Sunspots and 10m

Sunspot number has risen to 175 and 10m daytime propagation is forecast to be "good". Looks like a good day ahead on 10m.

Ultimate 3 WSPR (and other modes) beacon

The Ultimate3 QRSS/WSPR Transmitter Kit is the third version in the "Ultimate" QRSS/WSPR kit trilogy. It can produce QRSS, Hell, WSPR, Opera and PI4 slow-signal modes anywhere from audio to 10m and above. Plug-in LPF filters are available for all 12 HF/MF/LF bands.

The price is USD $29.00. To order please visit QRP Labs.

The Ultimate 3 is probably the lowest cost beacon available. I still have my unbuilt kit awaiting better health to build, although several kind folk have offered to build mine for me. Jay W5OLF kindly supplied me a 10m 500mW, single PCB, WSPR beacon (WSPR-AXE-CW) ready assembled and that has blown me away: it has been copied in every continent on 10m.  The Ultimate 3 is the more flexible design but the WSPR-AXE-CW is an ideal tiny WSPR only beacon.

My Ultimate 3 kit was ordered with GPS, but it was supplied without this, but with an extra PCB - I think I got the wrong order. I really should write to Hans Summers, but I have been too unwell. For now, the kit remains unbuilt. I intend to build it when I am fitter and less clumsy, hopefully in 2015.

472kHz WSPR - much more productive!

Despite my very low ERP (5mW) on 472kHz and just a short baseline earth-electrode "antenna" system I am decoding M0PPP, G8VDQ, PA3ABK/2 (306km) and PA0O (440km) and I am being spotted by G0LRD (25km).  These are all within minutes of switch-on.

UPDATE 2030z:  4 spots per transmission on latest TX period - not too bad considering the non "antenna" and my very low ERP.  Good to be spotted by G3ZJO (79km).  Eddie must have made improvements as he is regularly spotted here and he often spots me.

6m - I gave up!

Having left 6m WSPR running all night -1W ERP vertical  20% TX, 80% RX - I have now given up and QSYed to MF. There were zero spots given or received. A total dead loss yet again. I think I am going to give up on 6m at this time of the year. To be honest, I was expecting to spot someone last night - probably GDX but nothing at all was a total disappointment. I tried very hard and have done so on about 8 different days in the last month. There is just a lack of 6m activity at this time of the year here in the UK.

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday Dec 14th 2014

Sunspot number today is currently 121 and 10m daytime conditions are "good", so the ARRL 10m contest should be a good one for those taking part. It is on all weekend. I am unable to take part because of visitors although I am WSPRing on 10m and 630m.

HF contests

I am not a great fan of HF contests.  As a QRPer, I find CW contests all but impossible as people tend to send and receive at incredible speeds usually with PCs. SSB is usually better and often the "other end" has worked you before realising you are running QRP.  Later stages of contests are usually easier as the big guns are sweeping for remaining points and looking to work weaker stations.

I have been unable to work in the ARRL 10m contest (visitors this weekend) ) and I forgot the CQWW SSB contest this year! Last year, I was in hospital. It is 2 years since I last took part in CQWW SSB, which I find a very fruitful contest. I usually stick with 10m only.

Each Tuesday evening the RSGB organises a rotating series of VHF/UHF contests (UKAC) and I try to come on for the 50, 144 and 432MHz contests where I am at home and available.  I use 5w pep and a V2000 vertical on 50MHz, a 3 el on 144MHz and 5 el on 432MHz.  On 144 and 432MHz the antenna is hand-rotated. On 50MHz it is vertical and fixed.  I can usually work 150-250km in these contests despite my 5W.

First and last USA 10m WSPR spot today

WG2Z (5600km) was the first in the USA to spot my 10m 500mW beacon at 1226z and 1228z. My signal report was  up to -11dB S/N, which is strong for 500mW. I suspect there will be lots more stateside reports later this afternoon.

My last spot from the USA was at 1640z (quite early) by K9AN (6505km). Local G4IKZ(18km) has not been spotting me. I think his beam is pointing somewhere else.

6m MS - Geminids shower tonight

MS should be good overnight as we are at the peak of the Geminids MS shower.  Overnight I'll leave 6m and 10m WSPR running to see if I get any long pings and possible spots.

