So far today, 6m WSPR is running to form: most spots are from local and semi-locals, a smattering of Es (but nothing like the Es on 10m) and no "super-DX" to be seen here. If I QSY back down to 10m I am almost guaranteed S.American F2 propagation, but "sod's law" says I'll miss a stronking great big opening to the Caribbean on 6m. I am bound to do the wrong thing! For now , I plan to stay on 6m. We'll see.
This evening is the 70cm UK activity contest. I plan to operate for the first hour or so, as long as my voice holds - I am not good at SSB contests because of my stroke damaged voice - it is really hard work. About 10 QSOs is my very limit. At least I can WSPR on 6m at the same time as I use different rigs and antennas (both FT817s). WSPR saves my voice.
8 Jul 2014
Another Pixie
Yet another variation on the Pixie arrived by email today from Sverre Holm in Norway who has LM386 mods to reduce BCI, provide mute and add sidetone.
See http://la3za.blogspot.no/2003/04/using-pin-7-of-lm386-to-reduce-bci-and.html .
This looks a very useful mod to this simplest of circuits. Sverre also added a much wider tuning range that helps to get contacts. Low power does not seem to be the main handicap.
See http://la3za.blogspot.no/2003/04/using-pin-7-of-lm386-to-reduce-bci-and.html .
This looks a very useful mod to this simplest of circuits. Sverre also added a much wider tuning range that helps to get contacts. Low power does not seem to be the main handicap.
6m WSPR
After a very brief spell on 10m WSPR before 0808z, I QSYed back to 6m WSPR very early today. 10m was very busy with Es coming through from right across Europe.
On 6m, in the early morning, a couple of Germans were spotting my 1W ERP WSPR signal, but since then just locals and semi-locals.
On 6m, in the early morning, a couple of Germans were spotting my 1W ERP WSPR signal, but since then just locals and semi-locals.
7 Jul 2014
10m tomorrow?
Tomorrow morning, I think I am going to take a look on 10m WSPR rather than 6m. I may go on to 6m lunchtime onwards. 6m (apart from some Es, GDX and locals) seems pretty quiet. Later in the day there is still a chance of some super-DX across the Atlantic, but I'm not holding my breath!
Polyakov Pixie
Peter DL3PB has sent details of his version of the Pixie transceiver. He claims no broadcast breakthrough by using this configuration and lots of QSOs.
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| Peter DL2PB's Polyakov Pixie |
6m - past the best?
I am beginning to think that 6m is now past its best both for Es opportunities and, of course, for F2 propagation. Almost zero Es on 6m in the last few days, mainly locals and a little GDX. I may give it a few more days before QSYing back down to 10m where both Es and F2 DX are more plentiful.
10m conditions should be good for N-S F2. Sunspot count is 256 (high) and 20-30MHz propagation is forecast to be "normal".
If anything, solar activity has staged a bit of a comeback lately, but this may be just a blip.
UPDATE 1545z: As if to persuade me to stay on 6m, CN8LI (2113km) was spotted at 1450z.
UPDATE 1810z: No more Es here since CN8LI at 1450z. One blog reader tells me that I should try JT65 as there is more activity. JT9-1 worked well for me on MF with international 2-way QSOs with very low mW ERP. I think JT65 is more commonly used on 6m?
10m conditions should be good for N-S F2. Sunspot count is 256 (high) and 20-30MHz propagation is forecast to be "normal".
If anything, solar activity has staged a bit of a comeback lately, but this may be just a blip.
UPDATE 1545z: As if to persuade me to stay on 6m, CN8LI (2113km) was spotted at 1450z.
UPDATE 1810z: No more Es here since CN8LI at 1450z. One blog reader tells me that I should try JT65 as there is more activity. JT9-1 worked well for me on MF with international 2-way QSOs with very low mW ERP. I think JT65 is more commonly used on 6m?
Smart Meters
More news via Steve G1KQH. Thanks Steve - again:
Subject:
Energy industry unveils £85m plan to tout smart meter benefits | News |
Marketing Week
Get Green Go Smart!
Get Green Go Smart!
Coming
your way soon to interfere with your Ham kit
They
are also not saying how many meter readers will lose their jobs?
