Burwell windmill - NOT amateur radio

Lovely to see the Burwell windmill 4 sails turning in the wind earlier. It is the first time these have been working for a long time.

See  http://www.burwellmuseum.org.uk/.

70cm UKAC tonight

This evening, the second Tuesday in the month is the RSGB's UK activity contest for 70cm. I often go on for a little while and work a few stations, although I only have a 2m omni antenna which radiates after a fashion. The contest runs from 1900z to 2130z, although I shall probably be on for about 30 minutes only because of my poor voice. Activity levels are usually good. With the hot weather in most of England, there could be a few more portable stations out on hilltops too this evening.

Yesterday I sent in my modest entry for last week's 2m UKAC. I was only on for about 20 minutes but still managed to work decent distances with just my QRP and omni antenna.

These contests are good fun and a good way to work more squares.

70cm QSOs this evening using 5W and a 2m halo with lossy coax

UPDATE 2010z: Well I made 5 QSOs  in 30 minutes with my poor voice, 5W and a 2m halo fed with lossy coax. Best DX was JO03 square. Fun and surprising with such a poor antenna! Great.

Soon be time to change band and mode

With WSPRnet still struggling, I think I'm going QRT on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65 and QSYing to just 10m JT65 for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Clearly there is Es about on 6m, but on 10m I don't (yet) know.

UPDATE 1806z: A few hours ago I QSYed and am now only on 10m JT65. With German and French stations copying me, there is clearly Es about on the band. Nothing from South America yet. When I eventually managed to access the WSPRnet database I see that I was spotted in Spain, Germany and Sweden on 10m WSPR earlier. As usual. I was using 500mW.

UPDATE 1840z: Several spots of South American stations on 10m JT65 (CE and PY), but no-one there has yet spotted me on 10m JT65.

Buskers - NOT amateur radio

Whilst my wife spent our money I was having a drink in Pret-a-Manger watching these buskers across the road. I didn't have my camera, so had to use my old iPod Touch 4g for the photo. Cambridge was very hot this morning and Pret-a-Manger was a cool spot to watch the world for 30 minutes.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday September 13th 2016

Solar flux is 86 today. Sunspot count is 57. K=2. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor".

10m WSPR and 6m JT65

ON5AV (320km) is the best on 6m JT65 RX so far this morning. This is either tropo or aircraft reflection and not Es (far too close). As yet, nothing on 10m. I have been spotted by a couple of UK stations on 6m JT65 TX.

UPDATE 1440z: Several Es spots from Spain on 6m JT65. I have been spotted and spotted others. At the moment I cannot (yet again) access the WSPR database to check 10m WSPR results.

Autumn Conditions on 10m?

We are already in autumn according to the UK Met Office, although I have yet to see any signs of autumn conditions on 10m JT65 or 10m WSPR. The best 10m conditions are usually later in the season but I remain hopeful of some USA openings on 10m this autumn. With solar conditions getting worse, this is probably the last chance many of us will see for USA stations on 10m by F2. Es occasionally allows 10m openings to the USA and Canada in the summer. The next peak is years away and may be poor.

I think the mantra is "wait and see". We live in hope! This is where WSPR and JT65 are particularly useful: there are usually plenty of people TXing and RXing all the time. If the 10m band opens even briefly, it will be noticed.

UPDATE 1938z: I am pleasantly surprised by the amount of Es on both 6m and 10m this late in the year. I have said many times that there is Es at all times of the year, although not at the same level as in the main Es "season".  WSPR and JT65 are ideal 10m modes when the band seems "dead". You'd be surprised!

UPDATE 2050z: PY2HH (9610km) in Southern Brazil has been spotted on 10m JT65 this evening.

Bark - NOT amateur radio

We went to nearby Anglesey Abbey yesterday.  I just love this tree bark. The texture is amazing.

Activity today

At the moment I am active on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65. I did a manual re-sync to internet time about 30 minutes ago "just in case". As yet, no Es on 6m but there has been Es on 10m WSPR with EA1FAQ (1249km) spotting my 500mW.

UPDATE 1540z:  It helps to be on the right frequency! I have now gone QRT on 6m JT65 and 10m WSPR and fired up on 10m JT65. I noticed I was on 50.270 and not 50.276MHz. The dial lock was not on and the dial must have been knocked! I am now definitely on 28.076MHz JT65.  So far, no spots.

UPDATE 1710z: Just G4CJC (73km) and OH1EEZ (1657km) spotting me so far.  There is clearly some Es on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1735z: Nothing from South America spotted on 10m JT65 here so far this evening.

UPDATE 1931z: I see that I have copied a South American in Brazil as well as a UK station (IO81) on 10m JT65, although neither station reported this to PSKreporter maps. LA7DFA (1312km) spotted me a little while ago.

Sunspots and 10m - Monday September 12th 2016

Solar flux is 87 today and the sunspot number 63. K=2. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation is still "poor".