1802z: LX1JX (469km) spotted me 2 hours ago.

27 Oct 2016

Our back garden in autumn - NOT amateur radio

This is view of our back garden at the end of October. Most trees are now changing into their autumn colours. In autumn you can get some wonderful shades.

Shakespeare - NOT amateur radio

OK, I come from England and I am supposed to love Shakespeare. Alas poor Yorick, he sends me to sleep!

I do not know why, but ever since school days Shakespeare has had this effect on me. Maybe it is the style or the rhythm but I am not a Shakespeare fan. There are a few famous verses which I have remembered since school days, but other than these I am afraid I do not like the bard.

Each to their own I guess, but I  am sure I am not alone.

10m JT65

After a good day yesterday, I returned to 10m JT65 (2W) at 0652z this morning. As yet, no spots.

UPDATE 0922z:  Still no spots as yet.

UPDATE 1056z: Just spotted on 10m JT65 by IZ0AIS (1506km) suggesting there is some Es about on 10m. I spotted another Italian further south too.
  
UPDATE 1154z:  No further spots since the Italians as yet, but most days 10m opens to somewhere.

UPDATE 1932z:  2 South Americans spotted on 10m JT65 today. Dead band? Low sunspots? Disturbed conditions?  JT65 is the answer!

QRP and QRP Club

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

I glad to inform about new Club 72 member -
# 93 US7IB op. Vyacheslav (Slava) from Kramatorsk city

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday October 27th 2016

Solar flux is 77 today and the sunspot number 15.  K=5.

On the face of it, it does not look promising on 10m. Yesterday was similar and it turned out to be pretty good! You can never tell.