Sunspots and 10m

Sunspot number is 132 . 10m propagation is expected to be "good". I am already getting 10m WSPR reports from all over Europe and FR1GZ (9724km) for my 500mW beacon.

A reminder that the ARRL 10m contest is today and tomorrow.

VK again on 10m WSPR

This morning my little 500mW 10m WSPR-AXE-CW beacon was copied in Australia by VK6JI (14439km) at 1026z at -26dB S/N. I thoroughly recommend this tiny single PCB WSPR unit that needs no PC. It fits in an Altoids mint tin. This is F2 propagation.

Yet again, I am also trying 6m WSPR with 1W ERP, but so far with no luck again. I am ever hopeful!

UPDATE 1615z:  Still an absolute blank on 6m WSPR.  Will remain on for a few more hours.

UPDATE 1704z:   ND6M (6914km) currently spotting me on 10m. Pretty sure he will not be the last USA station to spot my 500mW.

UPDATE 1854z:   W3CSW (5886km) was spotting me at 1844z.  Even he may not be the last this evening. Conditions are good still this evening on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1912z: W3CSW (5886km) does appear to be the last USA station to copy me from the USA. No more spots since 1844z.

ARRL 10m contest this weekend

A reminder that the annual ARRL 10m contest is this coming weekend. Conditions are likely to be good on 10m, so this is a good chance to work some worldwide DX. Next year with the decline in sunspot numbers, this is not likely to be as good. Unfortunately my operating time will be very limited because of visitors.

Sunspots and 10m conditions

Sunspot number has climbed a bit and is 115 today. 10m conditions are forecast to be "fair" although the band seems lively today.

Moved back to 472kHz from 50MHz (6m) WSPR

Just before 1900z I gave up on 6m and QSYed down to MF again with 5mW ERP from the earth-electrode system. These are the unique spots (given and received) so far this evening.

472kHz WSPR unique spots this evening. 5mW ERP, earth-electrodes.

My power was actually 0.005W (5mW) ERP and not 0.5W as shown above. I'd forgotten to change the power setting in WSPRX until a few minutes ago. Darn it.

I am seeing up to 4 spots per transmission on 472kHz WSPR. Not bad for 5mW ERP and a short baseline earth-electrode "antenna" system.

10m - last USA spot was W3CSW

It is now 2115z. Since 1744z, the only station spotting me as been G4IKZ (18km). W3CSW (5886km) was indeed the last USA station to spot me at 1744z. No other transatlantic stations have spotted me since.

6m - another dead loss day

Today I have been WSPRing successfully with my WSPR-AXE-CW (500mW) on 10m, but yet again my efforts on 6m have been a dead loss .  Yet again, nor a single station copied or spotting me on 6m WSPR.  I have concluded that, at this time of year, 6m is a disaster.

UPDATE 1900z:  Still absolutely nothing on 6m. Dead loss.

10m successes

Whilst I struggle to get any activity on the 6m band, 10m WSPR continues to give very good results even with 500mW to a very average low, end-fed wire antenna. These are the unique spots so far today. 4 continents I think. 500mW seems plenty.

10m unique WSPR spots with 500mW today so far.

Think I have mentioned why I enjoy WSPR: currently my voice is poor because of my brain bleed last year. With WSPR, I do not have to use my voice, yet with QRP I can see how propagation is behaving on a given band. Recently,the tiny WSPR-AXE-CW unit has freed up the FT817 and PC so that I can now WSPR on 2 bands at the same time: thre WSPR-AXE-CW runs 500mW continuously on 10m, and I can choose the other band to run on the FT817 and PC. On these I can TX for about 20% and receive for about 80% of the time. All the time I can monitor things on other devices around the house e.g. in the lounge or even in bed. If things need adjusting, I can be in the shack within seconds. This sometimes happens when Windows does an update and the PC needs to be restarted.

UPDATE 1802z:   It is still too early to tell who was the last stateside station to copy my 500mW on 10m. At the moment W3CSW (5886km) is the last at 1744z.

UPDATE 1850z:   W3CSW at 1744z was still the last USA station to spot me. G4IKZ must have a high local noise level or has his beam in just the wrong direction for me as he is spotting me weakly.

