Sunspots today and 10m this morning

Sunspot count is 128 with 20-30MHz propagation forecast to be "good". This should be another good day for 10m F2 long distance propagation. I'd expect more Es too at some time.

So far today, just locals G4KPX (14km) and G0LRD (25km) spotting me and being spotted, apart from OZ7IT at breakfast time by Es.  No sign (yet) of F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1045z:  OK2UGG (1164km) has just spotted me by Es.

UPDATE 1050z:  G0LRD tells me I missed VK3KCX at breakfast time this morning by F2.  I think Dave's antenna on 10m is better than mine.

UPDATE 1208z:  No further Es (or F2) seen here since OK2UGG at 1032z.

10m - yet more transatlantic

Very late last night, 10m yet again was open across the Atlantic to the USA.  N2OTO (7088km) was spotting my 2W at around 2312z at -16dB S/N and a little earlier WB2TQE (7097km) was copying me slightly less strongly. Although most probably multi-hop Es, it is just possible it was F2 back-scatter from near the equator. 10m has opened to the USA very many times this summer. I think I have caught 8-9 openings now, and I will have missed a few.

These are just the sort of fleeting openings that regular WSPR operation will reveal.

10m - still being spotted in Brazil

PT2WWV is still spotting me at 2142. I suspect he will copy me even later too. This is now the 6th time he has spotted me this evening.

VLF experiments

My neurosurgeon believes I should now be driving again and so do I.   I am waiting to hear from the DLVA. It is now a year since I last drove or touched alcohol, because of my brain bleed and the op that followed it.

One of the first things I want to do is some 8.97kHz tests from the "new" QTH. I say new QTH, but we have lived there over a year now, although I was in hospital for 3.5 months. This test will involve driving to some local test  sites to see how strong (or weak) my 5W test signal from home is. The drives are quite short.

10m - my favourite band of all

There is something very special about the 28MHz (10m) band. It is hard to put my finger on why I enjoy 10m so much - probably it is the great variety of propagation - but it is, for most of the sunspot cycle, more fascinating than any other HF band. April-September 10m seems to support Es and there is a second Es peak at Christmas/January.  F2, especially over N-S paths seems to be present right to the sunspot minima. GDX (inter-G DX) seems to be possible by tropo or aircraft reflection at almost any time to at least 200km. Of course it is useful for local QSOs too. In all, it is a great band to be enjoyed all year around and at any time in the sunspot cycle.  In the quieter years it behaves more like a VHF band but not completely so with F2 still possible. Es seems to enliven the band for quite a bit of the year too. Another bonus is that antennas are small.   Please, never give up on this splendid band.

UPDATE 2100z: There is still 10m Es and 10m F2 propagation.  PT2WWV (8873km) has recently spotted my 2W WSPR (2050z) at a very strong -9dB S/N.

Yaesu launch FT991 in Japan

Ever alert Steve G1KQH has spotted that Yaesu launched the new FT991 at the Tokyo Ham Fair in Japan as a replacement for the FT897D. See http://qrznow.com/yaesu-ft-991/ .

This looks a very neat, small, multi-band, multi-frequency rig, as long as the price is sensible. In Jaoan, they usually sell a QRP version too. It would be good to see a 20-30W version in Europe too. This would compete well with the (now stopped) IC703 rig by ICOM.

http://qrznow.com/yaesu-ft-991/

The image is linked from the http://qrznow.com/yaesu-ft-991/ site. The image is NOT resident on this site. Please follow the link for details of this rig. I have no further details.

There is no sign of a replacement for the FT817ND rig. I think Yaesu must have abandoned plans, which is a shame.

10m in good shape yet again

Today Es has been good again on 10m. FR1GZ (9724km) was spotted this morning and PT2WWV (8873km) was by spotted by F2 several times already by WSPR.  I have been monitoring 10m most of the day and will continue this evening.

Sunspot count is a decent 124 and 20-30MHz propagation is "normal". I was NOT surprised to see PT2WWV a little while ago by F2.

I have been spotted by several stations around Europe today (Es). Today seems like another excellent day on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1945z:  Still plenty of Es about on 10m WSPR.

10m F2 again this evening

Recent 10m WSPR spots

Right on schedule PT2WWV (8873km) was spotted 4 times (already) after tea today on 10m WSPR (1904-1928z).  I think this is pure F2, but there is an outside chance it is Es and F2 combined (first hop Es then F2) as EA5CYA was also putting in an appearance by Es on 10m WSPR. Conditions on 10m have been good N-S of late.

UPDATE 1945z: PT2WWV again spotted. Plenty of 10m Es too.

UPDATE 2020z: PT2WWV has been spotted 9 times already by 2012z.

UPDATE 2115z: PT2WWV has been spotted 14 times so far this evening here and he has spotted my 2W already 3 times. I am afraid that 630m (472kHz) has been abandoned for a few nights whilst 10m is so good. 10m WSPR will be left running during the night.

Sunspots

Sunspot count today is 139 (good) and 20-30MHz propagation is "normal" so there is a fair chance of F2 today on 10m.

10m Es today

The main (N. Hemisphere) months for Es are May, June and July but Es has been good on 10m right through August and I suspect September will still be quite good on 10m. Actually, I suspect 10m Es will be present probably every week throughout the year but at a much lower level.  If stations "stick with" 10m into the quieter months, I suspect far more openings will be detected than in the past. Of course this coming autumn, winter and spring we'll still have F2 to enjoy, probably to all parts of the world on 10m.