23 Nov 2015

472kHz WSPR

I have closed down on 6m and 10m WSPR and have been on 630m (472kHz) WSPR for about an hour with 5mW ERP and no preamp using the earth-electrode "antenna". Best DX on RX is DH5RAE (995km). For the second night in a row GW0EZY (251km) has spotted my 5mW ERP WSPR.

UPDATE 1946z:  We definitely need a few new stations on 472kHz WSPR. I am rapidly exhausting stations "in range".

First USA WSPR spot on 10m today

K9AN (6505km) was the first to spot me today on 10m at 1334z.

UPDATE 1642z: Surprisingly, 10m is quite poor to the USA so far today on WSPR. So far, just 2 unique stations spotting me with KK1D (5455km) spotting me at 1538z. Nothing since then.

Sky Box Questions?

This came via Steve G1KQH:

Is the new Sky Q box just about to spoil our hobby?

Sky Q PLT interference maker?



Sunspots and 10m - Mon Nov 23rd 2015

Sunspot number has climbed again to 76. K=1. The daytime forecast for 10m propagation remains "fair", so reasonable 10m conditions can be expected today. Solar flux is a respectable 122.

UPDATE 1022z:  So far, the 10m WSPR spots have been from RX3DHR (2533km). All quiet on 6m WSPR so far.

UPDATE 1024z:  As the above indicates, I am again active on both 10m and 6m WSPR and QRT on MF until after dark this evening.

UPDATE 1135z:  3 spots of G8VDQ (93km) so far on 6m WSPR, but no further spots yet on 10m WSPR.  Despite higher sunspot numbers, good solar flux levels, and undisturbed conditions, 10m WSPR is quiet this morning. 10m is definitely a band of surprises: when you expect it to be good it is not and vice versa.

22 Nov 2015

QRT on 6m, return to 630m (472kHz) WSPR

At 1710z approximately I closed down the 6m WSPR station and returned to 630m WSPR (TX 5mW ERP 20% and RX 80%, using the earth-electrode "antenna").

UPDATE 1722z:  No spots exchanged yet on MF.

UPDATE 1730z:  At the moment I am still on 10m WSPR too.

UPDATE 1908:  GW0EZY (251km) has spotted my 5mW ERP 472kHz WSPR several times this evening. Signals are clearly "marginal", so I guess he has a quiet location. Best DX on 472kHz WSPR RX, so far this evening, is DH5RAE (995km). EA5DOM has not put in an appearance yet.

UPDATE 1946z:  PA3ABK (306km) is my best DX on my 5mW ERP so far tonight.

UPDATE 2120z: I went QRT on 10m WSPR a little while ago.

10m WSPR TX beacon

WISPY 10m TX
Some years ago, I used the following circuit to get on 10m WSPR at low cost.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/wispytx.

Although I also built a simple WSPR RX for 10m, I never got around to combining both the TX and RX into a single unit. Sadly, my stroke got in the way.

Tiny APRS transceiver for PC

This transceiver looks like it should be possible to duplicate. A neat design. I think this connects via a USB socket so the PC acts as a node for digital modes like DSTAR.

See http://unsigned.io/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2

6m WSPR so far today

As well as spotting G8VDQ (93km) several times, I have been spotted by G4APB (88km).  No DX outside the UK on 6m WSPR, well so far at least.
6m WSPR so far today
UPDATE 1705z:  More spots of G8VDQ but no-one else today.

First USA 10m WSPR spot today

KK1D (5455km) was the first USA station to spot my 10m WSPR today at 1258z. There will be plenty more today! FR1GZ has spotted me 4 times already.  K9AN (6505km) was the next USA station to spot me on 10m WSPR. Today, 10m is in very good shape.

UPDATE 1605z:  VE3GEN (5593km) has been spotted several times.

No longer tell XYL about DX reports on 10m

As I get so many DX reports with my 500mW WSPR, I no longer tell my XYL. An Australian station was spotting my 10m WSPR again today. I think this is the 6th or 7th time this autumn.  With WSPR and a very modest, low, wire antenna I find DX easy. With SSB or CW you are competing against the "big boys".

