Sunspots and 10m - Thurs July 7th 2016

Solar flux is 77 today. Sunspot number is 11 (K=3) and the forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor".

No luck on transatlantic 6m DX

Overnight, I see that some Europeans were answering Canadian CQs on 6m JT65. Nothing was copied here sadly on 6m and I was not spotted "over the pond".  The gear is still running and I remain hopeful. So far this morning just G spots on 6m and no Es as yet.

UPDATE 0925z: A 6m JT65 spot of me by MM0AMW (520km) is unusual. This seems too close for Es and too far for tropo or aircraft.MM0AMW Loc IO75EJ

10m Es - nothing special today (so far)

All of the 10m Es spots have been scattered around Europe, with nothing remotely "DXy" here so far. No signs here of spots from the Americas for example.

I'll leave things running on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65 just in case. Sadly, I cannot listen with the 10m WSPR beacon, well not on the same rig. The FT817 and PC are tied up with 6m JT65 and WSJT-X V1.6. The stand-alone 10m WSPR beacon (500mW) randomises TX frequency, but is 100% TX. On 6m it is looking for others half the time.

More 6m Es

JT65 is showing there is Es on 6m this evening (see map). I am still amazed by the spot of UN7TW (5214km) this morning. It is such a long way!

JT65 on 6m today

Yahoo oddity

Recently I had great difficulty approving members of my VHF AM Yahoo Group. I was using Firefox, which I'd been using for years. Changing to Microsoft Edge and I had no problems at all and they were approved in seconds. I am using Windows 10. I wonder if anyone else has had similar issues? Odd.

Best DX on 6m JT65 for some years

UN7TW (5214km) in southern Kazakhstan (MN52 square) was spotted on 6m JT65 earlier today. This is a very long way for a VHF band!  A reminder that I am just using a V2000 vertical omni antenna, so nothing special. It bodes well for transatlantic 6m reception. I assume this was some form of Es.

Early morning 6m JT65

It is now 0926z. Already I have had several G spots of my 1W ERP 6m JT65 beacon and I have spotted several G stations here. I assume these are either tropo or aircraft reflection. Best DX on 6m RX here is G0VUH (157km). Best DX on 6m JT65 TX is G1IDZ (182km). As yet, no Es seen here on 6m.

Early 10m Es

I did a resync of the 10m WSPR beacon before breakfast. There was early Es on 10m WSPR this morning with Danish stations spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon.

UPDATE 0954z:  Es spots from all over Europe now.

UPDATE 1028z: Some of the 10m spots are from Holland. If Es, this is very short skip suggesting Es possibly as high as 2m. It is possible these are tropo or aircraft reflections.  I think Es is more likely as aircraft reflections are usually accompanied by lots of Doppler and the aircraft have to be in the right place for quite a long time with WSPR.

Sunspots and 10m - Wed July 6th 2016

Solar flux is 77 today. Sunspot number is 23, not zero as it has been for quite a while.  K=1 but the forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor". Luckily there is 10m Es.

More from OFCOM

See http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1st-Tues-June.  More exciting stuff from OFCOM.  Gosh, this is so exciting that I find it hard not to lose sleep.

10m Es WSPR

Today was not (so far) the best day on 10m for Es, although I have received 26 reports from across Europe. Looking at the reports the Es seemed to favour more northerly stations with nothing so far from southern Europe today.

10m WSPR spots received so far today

2m UKAC tonight

As this is the first Tuesday of the month, it is the 2m UK activity contest this evening. With VHF NFD last weekend I wonder what activity will be like? As usual, I shall go on for a while until I have to stop because of my poor voice. Usually I manage an hour or less in the AL section running 5W and an omni antenna.

UPDATE 2210z: 8 contacts made with best DX G5BBL/P at 221km. Conditions were up. Good turnout with GM, GW, F, ON and PA heard.

Stations worked (5W and omni antenna) on 2m SSB tonight

Grandchildren gone home - NOT amateur radio

We had the "London" grandchildren here last night and today as their school teachers were on strike. We had a picnic in the Abbey Gardens at Bury-St-Edmunds and played crazy golf.

6m JT65 today

At the moment, it looks like there were fewer Es openings on 6m today. Most of my spots  were from Gs although I was spotted in Poland this morning (1W ERP JT65) and I have spotted stations as far away as Eastern Ukraine  in the form of UR5MED (2692km).

Sunspots and 10m - Tues July 5th 2016

Solar flux is 73 today and again the sunspot number is zero (K=1). The 10m F2 propagation forecast is "poor" again.

SAQ yesterday

Although I did not try to listen for SAQ (17.2kHz CW on VLF) yesterday I wonder who did? It was received in Russia and is a good test of your VLF system. Although they have a lot of power and big antennas it can be a challenge to receive them.

