30 Jul 2015

472kHz WSPR this evening

At the moment I am copying PA0A and G8HUH on 472kHz WSPR but, as yet,  no-one is copying my 5mW ERP signal. I shall remain on MF overnight.  At the same time I am on 10m WSPR (100% TX).

There was very little Es on 10m WSPR today with just DK6UG (633km) spotting me at teatime today on 10m WSPR.

Sunspots and 10m - Thursday July 30th 2015

Sunspot number has climbed further to 66 (K=1) but 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor" today yet again.  Es will again be the main hope on 10m and 6m. The main Es season in the northern hemisphere usually last through until September but the peak months are May, June and July. Careful observers may see really sporadic openings at other times. This is where WSPR could really help. There is a smaller peak around Dec/Jan.

29 Jul 2015

Return to 472kHz WSPR

I QSYed down to 472kHz at 2000z. So far, no-one has spotted me but I have spotted PA0A (417km) and G8HUH (250km). I'll stay on overnight to see who copies me. Someone is bound to. I am still using 5mW ERP (at most) and the earth electrode "antenna". 472kHz is  more productive than the 6m band at night.  PA0A and G8HUH are among the better equipped MF stations with good ERPs. This autumn I must get a better antenna for MF erected. It would be good to have an ERP of 100mW - QRO for me!

6m WSPR Es

LA1IC appears to have reported my 10m WSPR as 6m by mistake early teatime. I think he changed bands but still was reporting some 10m spots as 6m ones. OK1DX (994km) was genuinely spotted at 1914z. I am still on 6m but may QSY to 630m (472kHz) shortly.

UPDATE 2050z:  I QSYed to MF at 2000z approximately. See next post.

Windows 10

If you want to upgrade to Windows 10 for free Steve G1KQH (Font of all knowledge) has given me this link:
Windows 10 for FREE!
 
73 Steve
http://g1kqh.blogspot.co.uk/
I have not tried this so caveat emptor. You use the link at your own risk.

Sunspots and 10m. Wed July 29th 2015

Sunspot number is 56 today (up a very little) and K=2. 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor". Early 10m Es livened up that band although 6m is quiet here so far.

Early Es on 10m WSPR, but 6m quiet

There was breakfast time Es on 10m WSPR with DK6UG (633km), OZ7IT (853km) and DK0SC (827km) all spotting me. I stayed on 6m through the night but only G0OQK (98km) and I exchanged spots on that band, but no Es DX spotted here on 6m. I should have gone to 630m overnight!

28 Jul 2015

10m Es and tropo

There has been Es on 10m WSPR but the openings seem to have been very localised with F1VMV (947km) spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon most of the morning. Also spotting me was EA6ALL (1423km) just once.  There were also a few Germans spotting me much earlier.

UPDATE 1242z:  4X1RF before breakfast was the only E layer (I presume) DX on 6m WSPR. If this was classic Es I'd have expected to see intermediate distance stations too - there were none. In fact there was no evidence of Es here on 6m WSPR at all to this time.

UPDATE 1340z:  Overnight I was spotted on 10m WSPR in The Netherlands. This looks like it was by tropo as the distance was too short for Es. Time was right (0332z to 0416z) for tropo too - just before dawn.

UPDATE 1345z:  I see that I was spotted on 10m WSPR by GM4SFW (662km) by Es at 1240z.

UPDATE 1930z: 10m WSPR is filled with EU Es stations from across the continent. Great Es conditions on both 10m and 6m.

Sunspots and 10m - Tues July 28th 2015

Sunspot number is 53 (K=3) but 10m propagation remains "poor".  There was early Es on 10m and 6m which bodes well for nearer DX.  4X1RF (3519km) was copying me on 6m WSPR before breakfast. I think this is some form of E layer propagation, although I have grave doubts it is classic multi-hop Es.

Back on 6m WSPR (daytime)

As there were no MF reports since last evening and there were Germans by Es early today on 10m, I have returned to 6m WSPR for the daytime. I shall probably switch back to MF later.  A reminder that I use 1W ERP on 6m and my 6m antenna is a V2000 vertical omni. On MF I use 5mW ERP to my earth electrode "antenna".