10m has been good now for about 4 years. This time next autumn things are likely to be much harder. Sunspots are still high but this time next year they are likely to have fallen a fair bit. Somewhere I read that a solar flux of over 100 equated to "good conditions".  It is more likely solar flux will be in the 70-80 region next autumn.

The greatest danger is low activity on 10m as people leave the band for lower frequencies. Many times I have said this will be when 10m WSPR should be really useful winkling out those elusive DX openings. Please, still use 10m WSPR even when the band seems dead. I am convinced it will be "open" far more often than people realise. WSPR is so much better than SSB or CW. Using WSPRnet, you can instantly see who is copying your WSPR signal. Low power is all that is needed.

UPDATE 1254z:  I see that FR1GZ (9724km) has spotted me on 10m WSPR. This is no longer remarkable! WSPR really is amazing  - just 500mW to a low wire antenna. On SSB it is a battle against those using big beams and high power.  On WSPR just a few milliwatts and you can find out how your signal gets around the world.

UPDATE 1530z: VE3GEN (5593km) was spotted several times today.

Loft trawl - lost amateur gear

It is now 22 months since I was discharged from hospital following my stroke. I have yet to get into the loft to properly explore the things I put there when we moved QTH over 2 years ago. My problem is ladders, although I am getting close to getting up there to have a good rummage around the boxes!

As I recall there were quite a few boxes with odd pieces of amateur gear, although these were mainly wires, SMPSUs and the like - nothing of value. You could well argue that if I have managed without these for over 2 years then they need a new home and certainly I don't need them. Maybe the next junk sale or rally?

Sunspots and 10m - Sun Nov 22nd 2015

Sunspot number has risen a little to 59 (K=1) but solar propagation predictions for 10m have improved to "fair". Solar flux today is 121, which is not at all bad.

UPDATE 1000z:  VK2KRR (16789km) has already spotted my 500mW WSPR beacon 3 times on 10m. Today is going to be a good day on 10m WSPR. I feel it in my bones!

UPDATE 1006z:  All quiet so far on 6m WSPR here with no spots yet given or received.

UPDATE 1010z:  As the above reports indicate, I went QRT on MF at breakfast time and am now active on 10m and 6m WSPR for the day.

21 Nov 2015

QRP on Wikipedia

This link has been posted before but it is worth repeating. This is the Wikipedia link all about QRP.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QRP_operation .

I am a firm believer in QRP. Simple gear can span the globe, although rising noise floors are making it tougher for some, especially in cities and towns. In theory, 5W is just a few S-points down on a 100W rig, but these days the limit is more likely to be man-made noise sources at the receiver especially on LF, MF and the lower HF bands. Up to now, I have been blessed with a low RX noise floor here. I am still lucky.

A second chance - NOT amateur radio

A very moving, and uplifting, account from a Paris hostage.
See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34889539 .

"We've been given a second chance - we have to live life to the full!"

USA spots on 10m

K9AN (6505km) was the first USA station, and so far the only one, to spot my 10m 500mW WSPR this afternoon at 1418z.

UPDATE 1540z: Still just K9AN spotting me on 10m in the USA this afternoon.

UPDATE 1715z: In the end I got spots from 4 different USA stations on 10m WSPR. I have now gone QRT on 6m (where G8VDQ at 93km was spotted a few times) and on 10m WSPR and am back on 630m (472kHz) WSPR for the evening and night (5mW ERP TX 20%, 80% RX no preamp). So far, on 630m G7NKS (46km) has been copied at -11dB S/N. Still using the earth-electrode "antenna". G7NKS copied me at -22dB S/N. Also copied on 630m WSPR was DK7FC (669km) at -25dB S/N.

No snow - NOT amateur radio

We seem to have missed the snow. Although there is a biting cold north wind, it is dry and the sun has come out. It would not surprise me if we got a frost tonight. This would be the first time this autumn. Up to now it has been very mild.

This afternoon, a walk is called for, although we will have to dress in warm clothes!

