Sunspots and 10m - Wednesday March 1st 2017

It is hard to think it is already March. Where does the time go? In about 6-8 weeks it will be the Es season again here in the northern hemisphere. I am sure time goes quicker as we get older.

Solar flux is 81 today and the sunspot number 39. A=8 and K=3.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/.  Solar activity is slowly declining, but this is a very slow process. Conditions on the higher HF bands are often better than many think.

10m JT65 (2W) today

At breakfast time, I turned on the rig and PC and am on 10m JT65. As yet, no spots. I checked time sync to internet time. I am not active on any other band.

Kings College Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

We are lucky to live very close to Cambridge. With our bus passes, we can get into Cambridge for free. With our Kings Passes we get free entry into Kings College Chapel, a place people cross the globe to see. 

Cambridge is quieter at this time of the year, but it is still one of the most beautiful places in the UK.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_College_Chapel,_Cambridge .

Spitsbergen - NOT amateur radio

Every 2nd Tuesday, I go to the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge for a U3AC talk on the Arctic and Antarctic. Today, the talk was about Spitsbergen high up in the Arctic. Very interesting too.

We are very lucky in Cambridge having such good speakers/lecturers and a wide choice of subjects. Last term I studied the Anglo-Saxons!  This was very far removed from electronics. It was enjoyable nonetheless.

It is so good to learn with no exams, no notes (unless you want to) - in fact learning about things that interest you for pure pleasure.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitsbergen

Now monitoring 472kHz WSPR RX

For about 5 minutes now I have been monitoring 472kHz WSPR RX using the earth electrode "antenna". Last night the best DX was LA8AV (1035km) in the Oslo area. He was copied many times before I went QRT at bedtime. Tonight he has already been copied 3 times and the best DX is LA2XPA (1310km).

Early 472kHz RX spots this evening

UPDATE 2005z:  Loads of 472kHz WSPR spots. LA8AV and LA2XPA have been copied lots of times already this evening.

UPDATE 2056z:  At my last count LA8AV has been copied 23 times already at up to -8dB S/N this evening. Not a single UK station yet spotted!

UPDATE 2208z: 15 unique stations spotted in 6 countries on 472kHz WSPR this evening, but time now to go QRT. It has been a good night.

10m WSPR

Although I think 10m was open to South America again today, my own 500mW 10m WSPR only was spotted in Germany. It is now time to QSY to 472kHz WSPR RX.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday February 28th 2017

Solar flux is 82 today (quite respectable) and the sunspot number 40. A=8 and K=1.

6m MSK144 RX and 10m WSPR TX

Since breakfast, I have been monitoring 6m MSK144 where the best DX was IW4AOT (1192km) in JN54 square calling CQ. I think this was random MS.

I am transmitting on 10m WSPR (500mW) but no reports so far today.

472kHz WSPR RX (again)

This evening, I have again been on 472kHz WSPR RX. So far, 9 unique spots with a couple of Norwegian stations in the log. I am about to go QRT and turn everything off.

Unique stations spotted this evening on 472kHz WSPR RX

Ccleaner - NOT amateur radio

For some years now I have run Ccleaner to clear my PCs of rubbish from time to time. This is free and was recommended by Dell some years ago. As far as I can tell it just works.

See http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner .