Another poor start?

I have been on 10m and 6m WSPR overnight but no Es seen, even in daylight, on either band. Of course, things may well change, but I am now convinced more than ever that sticking with WSPR is causing me to miss some DX. Activity levels on WSPR are just too low, which is a great shame  Also, when conditions are more marginal a bit more antenna gain and power might help? In the past I have questioned this.

Quitest day yet?

It is now 1540z and on 10m I have only been spotted by local G4IKZ (18km) all day and not a single station on WSPR by Es or F2. 6m has been equally dire with just Gs by tropo and maybe off aircraft. Around teatime there is often a small Es peak so I am not giving up just yet!

Conditions are a little disturbed, but I am amazed how little Es there is here (none!) on both 10m and 6m WSPR. Maybe later or tomorrow things will be better?

Come September we will start to see autumnal conditions returning on 10m. Last autumn, winter and spring there were stateside spots of my 500mW 10m WSPR on most days. I was spotted in every continent, including Antarctica and Australasia on 10m WSPR.  It will be interesting to compare this year with last, as sunspot numbers will, on average, be way down. Soon be time to improve the LF/MF antennas too.

Just wondering if I should move to JT65 and JT9 for the F2 DX season? I like WSPR as it fits my operating style (and poor health) and I can monitor it remotely in the lounge.  JT modes are really 2-way and need more active intervention on my part. Maybe this will be good for me? Maybe JT65 and JT9-1 will ease me back into 2-way QSOs?

UPDATE 1908z:   I notice that G4IKZ (18km) has had a bad day on 10m too. Apart from an ON (tropo?) around breakfast there were only G spots in his log according to WSPRnet.

UPDATE 1942z:  I see that G4IKZ has spotted PY and CX on 10m WSPR just now. There is obviously some F2 propagation.  I guess Nick's Moxon beam is helping! He is probably able to copy signals at least 10dB weaker than me, although I am 100% TX currently on 10m WSPR.

Stroke update - NOT amateur radio

I am still having great difficulty with giddiness when walking. Also, I have poor speech and poor thin liquid drinking, although most foods are OK. I still get days when I am profoundly tired, especially after physical or mental exertion, although I seem to bounce back more quickly. Overall, my poor voice and giddiness are my biggest concerns. Getting better, but only very slowly.  Overall, I still feel very unwell. By this time last year I was expecting to be back to full health.

Still no Es here today on 6m or 10m

It is now 1305z and still there is no Es evident on either 6m or 10m WSPR here. This is, by a long way, the worst day on both bands for some time, here at least.  I wonder if we really are seeing a poor Es season?  Of course, there is always the chance that people are moving to other modes and deserting WSPR.  WSPR activity levels are very low on both bands currently, which is a pity. Without active stations on WSPR openings are being missed. Of course, WSPRnet only shows stations very recently spotting or spotted, so if they have been active but unsuccessful they appear as inactive and do not get shown. On a poor day there may be lots of stations trying on 10m and 6m WSPR but without success.

Sunspots and 10m/6m - Tues July 21st 2015

Sunspot number has drifted lower and is 39 today (K=3). 10m is expected to remain "poor". With lowish sunspot number, somewhat disturbed conditions and summertime, I am not expecting much of 10m, although Es may liven up things a bit on 10m and 6m.

Apparently stations in South America were being worked on 6m at the weekend. There was zero "real DX" on 6m WSPR, probably due to the low level of activity on that mode. This is the last season I shall try WSPR on 6m. I shall either abandon the band (which would be a pity) or chose another mode. For the last two Es seasons I have been on 6m quite a lot with only 4X1RF (3519km), CN8LI (2113km) and EU Es to show for it. For the time spent, results on 6m have been disappointing.

All quiet here on 10m/6m Es

No signs here yet (1038z) today of any Es yet on 6m and 10m WSPR. This can well change, but this is a quieter start to the day than I can remember in some time. Is the main Es season drawing to a close already? Surely not. In 2013 there was plenty of European Es on 6m and 10m SSB right up until I was in hospital which was mid September.

Some life on 6m WSPR, but not much

CN8LI (2113km) and I exchanged WSPR spots earlier on 6m WSPR. At the moment there seems very little Es about on 6m and 10m WSPR.

East Anglian Churches: blog updated - NOT amateur radio

Today we visited Clare church in Suffolk and I have updated the East Anglian Churches blog. It is a light, airy and welcoming church. It was visited by Daniel Defoe who called it a "good church".


See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .

Sunspots and 10m - Mon July 20th 2015

Sunspot number is 46 today (K=1) and 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor". We should not expect great things of 10m today (summertime conditions) unless the band is livened up by Es. If recent days are typical, 6m will be the better band for Es.

