Last spots of my 10m WSPR at 50mW in the USA

KU4QI (6406km) was the last to spot me today at 1648z. Since then, just local G4IKZ (18km) has been spotting me.

I think it is time to QSY to MF (472kHz) WSPR for the night.

UPDATE 2036z: have now QSYed to 472kHz WSPR.  DK7FC (669km) is, as always, putting in a very decent signal here. Just G0LRD (25km) spotting my 5mW ERP so far.

UPDATE 2200z:  8 unique stations seen so far on 472kHz WSPR this evening so far.  Several have been spotted many times.

Unique stations spotted on 472kHz WSPR so far this evening

W5OLF WSPR kit

Jay has been working on new versions of his little WSPR beacons. All being well I should receive a 10m 500mW out version in the next few weeks.

Jay is writing the manual(s) and has asked me for my feedback, which I shall, of course, provide. The new version is a single board (again) but transmits continuously, randomising the TX frequency on each TX burst to minimise interference to/from others. It needs several minutes to thermally stabilise but uses the uP to generate everything needed such as the WSPR tones, so no PC is needed. The transmission is started manually on the start of an even minute with a push button. The PA can be separately enabled.

This should be fun. I'll give more information when it arrives and I get a chance to try it on the air.

Plenty of stateside 10m WSPR spots at 50mW

I think the 10m band has now closed here for the day to the USA with 50mW on WSPR. In the end,  there were plenty of USA spots at this power level. As I said yesterday, 500mW will seem like high power! 28 spots (if I counted right) since 1150z and I was only on 20% or less TX.

Tomorrow, I may try a different band completely for a change.

Inspecting antennas - by radio controlled quadcopter!

Some years ago I went to a BBQ where someone had a wi-fi controlled quadcopter remotely controlled from an iPad. It was very impressive with its on-board cameras for navigation and filming what was happening down below.

I see AE5X has a video showing the inspection of his antennas (from above) using one of these. My antenna farm is trivial by comparison and can be pretty well examined at ground level.

See http://www.ae5x.com/blog/various/youtube-de-ae5x/ .

First 10m WSPR 50mW stateside reports today

At 1312z, W3CSW (5886km) and WG2Z (5600km) were the first USA stations to spot my 50mW WSPR signal today, at -26dB S/N and -21dB S/N respectively.  Others are now following. KB9AMG (6300km) has spotted me twice now. At the moment there seem to be fewer USA spots with my 50mW on 10m WSPR than yesterday? Early in the day I guess. Things may change.

UPDATE 1536z: W3CSW is now copying my 50mW 10m WSPR at -19dB S/N, implying he would probably copy me on 5mW or even less if his noise floor is low.

Sunspots

Sunspot number today is 113 and 10m daytime propagation is forecast to be "fair". Still VK5MR (16144km) audible despite the 10dB pad in my antenna lead is OK. He runs 5W. He has already copied G0LRD's 50mW 10m WSPR beacon.

10m WSPR 50mW

VK5MR (16144km) was still being copied on 10m WSPR this morning despite the 10dB pad in my antenna lead.

So far, the first USA station copied here was W3CSW (5886km) at 1220z.

Best DX spots of my 50mW on 10m WSPR this morning came from LZ1OI (2153km), CT1JTQ (1843km) and UR/SWL56 (2283km). Generally, running very low power results in fewer reports but not really fewer reporters. The active stations get you weaker and less often.

10 USA reports running 50mW on 10m WSPR

I think 10m has closed for me to the USA for the day.   I'll leave 10m WSPR running a little longer just in case.  At 2010z, 10 reports had been received, all at 50mW and all from stations in the USA. This was an interesting experiment as I know my antenna is not the best. 500mW seems almost like high power now!

The FT817 was set at 500mW and a good quality rotary attenuator (set to 10dB insertion loss) added as close as possible to the rig, therefore producing 50mW into the antenna lead and antenna. Because the cable will have some loss at 28MHz (1dB?) the actual radiated power will have been a little under 50mW.

UPDATE 2100z:  The 10m band has definitely closed here to the USA. Only G4IKZ (local) spotting me now. at 50mW.

10m WSPR spots running 50mW today

USA (again) on 10m WSPR and daytime MF

The first stateside station copied on 10m WSPR today was WG2Z (5600km) at a decent -10dB S/N at 1202z.  I think this is a little earlier than yesterday?

UPDATE 1210z:  I was on 472kHz until I QSYed to 10m WSPR. G3ZJO is a very decent signal now on MF. For example at 0922z he was around -15dB S/N. He has been even stronger, which for 10mW ERP is excellent.

UPDATE 1250z:  The first USA spot of my 500mW today as by WG2Z at 1218z.  Not long after I was spotted by KC2GMM at -17dB S/N at 1228z.   USA stations spotting my 500mW WSPR regularly on 10m now.

UPDATE 1504z:  Tomorrow I may try 10m WSPR with a 10dB pad in the antenna lead so ERP will be about 50mW, but RX 10dB deaf too. No I'll try it NOW! Looks like 5mW (or less) would be enough with W3CSW.

10m WSPR spots, to 1620z, with 50mW

UPDATE 1754z:   8 USA reports, so far, of my 50mW and, even with a 10dB pad in the RX lead I still copied G0LRD (25km)'s 50mW and W7CNK's 5W (7458km).

Sunspots

Sunspot number today has declined to 98 with daytime 10m propagation forecast to be "fair".  So far here this morning, just Europeans copied and copying me.