UPDATE 0850z:  The daytime move was worth it with very early (before breakfast) 6m spots by 4X1RF (3519km) as well as lots of spots of G0OQK (98km).

UPDATE 1350z:  No further DX spots at all on 6m WSPR.

UPDATE 1900z:   As there is still good Es on 6m WSPR, I am sticking on the 6m band for now. 4X1RF (3519km) again spotted me this afternoon. In recent minutes, OK1DX (994km) was spotted strongly on 6m WSPR. Several Scandinavian stations have spotted me on 6m WSPR. I may QSY to 630m (472kHz) later.

UPDATE 1922z:   Now being spotted in Germany on 6m WSPR. This opening is very good with strong reports.

27 Jul 2015

G3XBM amateur radio history

Me - a VERY long time ago!
Since my cerebellum brain bleed nearly 2 years ago, I have managed very little experimental work such as fieldwork and building. At one time (and I hope again in the not too distant future) these aspects of the hobby gave me the most pleasure and fun.

For a potted history see:  https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/home/history .

EA8BVP (2986km) - first 10m DX WSPR spots for weeks

EA8BVP (2986km) was spotting me recently (1026z) on 10m WSPR weakly at -25dB S/N.  It is possible this was F2 propagation and not Es.  It will be interesting to see if he spots me again later. Certainly EA8 is quite possible by single hop F2. It is also in 2/3-hop Es range.

UPDATE 1147z:   F1VMV (947km) was spotting me on 10m by Es at 1134z.

Stroke update - NOT amateur radio

Although overall I get less tired (but some things still exhaust me), I still have poor speech and I feel giddy when walking, especially when turning. Thin liquid swallow is still not good - in fact I can only take sips of any liquids - but my taste is returning to normal. Real orange juice was a "no no" as was cheese and bread, but these are fine now.  In fact I enjoy orange and cheese again. Wine and whisky still taste odd (bitter) and I have yet to enjoy these again. Very very slowly things are improving, although I was expecting to be my old self a year ago! Overall, I still feel not right.

Others think I am fine. Indeed I look well, but inside I am not still. Climbing ladders is basically out of the question and anything over about 15-20 minutes of physical or mental effort really floors me. I really want to do some antenna work but this will require help unless things rapidly improve in the next few months.

I am able to drive, but this requires lots of concentration.

Sun? Surely not - NOT amateur radio

Is this really the sun in the sky? We have hardly had any sun for days now - just lots of rain. The sun has popped out from behind the clouds. I think I must be seeing things.

10m WSPR - just locals so far

I have remained on 10m overnight and this morning, but only local G4IKZ (18km)  has been spotting my 500mW beacon so far. Maybe there will be some Es later. There is no doubt that getting 10m WSPR spots is getting more difficult. This is a combination of summertime conditions, falling sunspots and fewer active WSPR stations. Undaunted, I shall carry on on 10m WSPR!

Sunspots and 10m - Mon July 27th 2015

Sunspot number today is 38 (K=2) and 10m propagation is expected to remain "poor". We will probably have to wait until the autumn for better 10m conditions, although some N-S F2 propagation can occur. 10m (or even 6m) openings to North America may occur by Es. Even QRP SSB can work the USA in the right Es conditions on 10m. I worked the USA in summer 2007 with real QRP (about 1W ERP) CW on 6m.

472kHz WSPR overnight

Overnight I was spotted by PA0RDT (243km) for my best DX on the band. Even though summer time, it is good that stations are still able to copy my weak 5mW ERP signal.

26 Jul 2015

Blog post numbers

I never fail to be amazed by what is popular on my blogs. Today, nothing special (I thought) was posted yet we seem to be heading for a new record number of visits. I have no idea why.

Now QSYed to 472kHz WSPR

OK, so I have now left 6m and QSYed down to MF instead. I am still on 10m WSPR at the same time.

It is still summer time and I think people will struggle to copy my very weak (5mW ERP) signal, especially in daylight. Anyway, I am still using the earth-electrode antenna for now. At least I have a better chance on 472kHz. As mentioned before, with some help, I hope to erect a better antenna that will raise my ERP on 472kHz. This may not happen before late autumn.

UPDATE 1510z:  I see that G6AVK (78km) is spotting me on 472kHz WSPR. This is daylight. So far, I have not copied anyone, but at least I am getting out OK on MF. I am not sure why I like MF so much, but I guess it is because I am using my homemade transverter and a fairly unique "antenna". Let no-one tell you you cannot radiate a useful signal on 472kHz. If I can get out with my low ERP (I have been copied over 1000km away on this set-up) and just a couple of earth-electrodes about 12m (at most) apart in the garden, I am sure you can do at least as good or better.

UPDATE 1535z:  No further Es on 10m WSPR since the Italian earlier today.

UPDATE 1645z:  G6AVK (78km) is now getting me at 5dB S/N better than earlier, not sure why. Still no reports of others or reports from anyone else yet. Things may change as night falls.

UPDATE 1655z: WSPRnet show 17 stations worldwide on 472kHz WSPR. I need a few more "in range" stations active this evening, such as G8HUH (250km) who copied me last time I was active in the summer.

UPDATE 1840z:  Plenty of spots by G6AVK but no-one else spotted or spotting me so far on 472kHz WSPR.

UPDATE 1910z:  G6AVK spotted (eventually) in the last few minutes. Also G8LCO (58km) spotted me.

UPDATE 2102z:  PA0A (417km) and G8HUH (250km) are the best DX on 472kHz WSPR today, well so far.

Chinese factory video

Steve G1KQH sent me this link to a video. It shows the Quixang factory in China. Few people and lots of automation. Watch out Japanese amateur companies! Change or die. The writing is on the wall for Icom, Kenwood and Yaesu. I can see these will go under unless they cans lash prices by designing in Japan and making in China.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2FOZvtD9wU .

Last day on 6m WSPR?

Today will probably be my last day of this Es season on 6m WSPR. I am not ruling out the occasional outing to 6m, but I do not intend to be on 24/7 as I have largely been for months. Apart from 4X1RF (3519km) no great DX was had on the band (given or received spots). This was disappointing but I am flogging a dead horse on 6m WSPR. We need hundreds of active stations and, sadly, these are just not there.

It is getting harder now on 10m WSPR too with less activity, but I intend to run the 10m beacon 100% of the time when not doing anything else. I am still hopeful that this will show up fleeting 10m openings in the quieter years. I just hope a devoted core of WSPRers stick with 10m. In the quiet solar years there may be days with nothing before a fleeting N-S opening. I think this autumn and winter we will still have decent 10m conditions although autumn 2016 onwards may be much harder. There will be openings even in the quiet solar years, especially N-S.

UPDATE 1150z:
  This morning, just 6m WSPR spots exchanged with G0OQK (98km). No Es DX seen on the band, well not yet. G0OQK seems to be nearly always there, although sometimes a 2min WSPR transmission is too long to decode. I think some of the problem is drift as I go from TX to RX in the FT817. WSPR software can handle with a few Hertz drift, but more than that and it just cannot cope. This is one reason why other modes may be better: JT65 and JT9 only need 1 minute TX times. Although not as sensitive as WSPR the shorter transmission time may be better.

UPDATE 1316z:   EA1KV (1304km) has been spotted by 6m Es WSPR since 1154z. He has also be spotting me. No other Es seen on the band.

UPDATE 1320z:  IK0OKY (1480km) was spotting me on 10m WSPR just now. No other Es seen so far on 10m WSPR.

Sunspots and 10m - Sun July 26th 2015

Sunspot number today is 41 (K=1) and 10m is expected to remain "poor". We are hoping that Es will liven up what otherwise may be a quiet band.

25 Jul 2015

Low WSPR activity

Worldwide, the total number of stations shown as active is just 46 for 10 and 6m combined. With this low level of activity it is hardly worth continuing. I shall continue with 10m WSPR but I may leave 6m as early as tomorrow and head to MF.

UPDATE 2145z:  I have come to the reluctant conclusion after trying for 2 summer Es seasons that WSPR does not appear to be the best mode to capture real DX openings. VE7SL reports trans-Pacific openings on 6m to Japan, but it seems very high power and big beams are necessary. This mode does appear to need mesospheric reflections (not Es) and these occur in June and July. We still have a lot to learn but WSPR does not appear to be much help sadly.  As I run neither high power or a big beam on 6m, I shall leave exploiting these very long polar paths on 6m to the grown ups.

Historic adverts?

Thanks to Phil G4HFU (see earlier post) I have been reacquainted with the old PW adverts that got me dreaming over 50 years ago. I wonder if other blog readers can point me in the direction of old UK magazines and adverts? I was first interested in radio and SWLing in the early 1960s.

Back then, the world was a very different place. The Beatles were still in the future.  We lived under the constant fear of all out nuclear war (I was terrified in the 1962 Cuba crisis) and most amateur DX was by CW or AM. Although RTTY was around, most digital modes were not. Magazines like Practical Wireless, Radio Constructor and Short Wave Magazine were filled with goodies I drooled over, but could not afford. Even now I do not like parting with money for amateur gear unless there is a good chance of getting very many years of good service from it.

Swifts - NOT amateur radio

This evening, in a further attempt to beat my giddiness, I went for a decent (for me!) walk. One of the joys of an English summer evening is seeing swifts on the wing high in the sky and hearing their calls - a high pitched scream. To me, this is the sound of summer. Their wings are scythe like and they spend most of their lives on the wing.

They arrive late (around the end of April) and go before summer is done. It an ephemeral sound that they make. When you hear it, it is truly late spring or summer. Soon the summer migrants will head south to warmer skies and we will be joined by migrants from the north such as whooper and bewick swans from the high Arctic and Russia as well thrushes like redwings and fieldfares from Scandinavia. To them we represent warmth and mildness!

For now I am content to hear those swifts, although they will soon be on their way. Hopefully, I'll still be around for their return in the spring. Seeing the first swifts in late April brings joy to my heart. The cycle of life that has happened for thousands of years goes on. No doubt this cycle went on when we still lived in caves and when Roman soldiers walked these lands and this cycle will still be going on long after I am dust again.

See http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/s/swift/ .


Sunspots and 10m - Sat July 25th 2015

Sunspot number is 54 today (K=2) somewhat up on yesterday, but still not high. 10m conditions are expected to remain "poor".  So far today, there has been very little DX about with only marginal Es early on on 10m WSPR.

Another poor Es day on 10m and 6m WSPR

Just a brief Es opening on 10m WSPR to northern Spain (EA1) but nothing else apart from Gs on either band. I am definitely leaving 6m after the weekend.

24 Jul 2015

Thunder and lightning?

Since I cut part of our hedges after breakfast, we have had non-stop rain all day. This is expected to get stronger overnight. We badly need the rain as our lawns are going brown. There is a good chance of a thunderstorm overnight so I shall go QRT on 10m and 6m later this evening.

UPDATE 2136z:  All rigs and antennas disconnected, so totally QRT.  Storms currently over English Channel. For storm maps for the UK see http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en .

Kits list

I see that http://www.amateurradio.com/ had a link to a blog that listed lots of amateur kits. If you are looking for kits you may want to browse the list. Caveat emptor of course and I advise a look at reviews on http://www.eham.net/reviews/  before parting with your money. Some are well known, but many were new to me.

See http://fofio.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/radio-kit-guide.htm .

Ranger 2 and Ranger 3 from Henry's Radio

In my youth (a very long time ago!) there were adverts for Henry's Radio on the rear cover of Practical Wireless and Radio Constructor, I think. The most memorable adverts were for Ranger 2 and Ranger 3 radios covering "Medium wave, top band and shipping". I notice that details of the Ranger 3 are available on the Radio Museum website. I always wanted one but could not afford it with my pocket money.