Trying again on 6m WSPR

As I am now able to WSPR on 10m TX with 500mW and at the same time WSPR on another band, I have again started up on 6m WSPR with 1W ERP from my vertical V2000 omnidirectional  antenna. I was on MF until about 1435z.

WSPR on 6m has been tried on about 6-7 different days out of the Es season, but so far I have been spotted by no-one and I have seen no-one at all!. The real activity on 6m currently seems to be in Australia where the Es season is in full swing.

10m is much easier.

Sunspots

Sunspot number has risen to 97 and 10m propagation is forecast to be"good" today.

Have just started up both my 5mW ERP on 472kHz and 500mW on 28MHz WSPR.

QSYed to 472kHz WSPR

After a total dead loss on 6m with 30dBm ERP,  I have now QSYed to MF with 5mW ERP from the short baseline earth-electrode "antenna".

Already PA0O (440km) and G3WCB (101km) have been copied strongly and my weeny 5mW ERP signal has already been spotted by G8LCO (58km) and G3WCB (101km). Even with a much lower ERP, MF is so much more productive than 6m at this time of the year.

UPDATE 2145z:  F1AFJ (607km) is currently the greatest DX on 472kHz WSPR on receive.  I'll leave the kit running through the night to see if I see anyone at even greater range. I may even be seen by the odd DX station on TX. I am still using my short baseline earth-electrode system.

UPDATE 2245z:   PA0A (417km) is a colossal signal right now.

UPDATE 2310z:   Although still active on 630m (472kHz) WSPR and I shall be overnight, I have now gone QRT on 10m as I am only being copied by local G4IKZ (18km) on 10m since teatime. Looking for new reporters on 472kHz WSPR. So far this evening, just 3 unique stations have spotted me on 472kHz. BTW set to 474.2kHz  USB dial for  472kHz WSPR.

472kHz unique spots so far tonight with 5mW ERP from earth-electrodes.

6m - a dead loss again

As I can now WSPR on 10m with my little WSPR-AXE-CW beacon without the PC and FT817, it means I can also WSPR on another band at the same time.

At night, I tend to use MF (472kHz) WSPR but I tried WSPR on 6m again today. Yet again, even with 30dBm ERP I was spotted by no-one and spotted no-one at all. 6m was a dead loss yet again. It seems 6m WSPR is largely ignored outside of the Es season.

I may try 6m again, but really it is a dead loss in the UK at this time of year. F2 openings are now very unlikely, especially with my modest set-up.

10m WSPR - last USA spot this evening

W3CSW (5886km) was the last to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon this evening at 1802z at -21dB S/N.  Since then, G4IKZ has been spotting me at between -16 to -22dB S/N.

WSPRnet anomalies?

There are a couple of things I do not like about WSPRnet:

1. It does not show stations active who have not been very recently spotted (i.e. stations who have not been seen for 10 minutes). This means it does not show stations who are actually active, but unsuccessful  e.g. me on 6m, who has been sending and looking most of the day (and on 6m on several days in the last few months), but without success.
2. It does not, as far as I can see, allow you to check your logs more than 2 weeks ago, so it is not possible, as far as I can see, to check "all time" records for my call on a given band.  There may be a way using Excel, but it is not easy and I have not found out how to do it!

South America on 10m (CX2ABP) and 6m yet again

CX2ABP (11127km) in Uruguay was spotting my 500mW WSPR signal just before noon today. There are plenty of USA stations spotting me today also.

Recent 10m spots of my 500mW WSPR beacon

I am also WSPRing with 30dBm ERP (to my vertical V2000) on 6m at 20% TX and 80% RX.  So far, no luck at all on 6m yet again. It would have been good to catch some wintertime Es on 6m or even some GDX.

I'll keep trying until after tea tonight on 6m on several different days and drawn a total blank so far. Nothing at all like the peak of the Es season in the summer.

Sunspots and 10m

Sunspot number is almost unchanged at 77. The forecast for 10m remains "fair". I see  several Eastern Europeans are already spotting my 10m 500mW signal, which has just been turned on. More in hope than expectation, I shall again try 6m too.

70cm UKAC this evening

Even with my poor voice, I managed 7 QSOs on 70cms SSB with 5W and a 5 el beam this evening in the Dec 9th 70cms leg of the UKAC. I heard GI and GD but was unable to get heard by them with my QRP!

