Sunspots and 10m - Thursday March 23rd 2017

Solar flux is 71 today and the sunspot number is (don't hold your breath!) 12. A=27 and K=2.

10m? Anyone's guess.

Back on 6m MSK144 RX

Since breakfast, I have been on 6m MSK144 RX. So far EI7BMB (462km) and HB9FX (778km) spotted.

UPDATE 1120z: G0GGG (210km) now spotted on 6m MSK144.

UPDATE 1650z: 5 stations in 4 countries spotted on 6m MSK144 so far today (G, OZ, EI, HB9).

472kHz WSPR RX

As 10m JT65 got me no spots at all today, I QSYed to 630m (472kHz) WSPR RX this evening. So far on RX the best DX is DH5RAE (995km). ON7ZO (355km) is a new station for me, I think, on 472kHz RX.

To ensure a low noise floor, the PC is running on its batteries and the battery charger is not being used. With the SMPSU charging the batteries the noise on RX runs at S8. Just on batteries, the 472kHz noise floor is S0.

UPDATE 2138z: LA2XPA (1310km) is now the best DX on 472kHz RX.

UPDATE 2236z: EA5DOM (1525km) is now the furthermost DX on this band this evening.

Don Miller W9WNV DXer

If, like me, you are getting a bit old, you may recall some of the great DXpeditions of the 1960s undertaken by Don Miller W9WNV. He became a legend at the time. Later, some of his reported DX sites were questioned.

There are some YouTube interviews and his story is at http://www.k6qqq.com/the-don-miller-story-as-told-by-hugh-cassidy-wa6aud/ .

Just maybe, some are too young to remember him!

472kHz WSPR webpage

My main website at www.g3xbm.co.uk  has a new page on 472kHz WSPR.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/mflf/472wspr

6m QRP aurora

Shortly after 6m was released in the UK back in the mid 1980s I only had 1W to a simple wire dipole. This antenna was not very high and just strung from the gutter. I chanced on an aurora and managed to work some DX on 6m SSB, even with this set-up.

GB3RMK, the beacon way up in Scotland, was copied many times with this set-up on meteor pings on 6m. I used to leave the RX running and in just about every 15 minute period I would copy part or all of the callsign on CW. On 6m, auroras can be good.

On 10m QRP SSB I recall working the USA aided by auroras too.

365project - NOT amateur radio

For several years now my wife and I have (separately) taken a photo every day and submitted them to 365project. For $19.99 a year you can make the images private so only the people you choose can see them. You can then also have more albums if you want.

Some of the photos sent in are "arty", but many are just a record of ordinary life. Looking back over the years, you can see what you were doing.

Often the most mundane subject matter is popular. Some years ago I remember a photo of mine of a mole hole being widely viewed whereas something I thought would interest many turned out not to be popular in the least.

We mainly do this for a record of what we did rather than to be particularly popular. It is great fun.

Auroras?

See http://spaceweather.com/ .

We could be in for some auroras with a strong blast of solar wind over the next few days. This could lead to some auroral DX on VHF.

Heathers - NOT amateur radio

At this time of the year, heathers are in flower in UK gardens. This show was in a nearby garden. Sadly, they do not look so good all year around.

10m JT65 (2W)

Although I have been active on 10m JT65 since breakfast, no spots given or received on 10m so far.

A reminder that my webpage about 10m JT65 is at https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/10mjt65

This is a most effective mode for basic QSOs and beaconing. If propagation is there, this mode will find it, even with QRP.

UPDATE 1635z: No 10m JT65 spots so far today here. I shall be on for a few more hours hoping to catch a few locals if no DX.

UPDATE 1928z: With zero JT65 10m spots all day I shall shortly go QRT.