Surprise 6m spot

Well, I'm pleased and surprised to have spotted G8VDQ (93km) on 6m WSPR at 1114z today. The drift on his signals suggest the involvement of moving aircraft.

5MHz and WRC-15

The latest World Radio Conference (WRC-15) has now opened in Geneva with amateurs looking for a new contiguous (i.e a continuous, no gaps) amateur allocation at 5MHz. This is being looked at as a proper agenda item, so at the moment we must remain hopeful. This 5MHz allocation is by no means a done deal! A lot of hard negotiating is ahead. The RSGB website is keeping us updated.

See http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/special-focus/wrc-15/2015/11/03/wrc-15-day-12-colin-sets-the-scene/

Return to 10m and 6m WSPR and QRT on MF

At around 1030z, I turned on the 6m and 10m WSPR stations, did a resync and went QRT (for the daytime) on 630m WSPR. It will take a few minutes for things to settle before any spots are likely. I am not sure why I bother with 6m WSPR as to give or get WSPR spots is rare outside of the main Es season. I guess I go on 6m as it is easy to do so alongside the stand-alone 10m WSPR beacon. I live in hope!

UPDATE 1055z:  First spots on 10m WSPR are from 4L1QX (3299km) in LN01tp. I now need to see where this is! OK, I should know! Found it - Georgia. F2 propagation. It is interesting (to me) that this is nearer than Israel. I would have expected this to be further. There you go - you learn something new every day.

Sunspots and 10m - Wed Nov 4th 2015

Sunspot number 95 (K=5) although the solar flux level is good.  10m propagation is expected to be "poor" today. I have still to go QRT on MF and fire up my little 10m WSPR beacon.

472kHz RX overnight

Well, I was surprised. The preamp improves 472kHz sensitivity, but I was able to copy no more stations than without the preamp! I was rather surprised as I expected the preamp to really help on MF. In truth, it may help drag in the very weak ones, but the benefit is questionable based on these tests. Odd.

A cricket on our window? - NOT amateur radio

On the bedroom window

This afternoon we had this visitor on the outside of our bedroom window. I think it is a kind of cricket although I am not sure. I am sorry the picture is not better. Body was about 2cms long but the antennae were much longer, I'd guess about 5cms.

Now RX only (with preamp) on 472kHz WSPR

Since about 2008z I have gone on to RX only (with the preamp) on 472kHz WSPR. I have gone QRT on 10m. It will be interesting to compare results with and without the preamp on MF. I suspect I'll copy the same stations but give them better reports. I am still using the earth-electrode "antenna". I'll do the comparisons in the morning. So far tonight, before going RX only, I was getting similar results on TX and RX as the night before. At one point I got really excited as I thought I'd been copied in Greece, then I realised this was on 10m!

UPDATE 2202z:  At the moment I am not spotting any new stations with the higher sensitivity on RX. This could change overnight, or it says that the FT817 has adequate sensitivity and external noise is limiting what I can copy.

UPDATE 2300z:  Based on the reports given to DK7FC and LA3EQ I am surprised that the preamp, although making the sensitivity better, does not allow me to give them definitely better reports. To be honest, I am a little surprised. I will see if I get clearer results overnight. My electrical environment on MF is fairly quiet, so I expected to get a really useful improvement with the preamp.

Quieter on 10m WSPR

Although there was some good DX around on 10m WSPR including VK and FR1, I was only spotted by a single station in the USA - KC1AWS (5308km). So far, today has seen fewer USA stations on the band. There was also a closer European,  DK6UG (633km), which could have been F-layer backscatter or out of season Es. Yet again, spots from the USA and the fourth day with spots from VK this autumn.  A $49 "stand alone" 10m WSPR beacon and plenty of fun.

More from our lovely quango

OFCOM's latest http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/ .

As I have said before, they are really interested in ventures that make money, like the auction of parts of the microwave spectrum. The amateur service is very low on the agenda I believe. Do they add value?

Sunspots and 10m - Tues Nov 3rd 2015

With a decent solar flux level, sunspot number of 94 and a 10m propagation forecast of "fair" we could be in for decent 10m results, although K=5 so conditions are quite disturbed.

UPDATE 1044z:  I see that  VK2KRR (16789km) spotted me at 0830z on 10m WSPR this morning.