472kHz - improvements?

Using the strapped feeder to my Par 10/20/40m as my 472kHz antenna rather than my 2m/70cm feeder, the antenna current has nearly doubled with the antenna current meter now showing 30-33uA whereas it was 18uA before. This suggests ERP has increased by around 4-5dB (ERP proportional to I^^2), but we'll see later. The Par antenna itself is lower than the 2m/70cm antenna and runs horizontally to a tree. Average height is around 3-4m AGL. The losses may be greater.

The picture shows the 472kHz coil used (a ferrite rod would be fine but since moving it is "lost"), the 472kHz homebrew transverter (left) and the 3C90 matching coil between transverter and antenna (towards centre, LHS of coil). The small meter measures antenna current and registered 18uA last night and 30-33uA now with the Par antenna with strapped feeders.

UPDATE 1420z: G8HUH (250km) is copying in daylight a full 8dB S/N better than last night. Encouraging.

UPDATE 1448z:  M0PPP (182km) seems to be coming in stronger than last night too and in broad daylight.

UPDATE 1700z:  M0PPP  is now spotting me at 1456z, 1538z and 1620z i.e. in daylight.   He was not copying me at all last night, so I think my signal IS stronger.

Shetland on 472kHz WSPR - both ways

Using the very indifferent 2m/70cm feeder antenna (some of this is on the ground) last night I was pleased to exchange WSPR spots with GM4SLV (896km) up in the Shetland Isles as well as being spotted  by M0EMM (192km) and G8HUH (250km) in Somerset.

This was my first outing in MF for many months. In coming evenings I'll try different antennas: none are dedicated 472kHz antennas - all are compromise antennas, usually strapped feeders with a base loading coil.

GM4SLV must have a very quiet RX location as he misses very little and my signal would have been very weak.

472kHz WSPR

For the last hour or so I've been on 472kHz WSPR using just the feeder up to my VHF/UHF beam. Part of the run is along the ground and the antenna is only about 6m AGL. So far, no-one has yet spotted me but I have spotted DK7FC (669km) 7 times so far and M0PPP (182km) 3 times. As usual, I am using my homebrew tranverter. ERP is very low milliwatts with this inefficient antenna.

I may leave WSPR running on 472kHz overnight to see what happens. Tomorrow I will try another "feeder" antenna. This is my first MF "outing" for many months.

UPDATE 2210: DK7FC and M0PPP spotted more times and now F1AFJ (607km) has just been seen.

No 10m F2 this evening?

Only 12 stations in the world currently on 10m WSPR and just LU7YW in South America. I''ll give it another hour or so then may QSY to 472kHz for the first time in months.

Have your passwords been stolen?

Again Steve G1KQH has kept his ear to the ground:

Have your passwords been sold on?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/05/russians_amass_1_2bn_stolen_passwords/

Can we trust the Web any longer?

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

It may be a good time to update your passwords and make sure your security is solid. Touch wood, I have been using free Microsoft Security Essentials to protect my PC. It appears to do a good job even though I use Firefox.

Storms gone away. Possible F2 DX?

The storms that were threatening us now appear to have moved east and are now over the Norfolk Broads and North Sea.  It looks like we'll miss the storms so I can stay on 10m way into the evening (for the first time in several days), just in case the band suddenly opens up to South America by F2.

CT1JTQ has not been spotting me since 1548z but I think he has gone QRT on 10m WSPR.  There are a few South Americans on that I should copy if 10m is open that way.

10m Es and F2

Es and F2 today seems to have been good on 10m with V53ARC (Namibia) spotted by many in Europe. I may go back to 10m WSPR later unless 6m WSPR improves.

UPDATE 1530z:  Returned to 10m WSPR (from 6m) about 45 minutes ago. Spotted 3 times so far by CT1JTQ (1843km).

UPDATE 1608z:  CT1JTQ has now spotted me 6 times in the last hour, but no-on else has on 10m WSPR. What would be very nice is some F2 further south (i.e. F2 + Es propagation) so I get spotted in South America too this evening.

There are storms to the north of us which may come our way. See http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en .  Mostly they are moving into N.Norfolk but there was a strike just now further west near Crowland Abbey. If they get close I'll have to close down.

UPDATE 1810z:  Storms over the Norfolk Broads and North Sea now. Danger here has passed.

6m WSPR - this morning

6m was very quiet this morning with just reports from local G4IKZ (18km).   Let's hope things improve  after lunch.

Just spots from G4IKZ on 6m WSPR this morning - very quiet.

UPDATE 1240z:   Still just G4IKZ spotting me on 6m WSPR. All very quiet today.

Sunspots

Sunspot count today is 93 and 20-30MHz propagation just "normal". Although 10m Es is still likely, we will be lucky to see F2 propagation on 10m, but N-S F2 is possible. Yesterday was very good on 10m with VK5 spotted here mid-morning.

I definitely think we are on the slide now.

6m WSPR - but so little activity

At 1044z, I returned to 6m WSPR but when I turned it on there were just 4 stations on TX in the entire world transmitting on 6m: this is pathetically few.  I hope more people join me soon. So far just local G4IKZ (18km) spotting me. There needs to be a scattering of stations to spot any Es.

As I write this, there are now 7 TX stations plus 3 on RX on 6m.

On the WSPR RX screen there are no wispy traces suggesting weak Es or GDX - nothing currently,