July 4th - NOT amateur radio

If I am not mistaken, today is a national holiday in the USA to celebrate independence of the 13 original USA states from the UK in 1776.  I am sure if they wanted to join the UK they would be welcome!

The UK voted recently to leave the EU. Time will tell whether this was a good move or a bad one. We probably have more in common with the USA than the rest of Europe. Certainly we share a common language.

I like Europe but am not a great fan of the EU as an institution. Like many, in many nations, I am happy with a common market but not a federal Europe. The EU has sadly become an inefficient institution which has not added a lot of value in recent years. Although I voted REMAIN, I am not surprised we voted to LEAVE. It is now up to us to forge our way in the world. In some ways being outside the EU is not so bad.

Disappointing Es so far today

With just 3 Es spots on 10m WSPR all day and just G spots on 6m JT65, today has been disappointing for Es. Even with 500mW and my indifferent antenna on 10m, I still get decent reports, but I guess there was not much Es about today. A "bad hair day".

There was a little Es on 6m earlier as I spotted an Italian but, so far, no Es spots of my 1W ERP on 6m.

Transatlantic on 6m?

Last night I spotted Italians and Finns on 6m JT65 calling "CQ USA" or "CQ NA". I spotted, and was spotted by, nothing from across the Atlantic.  I presume some were luckier or just plain hopeful!

This morning all is quiet here with just G spots on 6m JT65 and no spots at all on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1114z: No 6m Es seen here yet. My best DX is a spot by G1IDZ (182km). This is either aircraft reflection or tropo.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon July 4th 2016

Solar flux is just 72 today and we have yet another day with the sunspot number at zero (K=3). The forecast for 10m F2 propagation is, not surprisingly, "poor". So far, no Es on 10m or 6m here.

QRP and QRP Club

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
72 QRP Net (Rendez-Vous) weekly report (June 27 to July 3, 2016)
Visitors  of  the  week:  UA1ASB,  SV8/LZ1WF, US5ERQ/p, US3EN, UR0ET,
UR7VT,   RV3GM,  Z35M/p,  RA3AL,  UA1ADF,  TF/RA1M,  RU3NJC,  OK1KW,
OE/DL6UHA, SM7RYR, DF9QV, UA1CEG, OH9XX/p, PA5XM, G3XJS, HA8TI, RX3FY,
LX1KM, HB9FSV, F5SJB, RZ4NWA, OM6TC, HB9BIN/p, DH0DK, OH6NPV
At once SIX operators became Frequenters of the "rendezvous" -
OK1KW, DL6UHA, DF9QV, OH9XX, F5SJB, US5ERQ
See  full  Visitors  and  Frequenters  lists  at  Club  72 web page - www.club72.su
Comments and photos of "rendezvous" - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

France v. Iceland UEFA 2016 - NOT amateur radio

As hosts I want France to win the football, but I have the greatest respect for little Iceland. We had one of our best holidays ever in Iceland a few years ago. It was a beautiful place, and nothing like as barren as we had expected. There were lupins everywhere and the people were kind and friendly. At halftime France were 4:0 up so it looks like France will win.

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

VHF NFD

Yet again, I almost forgot this! I was prompted by a Facebook post by the Cambridge Club. I have just been on (5W and a 2m omni antenna) to give away a few points. Because of my poor voice I was not on long but my best DX was G4RFR/P (250km) in IO80ST on 2m. I worked G3PYE/P (local) on 70cm with my 2m halo. The contest runs until 1400z today.

10m WSPR and 6m JT65 and Es

Both 10m and 6m have shown clear signs of Es propagation. I am getting better results on 6m JT65 than WSPR on 10m. I think this is just due to usage. Moving to JT65 was definitely the right move on 6m. Though theoretically not as good as WSPR, it seems to get more reports. Maybe the 1 minute TX cycle helps with JT65?  I am still awaiting transatlantic spots on 6m, although I have been spotted in the Caribbean on 10m WSPR by Es.

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday July 3rd 2016

Solar flux is 71 today. Sunspot number is again zero  (K=2) and the forecast for 10m propagation is "poor" again. Luckily there is Es on 10m and 6m at this time of year.

2m UKAC activity contest - advanced warning

As next Tuesday is the first Tuesday in July, it will be the 2m leg of the RSGB's activity contest. It runs from 1900-2130z (8pm to 10.30pm UK clock time). I run QRP (5W) to a big-wheel omni (3dBD) antenna. Usually my best DX is around 200km, but this depends on who is active and conditions. Last month I managed further. At this time of the year we are likely to have more portables out on hilltops. Usually I stop after about 1 hour as my voice is not good. Activity levels are usually good. It is a good way to work a few new squares even if you don't like contests.

