"This could take a while" - NOT amateur radio

And they are not kidding!!! Usually the "perfect" Windows 10 updates take a few seconds to install. The latest took a full hour and a half! They must have redone Windows 10 in its entirety. If Windows 10 is supposed to be that good, why was such an update needed? Impressed? Not at all. Now I wonder if I switch off this PC will it ever switch on again?

Leaves - NOT amateur radio

The weather is turning chillier, the nights are drawing in and the leaves are starting to turn in colour. This picture was taken yesterday by my wife at nearby Anglesey Abbey.

My 10m QRP reaches deepest South America

My 2W 10m JT65 has reached Argentina and Uruguay this evening. Several South Americans spotted here too, as well as several Europeans by Es.

With a low sunspot number and K=4 it proves that DX is still possible on 10m JT65 with QRP.

UPDATE 1854z: LU3VCC (12470km) is the best DX so far on 10m JT65 RX.

QRP and QRP Club

From Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous report (September 19 to 25, 2016)
Visitors  of  the  week:  UA1ADF, RV3GM, UR7VT, UR0ET, UR5EFD, DK1HW, RU3NJC,  GB2IWM, DK9LO/m, EA3JUK, G4RJA, US3EN, S57TX, S52GP, UA1CEG, OK2BPU, R8AT, HA7REM, RK4CY, SM5LNS, RW3AA/p, UA9MLY, UR5FA/mm, R1CAF,RK3AF,  UA0SBQ,  SV1RHL/p,  OH6NPV,  Z35M/p,  UA4NU,  DL8DZL, US5ERQ, UA1CEX, RA1M/mm, IK2RMZ
Congrats!
DK9LO, EA7JUK, S57TX, HA7REM, SM5LNS, UR5FA became Honor Frequenters
See full Frequenters and Visitors lists on the Club 72 web page.
See  full  report including comments and pictures on the Club 72 blog
page - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
See  you  ALL  on  next  QRP  Rendez-Vous  each  Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays at 9.00 UTC on 14060kHz (CW Net) and at 10.00 UTC on 14285kHz (SSB Net)
72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"
This is a periodic Newsletter of the Club 72. Don't reply to Newsletter address! Send any requests or news to mr72@club72.su please.

10m JT65

At breakfast time I checked internet synchronisation. So far just local Richard G4KPX (14km) spotting my 2W 10m JT65 signal.

UPDATE 1032z: There is some 10m Es about. IZ0AIS (1506km) has spotted me twice already. May, June, July for Es? Yes, but as this proves, there is still Es about on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1052z:  EA7EDP (1737km) has been spotted on 10m JT65.

Sunspots and 10m - Monday Sept 26th 2016

Solar flux is 82 today. Sunspot number has dropped to 18. K=3. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor".

Staying with 10m JT65 overnight

Although I now think it unlikely I'll see any more real DX on 10m tonight, I have decided to stay on the band overnight. There is an outside chance of some more Es and I may get a few UK and near European spots by aircraft reflections. I guess it will be morning before I have any chance of F2 propagation.

UPDATE 1940z:  I have just checked synchronisation to internet time.

UPDATE 2022z:  No further spots on 10m JT65. I think this is it for the night, although I am still on 10m JT65 overnight.

Brazil (already) on 10m JT65

PY2JEA (9596km) has already been spotted on 10m JT65 from Sao Paulo in Brazil. I wonder if my QRP will reach South America on 10m JT65 today? The K index has dropped from 5 to 3.

UPDATE 1512z: Now LU2FHX  (11304km) in Argentina has been spotted on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1516z: F4GUK (416km) was probably aircraft reflection I think.

UPDATE 1520z:  Best 10m JT65 DX today is reception of CE3GDR (11768km) in Chile. 7 South Americans spotted on 10m JT65 so far today. 9 copied in the last day. Who says "10m is dead"?

10m JT65 log this afternoon

UPDATE 1600z: There seems to be Es now on 10m JT65 with lots of Europeans being copied on 10m. I am also copying ZS6EA (9084km) in South Africa.

UPDATE 1620z: The first report of my own 10m JT65 QRP signal was from SV1JSM (2413km) a few minutes ago.

UPDATE 1624z: It is as if 10m has "woken up" and there are now stations all over the place monitoring 10m JT65. It would be really good to be copied in the USA!

UPDATE 1635z: Now another South African ZS1CF (9649km) is being copied on 10m JT65.

UPDATE1752z:  No more stations copied.  Is that it for today on 10m JT65?

Last Corfu picture - NOT amateur radio

This was a sunrise in Corfu, Greece last week. As we are now home again, this is probably the last Corfu picture that I shall post on this blog.

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday Sept 25th 2016

Solar flux is 83 today and sunspot number 47. Conditions are quite disturbed with K=5. The forecast for 10m F2 is still "poor". We are now in autumn so we may be in for better conditions if the solar activity holds up a bit longer.