26 Jul 2014

6m WSPR this morning

I QSYed back to 6m about 50 minutes ago and already been spotted by G4IKZ (18km), OH5RM (1860km) and have myself spotted G6AVK (78km) and OH5RM strongly. Looking quite promising on 6m Es so far today.
6m WSPR this morning (1W ERP)
Sunspot count today is 65 (creeping up again) and 20-30MHz forecast to be "normal". I expect some F2 on 10m today.

I may stick with 50MHz (6m) WSPR today, but want to give JT65 and JT9-1 a good go on 10m and 6m. I have had JT9-1  QSOs on 10m before but believe the rig stability is probably better with JT65. At 6m I suspect JT9-1 will be unsuitable.   JT9-1 is better suited to LF and MF use. I shall use JT9-1 on 630m again soon.

UPDATE 1235z:   Still very much a Scandinavian colour to the Es with OH7AI (2000km) a new call today at 1126z. He is also spotting me. G6AVK is also spotting me.

10m - early

Until 0930z I was on 10m WSPR. GDX overnight included G8JNJ/A (184km), M0ITC (164km), G8VDQ (93km) and M0XDC (65km). The was also Es from Scandinavia early on today (SM,LB). I have now QSYed to 6m WSPR.

25 Jul 2014

10m Es- central Europe

This evening, the 10m Es is favouring central Europe with HB9, DL and OK since teatime. I may give JT65 and JT9-1 a try tomorrow on 10m and maybe 6m.

UPDATE 2200z: The 10m Es event means 10m WSPR is open to EA5 to the south and SI9 (Sweden) to the north. It is pretty widespread.  I am leaving 10m WSPR on overnight again to see how extensive the opening is.

10m - Es returns

At teatime, Es returned to 10m WSPR with EA5CYA (1376km) and GM4SFW (662km).   No F2 propagation seen here so far today. I suspect there will be further Es this evening.

10m - GDX this afternoon

After a busy Es morning, all is quiet this afternoon. I am seeing wispy traces towards to lower WSPR band edge which I think are from M0BOB (74km) whom I decoded earlier. These have the usual GDX "signature", which is multiple traces (often well below 2mins in duration) due to aircraft. Since 1446z, these have NOT decoded.

10m Es - southern Europe

The 10m Es season continues, this morning with solid opens to southern Europe with Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Italy in the logs since last evening. Even during the night, 10m was open to Italy.  Another decent Es day on 10m WSPR.

24 Jul 2014

10m - Es season continues

When 10m is very good, with Es openings across Europe, it is all too easy to take this for granted. The Es season (in the Northern Hemisphere) is May, June, July but I think there will be openings most days through August and into September on 10m but less probable on 6m. I hope enough "stay faithful" to 10m WSPR to help us find out how many openings Es and F2 there are at other times of the year.

No transatlantic Es here today.

10m - decent EU Es today

Overnight and today, I have been on 10m WSPR. Es has again been decent with plenty of EU spots.
Unique 10m WSPR spots today so far
Sunspot count today is 55 and 20-30MHz propagation is described as "normal". I would expect some N-S F2 today.

Today, I have not looked on 6m. Yet again,there are pitifully few USA stations active, making the chances of stateside reception on 6m very slim only.

23 Jul 2014

10m - real DX tonight

CX2ABP (11127km) has just been spotted by F2 propagation and K9AN (6505km) has also been spotted by multi-hop Es in EN50wc square which is Illinois. 10m has been good all day and this is the second time the band has opened to the USA today.

10m WSPR - excellent across Europe this afternoon

WG2Z (5600km) copied me just once at lunchtime - he may have copied me more times if I was operating on the correct frequency initially - but this afternoon 10m has been in excellent Es shape today with stations from across the continent copyable after lunch with a few G stations copied out to 184km by tropo or plane reflection.
10m WSPR unique reports since lunch today (repeats not shown)