See also:
http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/
http://www.which.co.uk/
See also:
http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/
http://www.which.co.uk/
6m - quiet overnight, now some GDX
6m remained quiet here overnight with just local reports but at 0728z I was spotted by G8JNJ/A (184km) weakly. This is the first GDX spot of the day. Later, at 0834z, M0EMM (192km) was decoding me at -20dB with what seems to be aircraft Doppler (-3Hz)
No WSPR spots of others yet but reasonable signals about 1 minute long seen (MS or aircraft?). Maybe JT65 would be better with a 1 minute decode period? Some of these shorter bursts are actually at strengths JT65 would have no trouble with. JT65 is usually a few dB worse than WSPR but is a proper 2-way comms mode, whereas WSPR is really a beacon mode.
Yesterday my WSPR software crashed so I reset the clock and restarted the software this morning to be sure all was OK.
My TX periodicity is now much lower (around 10% TX) so I am listening far more than transmitting. No stations copied though for very many hours!
UPDATE 1051z: M0EMM (192km) copied at -27dB S/N at 0940z. This is my first WSPR spot since yesterday. No Es here (yet) today. M0EMM is the station I have been seeing for hours (judging be frequency) but with TX periods less than 2 mins (MS pings?).
UPDATE 1235z: M0EMM spotted again here at 1224z. Still no 6m Es here today.
No WSPR spots of others yet but reasonable signals about 1 minute long seen (MS or aircraft?). Maybe JT65 would be better with a 1 minute decode period? Some of these shorter bursts are actually at strengths JT65 would have no trouble with. JT65 is usually a few dB worse than WSPR but is a proper 2-way comms mode, whereas WSPR is really a beacon mode.
Yesterday my WSPR software crashed so I reset the clock and restarted the software this morning to be sure all was OK.
My TX periodicity is now much lower (around 10% TX) so I am listening far more than transmitting. No stations copied though for very many hours!
UPDATE 1051z: M0EMM (192km) copied at -27dB S/N at 0940z. This is my first WSPR spot since yesterday. No Es here (yet) today. M0EMM is the station I have been seeing for hours (judging be frequency) but with TX periods less than 2 mins (MS pings?).
UPDATE 1235z: M0EMM spotted again here at 1224z. Still no 6m Es here today.
6 Jul 2014
Pixie and Micro 80
These little QRP transceivers first made an appearance some 20 odd years ago. They are extremely simple transceivers that use the TX PA as the RX mixer to save parts.
I built a Micro 80 some years ago and my best QSO was around 300km. Biggest issue (for me) was broadcast breakthrough from strong broadcasters just above the 80m band. Variations included the Pixie 2 which added some refinements at the expense of more parts. Kits are available, but the circuits are so simple it is not work paying over the odds for these. The Micro 80 uses all discrete components whereas the Pixie and Pixie 2 use an LM386 for the RX audio.
If you build one, be prepared to fight for contacts. It is not the TX power that is the problem: it is the receiver that is the limitation.Given good conditions and little broadcast breakthrough, these rigs work.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pixie .
The same basic schematic will work on any HF band with changes to the output filter. Watch out for chirp on the higher HF bands: don't be tempted to try to pull the crystal too much, especially on the higher HF bands.
If you build one, be prepared to fight for contacts. It is not the TX power that is the problem: it is the receiver that is the limitation.Given good conditions and little broadcast breakthrough, these rigs work.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pixie .
The same basic schematic will work on any HF band with changes to the output filter. Watch out for chirp on the higher HF bands: don't be tempted to try to pull the crystal too much, especially on the higher HF bands.
6m - quiet so far today
So far today it has been very quiet on 6m with just locals copied. No Es seen here yet today on 6m.
Sunspot count today is very high at 213 and 20-30MHz propagation forecast to be "normal". Conditions on 10m should be good for F2 N-S propagation, although expect blackouts.
UPDATE 1505z: still no Es on 6m here today.
Sunspot count today is very high at 213 and 20-30MHz propagation forecast to be "normal". Conditions on 10m should be good for F2 N-S propagation, although expect blackouts.
UPDATE 1505z: still no Es on 6m here today.
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