Stations worked with QRP from home on 70cms tonight.

Best DX was 154km to G8OHM who was very, very patient with my weak signal. Interesting that only 1 portable station was worked. I guess they stay at home on a cold, windy December night.

Last 10m USA WSPR spot today?

W3CSW (5886km) appears to be the last station in the USA to spot my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon at 1810z. WSPRnet is (currently) working again.

Local G4IKZ (18km) has spotted me several times since.  It seems to depend where Nick beams if he copies me or not. Yesterday, Nick did not copy me for hours last night, even though he copied G0LRD running 50mW many times.

UPDATE 1930z:  G4IKZ only copying me now, so W3CSW was the last USA station copying me today.

Stroke update

My cerebellum brain bleed was in Sept 2013. My remaining problems still are (a) poor swallow of unthickened liquids, (b) poor speech and (c) giddiness when walking. Most foods (all by mouth) are OK now. My tiredness now seems far less of a problem than it was. I still get bad days when I feel totally exhausted but there are fewer of these than there once were.

Slowly, oh so slowly, I am mending. I am allowed to drive again now and this has been fine, although I tend to stick to local drives so far.  I still feel "not right".

I hope my voice, swallow and giddiness all improve in the months ahead. The experts tell me they will.

WSPRnet problems

WSPR signals propagate around the world and allow very weak signals to be correctly decoded. WSPR is some 12-14dB better than normal speed CW. If 10W gets through on CW less than 1W is quite enough with WSPR. My own 10m 500mW beacon, to a simple "nothing special" end-fed wire antenna has been copied on every continent in recent weeks, including Australasia and Antarctica.

The main bonus with WSPR is that all reports can be automatically sent to an internet database (WSPRnet), so anyone can see where signals are reaching and how well. Today though, the WSPRnet database has been in trouble, possibly due to being overloaded. It was not working the last time I checked but was working late this morning.

Sunspot number and 10m

Sunspot number today is 77 and 10m daytime propagation is forecast to be "fair". 10m opened yet again to the USA after lunchtime.

Back on 10m with WSPR-AXE-CW beacon

Every WSPR-AXE-CW transmission with 500mW WSPR on 10m (I resumed with this beacon today) seems to result in 7-9 reports (spots on WSPRnet)  during most 2 minute slots, and the vast majority are from the USA. This little "all in one" beacon by Jay W5OLF (single tiny board and no PC needed) really does work well. Once sync'd to internet time or other good reference on an even minute, it holds time stability for ages. Frequency is randomly moved within 100Hz every 2 minutes to minimise interference.

UPDATE 1738z:  KU4QI (6406km) is currently the last USA station to spot me at 1628z, which is quite early, but it is now over an hour since the last spot was received.

UPDATE 1912z:  I checked the WSPR-AXE-CW DT by listening on the FT817. I set the clock to internet time around 1500z.  Setting by hand (pressing the push button) it is easy to be 0.3 secs or so out at the start.  After about 3 hours it was -1.0 sec, which is still quite good. No further transatlantic DX seen and currently no locals yet monitoring. I hope G4IKZ comes on RX soon.  Even with no antenna on the FT817 RX and the attenuator in circuit, the WSPR-AXE-CW is 13 to 15dB S/N i.e. very strong. The WSPR-AXE-CW beacon uses a 2N7000 FET class E PA and is not even warm with a good 50 ohm load.

UPDATE 2140z:  G4IKZ is on 10m RX and is copying G0LRD's 50mW but not copying me. OK I am about twice as far away and my antenna is not as good at G0LRD's. I reset my WSPR-AXE-CW clock and the DT is only 0.2 secs out. I also reset the power. I can copy myself on an FT817 without antenna and it is fine. Maybe G4IKZ's antenna is directional (I think he uses a Moxon beam). I don't think the problem is at my end.

10m WSPR - USA and Canada

The first mainland stateside report of my 500mW 10m WSPR today was by WG2Z (5600km) at -15dB S/N (good signal) at 1222z. Since then, he has copied me several times. Yet again, it is mainly the faithful old same reporters on WSPR. We could do with more new reporters!

