Guess what? - NOT amateur radio

Yes, you guessed, Alibris were offering 15% off for 24 hours only.

All quiet on 10m WSPR

As mentioned in an earlier post, I have been on 10m WSPR since just after lunch when we arrived back home.

UPDATE 1600z:  No 10m WSPR spots given or received so far today.#

UPDATE 2200z:  See later post. Doh!  Idiot.

Away so nothing yesterday - NOT amateur radio

We were in Lichfield for my brother-in-law's 70th birthday party, so I was not able to update the blogs. It was a good family get-together. I guess it won't be too long before some of us meet for funerals! It will be some years before there is a round of grandchildren's weddings. For some of these we may be around, but it is unlikely we'll see them all get married. Still, this is how it has always been since time began.

Lichfield is a small city to the north of Birmingham. It has a very nice cathedral with three spires. Unusually, the cathedral is made in red sandstone. It has some fine carvings over the entrance. Lichfield itself is charming with many fine old buildings and a pedestrianised centre. There are 2 large lakes near the cathedral. I guess at one time these were stocked with fish for monks nearby?

More (about China) via Steve G1KQH

This came from Steve yesterday. He like his Chinese bargains!

China cuts TAX, Cuts, not increase! Standby for even Cheaper Baofengs!

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-05/01/c_135327077.htm

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

Sunspots and 10m - Mon May 2nd 2016

Solar flux is 82 today and the sunspot number is 23 (K=1). The forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor" today. I b=have been active on 10m WSPR (RX and TX) since about 1304z.  There was no forecast yesterday as we were away for the weekend.

Another UK rally

Monday 2 MAY : DARTMOOR RADIO CLUB RALLY
Tavistock College, Crowndale Road, Tavistock, Devon. PL19 8DD. The venue has free car parking as well as disabled facilities but please note there is no talk-in station. Doors open at 10.15/10.30am and admission is £2. There will be trade stands, a Bring & Buy and special interest groups. Catering is available on site. Contact Roger Hann, 2E0RPH on 01822 840 723, or by email to 2E0RPH@gmail.com.

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

Being in the west of England this may be of interest to readers in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset especially.

472kHz WSPR overnight

No great DX. I did spot one Norwegian station, but he did not spot me. My best DX on TX was only the Netherlands. I shall soon stop TXing on MF until the autumn.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat April 30th 2016

Solar flux 92 today. Sunspot number is 82 (K=1) and forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor".

Facebook - NOT amateur radio

For some reason Facebook is very very slow here today. All else seems normal. Have they been attacked?

No luck on 10m WSPR today

Perhaps surprisingly, no spots at all today of my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon. Certainly here there was no Es propagation evident. I shall be on the band for a few more hours so things might change before dark.

On 630m WSPR with far less ERP (about 27dB less!) I have been regularly been copied at 223km in IO93 square.

On 10m, if there is no propagation that is it - no reports unless there are some Gs spotted by aircraft reflection.  On 630m WSPR there seems to be inter-G propagation all the time.

UPDATE 1912z:  Still no spots at all on 10m WSPR here all day. I shall be going QRT on 10m very shortly.

UPDATE 1945z:  QRT on 10m. Copying G0MRF (103km=64miles) well on 472kHz WSPR. Sadly it looks like G0MRF is only on TX WSPR and not RX at all. If he was looking on RX too, this would be a new one for me on TX.