UPDATE 1540z:  We walked around the village.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat Nov 21st 2015

Sunspot number is 52 (K=1) and 10m conditions remain "poor" according to the forecasts. Solar flux is a respectable 111. Often I find I get good 10m WSPR spots when conditions are supposed to be "poor".  Not sure why this is!

UPDATE 1204z:  So far, just spots from Russia and nearby areas on 10m WSPR. No great DX on 10m WSPR as yet. All quiet on 6m WSPR.

In praise of Jay W5OLF's WSPR beacon

I received this email from Jay W5OLF:

"Hi Roger,
I was catching up on your blog and saw the comment about how much you like the 10M beacon. That warms the heart.  We all try and make a contribution to the hobby and guess I at least made one.

Cheers, Jay, W5OLF"

W5OLF WSPR beacon
To which I replied, with great pleasure:

"Hi Jay,

I can honestly say I have had more fun from your 10m WSPR beacon than from ANYTHING in all my time in amateur radio. Thank you!

73s
Roger G3XBM"


I was an SWL in 1961 and had a licence since 1966. The beacon needs no PC and is totally self contained. As a routine I reset to internet time every day but you could use a radio for this and once a day is probably far more frequently than necessary.  As you can see, it is very small. The last time I looked there were 1W beacons for 30m and 20m and a 0.5W one on 10m. If you enjoy this mode, I can recommend these. It never fails to amaze me how something so small to a small, low, wire antenna regularly gets spotted around the planet.

See http://w5olf.com/2014/12/18/new-wspr-axe-cw-beacon/ .

Late QSY

Much later than usual, I have closed down on 630m (472kHz) WSPR and am now active on 10m and 6m WSPR for the day. I did the QSY at around 1040z, which is much later than normal. Overnight I was on 472kHz RX only with the preamp in circuit. 472kHz is definitely suffering this autumn from a lack of transmitting stations in Europe. The is no shortage of stations on receive. Tonight I shall be on 472kHz TX again. Last night I copied all the usual 472kHz WSPR stations in range. We could do with some new stations!

20 Nov 2015

472kHz WSPR - now RX only with preamp

Since 1954z, I have gone RX only on 472kHz WSPR with the preamp in circuit, so the FT817 is running at maximum sensitivity. This will be on overnight all being well.

Sunshine - NOT amateur radio

Even if it is very quiet so far on the amateur radio front, at least the sun is shining. We have friends joining us for lunch. The wind is turning and it is definitely getting colder. Not that I have much faith in the weather forecasts, but there is an outside chance of snow this weekend here.

All quiet on 10m and 6m WSPR here so far today

As yet, not a single spot on 10m or 6m WSPR here. By now, I would have expected to have got some spots. Solar conditions don't look bad. Patience!

There are regular, strong, traces on the 6m WSPR screen, but these have too much Doppler to decode. I suspect this is G8VDQ (93km). If there was a WSPR mode with 1 min TX period, I suspect he would decode. JT65 or JT9-1 would probably work.

UPDATE 1715z:  There were USA 10m WSPR spots this afternoon. The last USA spot was at 1600z.

UPDATE 1720z:  G8VDQ (93km) was decoded on 6m a couple of times around lunch, presumably aided by aircraft reflection.

UPDATE 1725z: I have gone QRT on 10m and 6m WSPR and am now QRV on 630m (472kHz) with 5mW ERP again (20% TX, 80% RX, no preamp,earth-electrodes). M0LMH (223km) has copied me on 472kHz WSPR and DK7FC (669km) has been spotted.

Terrorist attacks - NOT amateur radio

The FTSE 100 is recovering but it would only take a successful terrorist attack in the UK or USA to send both the FTSE 100 and the Dow into downward spirals.

Back on 10m and 6m WSPR. QRT on 630m (472kHz) WSPR.

As is my normal routine these days, I have QSYed from 630m to 6m WSPR and turned on my 10m WSPR beacon and synced it to internet time.

UPDATE 1015z:  No spots on 10m or 6m as yet.

Sunspots and 10m - Fri Nov 20th 2015

Sunspot number has risen to 51 (K=3) but 10m propagation remains "poor" according to the forecast.  Solar flux is 107 which is still respectable.  Yesterday was another day without USA spots of my 10m WSPR beacon.