Quiet start on 6m and 10m WSPR

So far, and things can well change later, only G spots on 6m and 10m WSPR. No Es evident yet. Very slowly, we are falling from the peak of the cycle, although I think we will have one more good autumn/winter season on 10m.

UPDATE 1045z:  G0MQW (123km) was the best overnight DX.   This was on 6m WSPR.  He spotted me at 0300z. Still no Es evident (yet today!) on 6m or 10m WSPR.

Trophy

Just received this letter from the RSGB. I was somewhat chuffed to be awarded this trophy! It was a total surprise.

Hello Roger,

Good to hear from you in which I hope is improved health.

You were awarded the Wortley-Talbot Trophy which is awarded, annually, for the most outstanding experimental work in amateur radio.  I enclose a photo.

It is, physically ,the largest trophy that we present and for this reason winners usually leave it in the custody of the Society!

Best Wishes  

Graham Coomber, G0NBI

General Manager

Radio Society of Great Britain

VLF amateur experiments

See https://sites.google.com/site/sub9khz/vlf-news-2015 .

In Germany there has been discussions about possible VLF amateur transmissions around 1.72kHz (tweek resonances) and even whistler mode with reception in the Southern Hemisphere.

As we move to "quiet sun" conditions maybe more people will be enticed to the VLF, LF and MF bands?

Linears in the UK

I think the RSGB must be getting short of articles for RadCom.

Last month they reviewed a linear that cannot be legally used in the UK because of its high power. There were a couple of critical letters about this in the August RadCom. Why did the RSGB print this review at all? We, in the UK, have a power level of 400W pep on most bands and we should encourage UK amateurs to keep to this. I have rarely used more than 5-10W pep and even 100W sounds like incredibly high power! No, let us have more articles in the spirit of amateur radio. Not everyone is interested in big, overpriced radios, linears, towers and huge HF beams. Just a few watts is enough to span the globe.

Anyone can work the world with 1000W and an HF beam on a tower. You can also video conference world wide for free with Skype!

QRP is a real challenge. High power rigs, big HF beam and linears are more about egos. Personally they do little for me.

All quiet on 6m and 10m WSPR, so far

On both 6m and 10m WSPR I am just being spotted only by G stations with no sign of Es as yet. Of course, things can change very quickly, although at this time yesterday I was being spotted, or had spotted, many Europeans by Es.

UPDATE 1025z:  I was spotted by F5UBP (661km) on 10m WSPR a few minutes back by Es.

UPDATE 1045z:  All quiet still on 6m with WSPR spots exchanged only with G0OQK (98km) so far this morning and no 6m Es seen yet.

UPDATE 1118z:   CN8LI (2113km) was just spotted on 6m WSPR. I think he may have just switched his rig on as there was quite a bit of drift on his signal. I see he has also spotted me on 6m WSPR a couple of times.

UPDATE 1622z:  Plenty of 6m WSPR spots being exchanged with CN8LI (2113km) now.

UPDATE 1912z:  Very very little Es evident on 10m WSPR with just EA1KV (1304km) spotting me (once) earlier.

UPDATE 1938z:  So far today, the better Es has been on 6m rather than 10m.

UPDATE 2100z:  CN8LI (2113km) has spotted me 13 times today so far on 6m WSPR. Not bad.

Poor MPs - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday, the Daily Mirror reported that an MP (UK Member of Parliament) was having to "count the pennies" on a salary of £90k a year and needed a pay rise! I think this MP is so sad and pathetic. Does he live on the same planet as me? Many struggle to get by on a very very small amount of money. Please, if the Mirror quoted you correctly, get a life.

Sunspots and 10m - Sun July 19th 2015

Sunspot number is slightly up at 52 (K=1) but 10m propagation remains "poor".  Es is the main hope on 10m and 6m.

No super DX yet on 10m or 6m Es

As yet, I have not seen any evidence of really long distance Es propagation on either 10m or 6m WSPR. My best DX is still several spots on 6m from 4X1RF (3519km), but I am still elusively looking for transatlantic stations on either of these bands by Es.  I suspect lack of activity is a real issue on 6m WSPR and other modes might be better.

6m Es - CN8LI

I see that CN8LI (2113km) in Morocco, was spotted strongly at 1002z on 6m WSPR. I think he was there earlier but not decoding. Perhaps he has only recently turned the rig on and it is still stabilising?

UPDATE 1250z:   Spots were (and still are) being exchanged with CN8LI strongly on 6m WSPR all morning and lunchtime.On 10m WSPR it has been pretty quiet for several hours with just spots by local G4IKZ (18km).

UPDATE 1512z:  CN8LI and I are still exchanging 6m WSPR spots and I am also spotting CT1PT  (1685km) at intermediate range. A reminder that my ERP is about 1W. I use a V2000 (vertical omni) fed via a run of lossy UR58 coax.

UPDATE 1715z:   CN8LI and I are still exchanging WSPR spots.  He has been spotted, and has been spotting me, most of the day. Recent reports of CN8LI have been very strong.

