10m FT8 grabber

One of the things now possible on my new web pages is embedding. This has allowed me to add a grabber, so you can see what I am doing on PSKreporter maps. I think you can change the menus. Certainly I can. At the time of writing, I am looking at the last few hours on 10m FT8 RX.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/10m-ft8-grabber .

ARRL 10m contest

A friend has reminded me that this contest is this weekend. Entries are for CW and phone contacts. I don't think there is a digital section.

These are the rules https://contests.arrl.org/ContestRules/10M-Rules.pdf

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday May 16th 2017

Solar flux is 70 today. Sunspot number remains zero. A=14 and K=2.

6m JT65 and 10m WSPR

For a change this morning I am on 10m WSPR (500mW) and 6m JT65 (2W) at the same time. I started things running at about 0720z.

UPDATE 0940z: G0LRD (25km) spotting me and I am spotting G3PXT (82km) on 6m. Nothing on 10m WSPR.

Back on 10m JT65 shortly

The danger from storms seems to have gone for now, so I intend to return to 10m JT65 shortly, although I shall watch and go QRT if the danger returns.

Last night the storms were very near but they seem to have moved away to the North Sea, for now.

UPDATE 0905z: The PC, antenna and rig went back on the air at about 0900z on 10m JT65. There is Es about as Italy and Belarus have already been seen on 10m JT65. This is early, so a good sign.

UPDATE 0912z:  DO2MPS (912km) has spotted me in southern Germany, in JN58 square, already.

UPDATE 1020z:  No further Es spots on PSKreporter map as yet apart from this German. We are definitely at the back end of the Es season. There are still openings. but not on the scale of the peak months.

UPDATE 1306z: Not a single Es spot seen on PSKreporter on 10m JT65 since that German when I first switched on. My PC had gone to sleep! I am unsure if I was uploading spots or indeed if I was actually on JT65 at all! I have now "woken it up" and checked internet time is spot on. Let's see if I get any Es spots now on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1344z: Well certainly no spots since I checked sync and that the PC was awake, so I guess the 10m Es is "marginal" today.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon April 25th 2016

Solar flux is just 82 today although the sunspot number has risen to 46 (K=2). The forecast for 10m propagation (F2) remains "poor", although Es might bring some life to the band.

We can already see the progression down the solar cycle. Next year will be much tougher by F2 on 10m. Luckily Es tends to be good in spring and summer whatever the state of the solar cycle, so we can depend on this mode on 10m, 6m and 4m. Es openings on Band II (VHF FM radio) and 2m are much rarer. They do occur but catching an Es opening on the higher bands is far less common than on 10m and 6m. May, June, July and August will see 10m and 6m open by Es almost daily.

UPDATE 1012z:  No spots given or received yet on 6m or 10m WSPR.

Thunder later?

I plan to stop TXing and RXing on 10m WSPR later this afternoon. Thunder was forecast and as a matter of course I prefer to disconnect things to minimise risks. At the moment, no thunder is shown on the forecasts, but I prefer to edge on the side of caution. 10m WSPR can be done at any time, so I'll not miss much.

Sunspots and 10m - Monday March 23rd 2015

Sunspot number has risen to 88 and 10m propagation is expected to be "fair" today. The band did open to the USA after lunch with a couple of stations in the USA spotting my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon. W1VR (6965km) at 1446z was the first. With just a couple of stations spotting me this hardly a big opening!

Last USA 10m WSPR spot tonight

The last spot of my 500mW WSPR beacon on 10m was at 1714z by KK4MIP (6704km).  It is still possible other spots may yet come in but this is now unlikely.

Neglecting 630m

With good conditions on 10m, I have been neglecting 472kHz (630m) of late. On MF I run, as you know, 5mW ERP only whereas on 10m this is 2W.

I may go back onto MF this evening as 10m is becoming almost predictable of late. I am told (by G3WKW) that there are far more 10m stations on JT65 than on WSPR. It is certainly true that one does see the same stations again and again on WSPR. At least with WSPR I can set it running and monitor results on the PC in the lounge. This cannot be done so easily with JT65 or JT9-1 where you really have to be "on-hand" to answer calls. With my stroke, I find WSPR suits me well right now.

End of Es season?

It is beginning to feel like the end of the Northern Hemisphere's Es season. Although there are still openings (certainly on 10m) these are harder to find now than 6 weeks or so ago. Last year I was still finding Es on 6m well into mid-September, when I was taken very ill and was in hospital for 3.5 months. This season I have concentrated on WSPR mainly.

UPDATE 1718z:  This afternoon the 10m Es was quite good with several spots from CT1JTQ.

10m - Es very quiet today

Since returning from Addenbrooke's hospital mid morning where I went to get the results of a recent MRI scan (all was fine), I have been on 10m WSPR.  Apart from a single weakish spot from CT1JTQ (1843km) at 1136z, it has been very quiet with no Es, no F2 and no GDX evident here on 10m WSPR.

Sunspot count today is 156 and 20-30MHz propagation only "fair". 10m F2 is doubtful today.

UPDATE 1612z: CT1JTQ  has been the only station copying me all day. So far he has copied me 7 times.  I copied absolutely no-one all day (so far): no GDX, no locals, No Es and no F2 propagation. It seems a very poor day on 10m. Before too long I shall have to go QRT because of my granddaughter sleeping in the shack. On again in the morning.

UPDATE 1820z:  EA5CYA (1376km) was spotted at around 1804z on 10m WSPR running 200mW.

10m tomorrow?

Tomorrow morning, I think I am going to take a look on 10m WSPR rather than 6m. I may go on to 6m lunchtime onwards. 6m (apart from some Es, GDX and locals) seems pretty quiet.   Later in the day there is still a chance of some super-DX across the Atlantic, but I'm not holding my breath!