19 Nov 2015

QSY to 472kHz (630m) WSPR

10m and 6m WSPR were closed down at 2030 and I have now moved to 630m (5mW ERP 20% and RX 80% without the preamp). Still using the earth-electrodes.

UPDATE 2205z:  All the usual 472kHz "suspects", i.e. the active stations in western Europe, are being copied including lots of spots of EA5DOM (1525km) on the barefoot FT817 without the preamp. I think I'd spot him more often and at better S/N with the preamp in use.

Smart Meters - NOT amateur radio

This amused me as my energy supplier contacted me to arrange an appointment to fit smart meters but failed to turn up! I asked for a human being to contact me, but months have passed and they don't do humans. It seems their computers don't communicate!

This came via Steve G1KQH:

"Why they really want you to have a SMART Meter:


A Smart meter is NOT compulsory:

5MHz amateur band - it is now official

WRC-15 has ratified the first new HF amateur allocation since 1979. Although only 15kHz wide it was agreed internationally. I hope that CEPT allows a wider contiguous allocation. I am sure I cannot be alone in finding all these non-contiguous 5MHz allocations very confusing.

From the RSGB report on WRC-15:
"Z8 has now officially been agreed as the prefix for South Sudan and will be formally entered into the Radio Regulations. Meanwhile the revised Radio Regulations from WRC-15 will officially come into effect from the 1st January 2017. "

Another UK Rally

I've been notified of the following UK rally this weekend:

Saturday 21 NOVEMBER : ROCHDALE & DISTRICT ARS TRADITIONAL RADIO RALLY
St Vincent de Paul's, Caldershaw Rd, off Edenfield Rd (A680), Norden, Rochdale OL12 6BU. OT 10.15/10.30, £2.50 (concessions U12 & seniors), TI S22, C. Pitches £5. Dave, G0PUD, 0161 285 1600, dave.shaw1@sky.com. www.radars.me.uk.

A list of rallies can be found at
http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Back on 10m and 6m WSPR

As the previous post showed, I am back on 10m and 6m WSPR. I went QRT on 630m (472kHz) around breakfast time. G8HUH (250km) was copied on 472kHz WSPR at 0830z a few minutes before closing. This path was in daylight.

Sunspots and 10m - Thurs Nov 19th 2015

Sunspot number is 36 today and K=2. Solar flux is 107 but the forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor".

UPDATE 1020z:  Just Russian and Sweden spotting me on 10m WSPR and no spots given or received yet on 6m.

18 Nov 2015

Getting fun from amateur radio

My current operating is almost exclusively WSPR. I go on the 8pm East Cambs net on 144.575MHz FM on Mondays and Tuesday UKAC contests (especially on 2m)  but my voice struggles. I tend to go on MF WSPR at night and 10m and 6m WSPR during the day.

On all bands I do not use very good antennas. I quite like the way I operate: it is a "low intensity, low cost" way of enjoying the hobby. I miss my field work but I am just too wobbly still.

QSYed to 472kHz

I have now gone QRT on 10m and 6m and am active on 630m (472kHz) WSPR instead for the evening and overnight.  As for last night, I am on 472kHz WSPR TX 20% 5mW ERP and RX 80% without preamp. I am still using the earth-electrode "antenna".

Early evening 472kHz WSPR
So far G4KPX (14km) has spotted me several times, M0LMH (223km) has spotted me once, PA7EY (306km) has spotted me once but I have copied no-one yet. It is nice to be copied by 3 different stations before 1900z.

UPDATE 1855z:  DH5RAE (995km) has just been spotted.

10m USA WSPR spots

KK1D (5455km) was the first station in the USA to spot my 10m WSPR beacon at 1420z.

Australia (again) on 10m WSPR

As well as spots from Brazil and Russia there are spots from 2 different VKs this morning of my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon. As expected, today is another good 10m day, despite the 10m forecast being "poor".