UPDATE 1919z:  CN8LI (2113km) has spotted me on 6m 14 times today at up +5dB, that is up to now.  It is possible there will be yet more spots. I have spotted him 31 times so far today on 6m WSPR. His ERP is higher than mine, I believe, by at least 10dB.

Lincoln President Mk2

I have owned this rig for several months now but it hardly get used as I prefer, because of my poor voice, to run my WSPR beacon on 10m.  It certainly works well with my last QSO being a W8 on SSB.

In the picture, the small WSPR beacon is far left with the Lincoln  with green illumination on the left of the FT817s and to the right of the WSPR beacon.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat July 18th 2015

Sunspot number is 40 today (K=1) and 10m is predicted to remain "poor". Our best hope is that Es propagation livens things up a bit on 10m WSPR.  No Es seen yet on 6m WSPR.

Early Es on 10m

There was early Es on 10m today with spots from CT, EA1 and LB9 before 0936z.  Still no "exotic" Es DX seen here yet on 10m WSPR. 6m WSPR has been quiet, so far.

UPDATE 1252z:   GM, I and D spotted by Es in addition to the above on 10m WSPR today so far.  Nothing by Es on 10m WSPR since much earlier today.

6m WSPR Es

Since returning home from a week on the Isle of Wight with our younger son and family I have been on 10m and 6m WSPR this evening for about one hour.  Spots exchanged on 6m WSPR with F1VMV (947km) and so far just G4IKZ (18km) spotting me on 10m.

UPDATE 2041z:   G0OQK (98km) is now spotting me.

Sunspots and 10m - July 17th 2015

Sunspot number has climbed back to 55 (K=2) but 10m propagation is still "poor". Don't expect wonderful F2 conditions on 10m.

UK thunder and lightning

Storms are currently moving up from Hampshire into East Anglia over night. Better stay off the air until these are well out of the way.

UK MP salary - NOT amateur radio

With unbelievably poor timing UK MPs have just been awarded a 10% pay rise taking their BASIC annual salary to around £74k. At the same time nurses and similar are getting rises of 1% or nothing and some benefits are being cut.

Back on 10m and 6m WSPR

I should be back on 10m and 6m WSPR before the weekend although I don't think I have missed too much.

Sunspots and 10m - July 16th 2015

Sunspot number remains at 39 (K=2) and 10m propagation remains "poor" .  Apart from Es we should not expect great things of 10m today.

Sunspots and 10m - July 15th 2015

Sunspot number is 39 today (K=2). 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor".

The next few solar cycles

According to recently published UK forecasts the next few solar cycles will be very poor with abysmal conditions on the higher bands but good LF and MF conditions

See http://www.amateurradio.com/solar-cycle-25-and-beyond/

Looks like many will not see a return to good 
HF conditions in our lifetimes.

Low cost mics

Steve G1KQH  has made me aware of some very good deals on mics for under £10. If you need mics this may be worth investing in.

See http://www.gearbest.com/speakers/pp_193557.html

6m Es

Another day when I was unable to get on 6m WSPR but I don't appear to have missed much. 4X1RF copied OZ,  but apart from that only shortish range Es on the band.

70cm UKAC tonight

A reminder that at 8pm UK clock time is the 70cm leg of the RSGB's 70cm activity contest. Unfortunately I cannot take part tonight but activity is usually good. Usually I can work 200km with 5W and a 5el from home.

Sunspots and 10m - July 14th 2015

Sunspot number has fallen further to 44 (K=1) and 10m is expected to remain "poor".  F2 propagation is not expected to be great.

Sunspots and 10m - July 13th 2015

Sunspot number has dropped back to 59 (K=4) and 10m is expected to be "poor". F2 conditions are not expected to be anything special today.

Still no great DX on 6m WSPR

July 13th 2015 and I was unable to get 6m on WSPR again. Looking at WSPRnet I see that only EU Es was being reported and less than 500km too. I am still waiting for some transatlantic DX but nothing yet.

6m Es

For a few days I have not been on 6m WSPR but I don't seem to have missed that much with most spots today being less than 500km.

Lunchboxes

Years ago I wanted a Heathkit Lunchbox HW30  rig for 2m AM. Although at the time I bought a manual I never did buy the rig as it was too much at the time. These days there is too little AM on the band and the RX would struggle at times.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/lunchbox .

Sunspots and 10m - Sun July 12th 2015

Sunspot number is 131 today again. K=1 so pretty undisturbed conditions. 10m is expected to remain "fair".

6m Es but no super-DX

Although there has been Es on 6m, there has been no evidence of super-DX on the band.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat July 11th 2015

My usual source of sunspot data has not updated his data since yesterday so I am unable to give new forecasts for today. The best hope at this time of year is 10m and 6m Es.