See http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/hernrys_ranger_3.html .

6m Es

There was a brief Es opening on 6m at 1140z today during which WSPR spots were exchanged with CT1PT (1685km).  On 10m WSPR I have just been spotted by G stations so far.

Poor start on 6m and 10m WSPR

It has been a poor start on both 6m and 10m with just G stations overnight and this morning so far. No evidence here of any Es on either band on WSPR.

I shall stay on 6m over the weekend but I shall probably QSY to 472kHz WSPR after that. I think the best of the Es season is now over, especially on 6m?

Sunspots and 10m - Friday July 24th 2015

Sunspot number has slipped further and is just 27 today (K=2) and 10m is expected to remain "poor".

It has just started to rain here (miserable day!) but the garden badly needs the rain, which is due to get worse and last 24 hours. I managed to cut part of my hedge before the rain started.  My wife and I got married 44 years ago today.

23 Jul 2015

Last few days on 6m?

Well, today has been a pretty poor day here on 6m WSPR. A few more days like this and I am going QRT on 6m and looking elsewhere.   Of course, the day after I close down on 6m you can be sure of the biggest transatlantic 6m opening in years!

In a few weeks I shall need some help with antennas. I want to replace my small hand-rotated 2m/70cm beam with big wheels and I want a long wire that can be used on 472kHz.  At the moment I am just too wobbly on ladders. How I wish I was fit again!

Sunspots and 10m - Thurs July 23rd 2015

I am afraid this is much later than normal as we have only just got our broadband back: it has been off most of the day. Sunspot number is little changed on yesterday at 35 (K=3) and 10m remains "poor".

In a minute I'll check how 10m and 6m have been today. I resynced the 10m beacon before we lost internet just after breakfast. 6m has depended on the PC clock and may have drifted off during the day.

UPDATE 1930z:  There was a little Es evident from Italy at teatime on 10m, but just Gs by tropo and planes on 6m, with no evidence of 6m Es here.

No internet all day

It is unusual for our internet and phones not to work, but we had been without both for most of the day. Our services come via fibre and our broadband speed is pretty good. So, this is my first chance to update blogs  and check social media and emails. Our service is via Virgin Media.

I think they may have increased the speed now. Certainly download speeds which were good are now very good.

22 Jul 2015

Time to go QRT on 6m WSPR?

I am seriously considering closing down on 6m altogether. I may give it a few more days but it is really not worth the effort, especially on WSPR. The trouble is, I have very little choice WRT antennas.  I use my 40/20/10m end-fed on 10m so I would not be able to use another HF band at the same time as 10m.

4m band across Europe?

This article appeared on the 70MHz website last week. It may mean 4m becomes a common European amaallocation in the near future?  At the very least it makes it easier for individual countries to allocate 4m to radio amateurs.
"A new revised edition of ERC Report 25 - the European Common Allocation Table - has been published. The revision was approved at the WGFM#83 meeting and takes into account the latest Decisions made at the ECC#40 (30 June - 3 July 2015).

The new ECA inter alia includes a secondary allocation to the amateur service in the band 69.9 - 70.5 MHz.

However everyone should be aware that implementing the ECA is not mandatory on CEPT administrations."
A reminder of the current 4m allocations is available at http://www.70mhz.org/index.php?categoryid=2&p2_articleid=316 .

Some Es on 10m and 6m

CN8LI (2113km) spotted me just once at 1744z on 6m WSPR at a strong -13dB S/N. I suspect this was a brief Es opening.  Earlier EA1KV (1304km) was spotting me on 10m WSPR at 1146z.  Es today was not outstanding on 6m, well so far at least. On 10m, there were WSPR reports from across Europe albiet no brilliant.

Sunspots and 10m - Wed July 22nd 2015

Sunspot number has fallen slightly to 37 (K=1) and 10m F2 propagation is expected to remain "poor". Es may make 10m and 6m liven up a bit.

Soon be time to return to 472kHz WSPR?