Old flint tower - NOT amateur radio

Close-up of the church tower at Merton

Merton Church near Watton, Norfolk, UK has a very old, round, flint tower. Part of the tower dates from before the Norman Conquest in 1066AD. We have some truly wonderful church buildings in East Anglia, possibly the best in the world. Within an hour we probably have 1000 to chose from. We like to visit some of these.

Best 6m DX

Although I have had only 2 stations spotting me all day on 10m WSPR, I have had much better results on 6m JT65. Best DX on 6m today (so far) is a spot by OH8ETB (KP35 2057km) by Es.

I wonder if this station works in Oulu? I went there for work many years ago and was surprised to see the ice in May! We flew to Oulu from Helsinki, a city I liked.

Church blog updated - NOT amateur radio

After quite a break, I have just updated the East Anglian Churches blog to include Merton, St Peters near Watton in Norfolk. See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ . This is a very typical lonely, locked, Norfolk church with a round tower. Quietly beautiful.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat July 2nd 2016

Solar flux is just 71 today with yet another day with zero sunspots. K=2 and the forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor". Thankfully there is Es about.

The sunspot number and solar flux are now well down on the peak, which was poor. The next peak is expected to be lower still.  See http://www.solen.info/solar/ .

JT65 on 6m - another surprising day

 

Spots on 6m JT65 (1W ERP) to mid evening last night

Yesterday proved to be another great day on 6m JT65 with spots again by Es from all over Europe. Nothing further as yet, but I keep trying. I use PSK reporter to see where I get spotted and the stations I spot. See https://www.pskreporter.info/pskmap.html .  Already I see I've been spotted in Germany on 6m JT65 this morning.

UEFA 2016 and Wales - NOT amateur radio

Although not a great football fan, I watched Wales beat Belgium 3:1 to reach the semi-finals. Unlike England (who were beaten by outsiders Iceland), Wales played well. By contrast England were hopeless! Well done Wales - you deserved to win.

Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

Young rabbit

One of our favourite places is Anglesey Abbey, which is about 4 miles from our home. In every month there is something of interest.

Damsel Fly

10m WSPR

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been on all day. Although it has been widely spotted in Europe again today I have not been spotted further afield. I was hoping that I would be spotted across the Atlantic on 10m WSPR.

ONLY 23 spots of my signal today on 6m JT65

If this was 6m WSPR, rather than JT65, I might have been spotted a few times! With 1W ERP of JT65 on 6m even on a quiet day I've already been spotted 23 times. 6m JT65 really does work well. I am very impressed, but still waiting for transatlantic Es DX on 6m.

Somme 1916 - NOT amateur radio

It is 100 years ago today that the Battle of the Somme started with a huge loss of life. The whole of WW1 was a slaughter of innocents. It should never have happened.

If we learn anything, it is that wars like this one are futile and it is usually the innocents that are killed or injured. We should do all in our power to ensure such futility never occurs again.

I am not a Quaker but I have great sympathy with their policy on non-violence.

More UK Rallies

Sunday 3 JULY : 20th RED ROSE QRP FESTIVAL
New Venue The Rose Centre (Lowton Civic Hall), Hesketh Meadow Lane, Lowton, Warrington WA3 2AH The venue has easy access from all directions; M6, M61, M60, A580. There is free car parking and the spacious halls are at ground level with disabled facilities. Doors are open from 11am to 3pm and admission is £2 with under 14s free. There will be trade stands, clubs stands and special interest groups as well as an RSGB bookstall. There will be a Bring & Buy. A licensed bar and refreshments are available on site.
Contact Les Jackson, G4HZJ, on 01942 870 634 or by email to g4hzj@ntlworld.com

Sunday 3 JULY : BARFORD NORFOLK RADIO RALLY
Barford Village Hall & Green, Barford, Norwich, NR9 4AB Opens 0900 (traders from 0800) with Talk in on S22 and featuring trade stands, car boot sales, bring and buy, raffle, repeater groups, catering and free car parking. Entry £2.00 per person / under 16's free. Pitches £8, indoor tables £10 Contact radio@dcpmicro.com : www.norfolkamateurradio.org

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

Weather in the UK - NOT amateur radio

We are now in July and certainly here in East Anglia we have had one of the worst summers I can remember so far.  We have had just a few continuous days of sun. Most of the time it has been a mixture of rain, cloud and some sun. In the west of the UK it has been better, but we have had a real absence of high pressure over us with long settled, warm, sunny, weather.

10m and 6m

Yet again, both bands have Es propagation to liven things up. I continue to WSPR on 10m (500mW 100% TX) and JT65 on 6m (1W ERP). Since moving to JT65 on 6m, I have been amazed by the number of reports.

Sunspots and 10m - Fri July 1st 2015

Solar flux is 73 today. Sunspot number is zero again (K=3). Yet again the 10m F2 propagation forecast is "poor".