My first spot here on 10m stateside was W3CSW (5886km) who was first seen here at 1300z.

Caribbean on 10m WSPR

FG5LA (6689km) in FK96ef (Guadaloupe) was spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR at 1140z this morning. This bodes well for the USA and Canada later. I am pretty sure this is the first time I have been spotted in Guadaloupe.

Sunspots - Monday Dec 8th

Sunspot number has declined a little further to 58. 10m daytime propagation is forecast to be "fair" only. We'll see what the day brings. I am currently on 10m WSPR (20% TX) running 500mW.

Android WSPR apps

Thanks (again) to Steve G1KQH, these are Android apps for WSPR. I see they now include a TX beacon.

Two new WSPR Apps for Android

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glandorf1.joe.wsprnetviewer.app&hl=en

WSPR Beacon

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iu4apc.wsprbeacon&hl=en_GB

and another I have just found:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xxx.wspr.g4swy&hl=en_GB

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

Kanga UK Site

See http://www.kanga-products.co.uk/ .

This website has some good products on it. They also sell crystals for QRP frequencies at sensibly low prices and stock Si5351A boards to allow low cost generation of frequencies from less than 8kHz to over 150MHz, useful when crystals for specific frequencies can be very expensive. See also http://m0xpd.blogspot.co.uk/ .

They are also the UK dealer for the OpenQRP transceivers.

10m WSPR Stateside

My 1634z 500mW 10m WSPR transmission was spotted by 9 different stations. Most of these were in the USA. When the band is open to North America, as it has been every day for weeks and weeks now in the afternoons, 500mW seems quite enough to be copied very well over there. Increasing power to 5W makes very little difference.

Once the path closes, more power does not help. One may get a better report and the band may remain open for a few more minutes, but that is all.

1634z 500mW 10m WSPR TX transmission

UPDATE 1940z:   K3GEN (5883km) at 1744z seems to be the last USA station spotted here on 10m WSPR this evening. The last spot of my 10m 500mW WSPR was by N2BJW (5262km) a few minutes earlier at 1738z.

UPDATE 2218z:   Spotting G0LRD (25km) running 50mW and G4IKZ (18km) spotting me. Now going QRT.

G8YQN (217km) on 10m WSPR

Just spotted G8YQN (217km).  This is the best GDX I have seen and, judging by the trace on the screen, this was tropo with some aircraft reflections, At -22dB S/N, not a bad signal for 5W.

GM4WJA on 10m WSPR - a real puzzle

GM4WJA (624km) has been spotting my 500mW a few times  on 10m WSPR of late.  This is too far for tropo and aircraft reflections, and far too close for F2 propagation. I assume propagation in either F-layer back-scatter or possibly Es.

10m wakes up

Since 1142z, the 10m WSPR slot seems to haven amnwoken up with a mix of European stations both near and far. Some are GDX, possibly off aircraft, some are probably F2 propagation and some are at a difficult distance that could be E-layer or back-scatter. If the band is opening by winter Es I would expect  more widespread EUs to be copied lunchtime.  If true to recent form, the 10m band should open to the USA after lunch. With slightly lower sunspots, maybe the transatlantic path will be more marginal today?

UPDATE 1245z:   W3CSW (5886km) was spotting my 500mW WSPR a few minutes ago at a respectable -20dB S/N.

UPDATE 1320z:   KU4QI (6406km) is spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR at -18dB S/N.

UPDATE 1358z:  Although several USA stations have now spotted my 500mW on 10m WSPR, I have yet to spot even a single USA station here! Not sure why this should be as most are using 5W (10dB more than me. I am seeing LZ1OI OK though.

UPDATE 1412z:  My FT817 was set to "narrow" and the pass band tuning was set too high, so only allowing the strongest signals to be decoded.   Since switching to normal passband I am copying plenty of transatlantic signals. There had to be answer, and there was.

Sunspot number - "only" 73

I say this with a degree of sarcasm, knowing that we'd be thrilled with a SN of 73 in a year or two's time. 10m conditions are expected to be "fair". So far, my 500mW WSPR beacon is getting no spots since switch-on just after 1100z.

UPDATE 1240z:   The 10m WSPR sub-band seems to have "woken up" around 1142z, with plenty of EU activity since that time.