First steps again on 630m WSPR RX

As the autumn and winter are approaching, I've made my first tentative steps back on to 630m (472kHz) WSPR RX.

What I had forgotten was the high noise level on RX from my PC's charger. In addition to this, I seem to have a very high external noise level too now.

For now, the PC is on battery power and I have loaded up my coax to my 2m big-wheel. This is far from ideal. We'll see if this gets any spots this evening.

UPDATE 1930z: M0FMT (51km) is my first 630m WSPR spot this autumn. Despite all the noise, it works! Currently, my 630m noise is reading S8.

UPDATE 2034z: GM3YXM (425km) just copied on 630m WSPR.

UPDATE 2112z: So far, with a very indifferent set-up, 4 unique spots this evening so far on 630m WSPR.

No Es today?

As far as I am aware, today is the first day in many months in which no Es has been spotted here on 10m and 6m. OK there is still time for an opening, but at the moment it seems unlikely. This points to the end of what has been a good Es season.

As I have said many times, we will still get Es openings, but far less often. Also, people hungry for easy QSOs, will go lower down the spectrum. Even I expect to start on 630m shortly.

Sadly, I think we have seen the best of Es until next spring. There is a smaller peak around New Year and there will be the occasional openings at other times too.

With F layer DX getting much rarer than a few years ago on 10m, we will have to seek other ways of DXing on the higher bands. FT8 seems a good mode and I have been impressed how much DX can be copied on 6m MSK144 via meteors at any part of the solar cycle. My 6m antenna is just a V2000 omni vertical fed via cheap CB coax. I think I have copied European DX on 6m every time I have tried 6m MSK144.

Migration - NOT amateur radio

Personally, I have no problem with the UK (or for that matter any country) deciding who can live, learn or work here. We are a tiny, overcrowded island. We will still want people to come here to study and work, but we should have the last word, not the EU.

By the way, I voted to "remain" in the EU in the referendum last year. Personally I think most "leave" voters were worried about this issue rather than anything else. Dare I say many who voted "leave" were rather simple minded and just wanted the UK of the 1950s back again? Sorry, this is NOT going to happen, ever.

According to official figures out today, net migration is lower but still way above government targets.

Blip? - NOT amateur radio

Against most currencies, the UK Pound has appreciated today so far. OK the UK Pound had fallen in recent days. It remains to be seen whether this is a blip.

10m WSPR TX

Yet again, I am on 10m WSPR TX (500mW) although I have received no spots so far. I have been active since before breakfast. I shall keep plugging away.

UPDATE 1133z: Still no 10m WSPR spots so far.

UPDATE 1328z: Still no 10m WSPR spots here all day. Es mainly over?

6m FT8 today

So far, just M0AAX (94km) spotted on 6m FT8, with no signs of early Es. This could have been aircraft reflection.

UPDATE 1135z: 3 G spots so far and no Es.

Sunspots - Thursday August 24th 2017

Solar flux is 85 today and the sunspot number 40. A=25 and K=3.

Definitely the end of the Es season

It comes and goes, but there is little doubt in my mind that the main Es season in the Northern Hemisphere has ended. Openings are still occurring, but Es is less common now than a few months ago.

QRT on all bands and thoughts of MF

At about 1930z I decided to go QRT on all bands.

It will soon be time to return to 472kHz WSPR. This autumn and winter I may concentrate on 472kHz RX and for this I need a better antenna. G3WCB, who moved to South Devon when he retired, has had good results with a small loop. Ideas!

Wrong? - NOT amateur radio

Many times I have said that I am most definitely not a financial expert.

My gut told me that the UK Pound would appreciate against the Euro. At the moment the exchange rate is worse than at any time in the last year. So, if you followed my advice you would be completely wrong! I am only going on gut feelings.

My gut still tells me that I will be right, but only time will tell.