472kHz - an analysis of EA5DOM with and without RX preamp

The night before last EA5DOM (1525km) was copied 45 times on 472kHz with the preamp in circuit, so the FT817 was at maximum sensitivity. My best report of him was -16dB S/N.

Last night he was copied again but without the preamp. Last night I copied him 35 times with a best sensitivity of -19dB S/N.

Although conditions may have been different, I think the 472kHz preamp is worth having. It allows signals too weak to copy to be successfully decoded. Incidentally, EA5DOM was copied as late as 0740z today at -26dB S/N without the preamp on 472kHz WSPR.

Sunspots and 10m - Wed Nov 18th 2015

Solar flux is 106, which is quite good still. Sunspot number is 33 (K=2) and the forecast for 10m remains "poor". Since turning on the 10m WSPR beacon before breakfast, no spots yet received. On 6m I have spotted G8VDQ (93km) twice but nothing else as yet.

With relatively undisturbed 10m conditions it would not surprise me if this turns out to be another quite decent day on the band.

17 Nov 2015

QSYed to 472kHz WSPR (TX and RX)

472kHz station. Transverter is box with yellow LED on top shelf.
Both my 6m and 10m WSPR stations have been closed down for the evening and night and I am active again on 630m (472kHz) both TX (5mW ERP) 20% and RX 80% without the preamp. Note the strong trace on the PC from DK7FC (669km) at -16dB S/N at 1920z shortly after turning things on.  Still using my earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I match my transverter to the earth-electrodes with a 42mm diameter step-up 3C90 toroid. This is located to the RHS of the transverter. Also visible is the current meter from which ERP is calculated. At the old QTH this matching transformer was not needed. Here, at the bungalow, the soil/rocks must be different. The earth-electrode spacing is also quite a bit less here. Who said 472kHz has to be complicated? Mine is a simple station, including the "antenna" which isn't!

UPDATE 2200z: The  best DX reports of my 5mW ERP are from Holland PA3ABK and PA7EY (both 306km). On receive the best DX is (again) EA5DOM (1525km).

Blog visits - NOT amateur radio.

It puzzles me who visits my various blogs. Already today, the number of people visiting this blog is more than for the whole day a few days ago. I try to include items that appeal to others, although I confess it is as much a diary for me: it records what I have done and the things that matter to me.

Anyway, thank you for visiting and reading this and my other blogs. If you find any postings not to your liking you have some choices. One is to not read similar posts in future or you can tell me! I cannot please everyone but I hope, on the whole, you approve of the things posted.

For the record, my other blogs are:

East Anglian Churches - usually updated every few weeks. East Anglian churches we have visited.
Miscellaneous Musings - updated several times a week. Miscellaneous thoughts.

More on 5MHz

This is on the RSGB's WRC-15 pages:

"Progress is slow but steady…

5MHz: The 5 MHz item has cleared another hurdle and hopefully it will be tabled at a Plenary meeting scheduled for Wednesday, when it will receive two readings. The approval of the last reading is a key milestone, subject of course to the final signing and national administration processes.
50MHz: The revised future agenda proposal for 50-54 MHz has been resubmitted and may be considered at a meeting of Working Group 6B during Tuesday afternoon.
47GHz: It seems that the Primary amateur and amateur satellite service band at 47-47.2 GHz is strongly being considered as a candidate band for IMT (5G) for the next WRC study period, although opinions differ over the definition of ‘candidate’. We are closely following this development.
Small Satellites: Meanwhile the focus has now shifted to the subject of identifying Space Operations Service spectrum below 1 GHz for small satellites in Non Geo-Stationary Orbit (NGSO). Needless to say this is generating a considerable amount of discussion, especially where frequencies around 144 MHz and 430 MHz are concerned.

73
Colin, HB9/G3PSM

NB: Further background and updates are at rsgb.org/wrc-15 and in our news"

A 15kHz wide allocation across the world! Well, I suppose it is a start assuming it is finally approved. It is great pity this is not a 200kHz wide band. 15kHz is very very small. Let us hope that in CEPT countries, at least, they let us use more contiguously. Some countries have already allowed wider contiguous secondary amateur allocations.