10m QRP WSPR TX (Friday)

As my 10m antenna is free, I am on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW WSPR TX beacon.  Already, a couple of Es spots.

UPDATE 1024z:  Already 10 unique stations spotted.  Es seems good today.

UPDATE 1517z: 31 stations have spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon today. Most are Es. See the table.

UPDATE 2120z:   62 unique stations have spotted me today. I think this is a record number.

Spots of my 500mW 10m WSPR today

10m QRP WSPR TX (Thursday)

As the antenna is free, I am on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. No spots of me yet today at 1450z.

UPDATE 1521z:  As well as spots of me by local G4KPX (14km) I am also getting spotted by KD5DE (7464km). Pretty sure this is by F2.

UPDATE 1655z:  I am again getting spotted by 2 stations in the Canary Is. If these RX are on, it is unusual not to be spotted by them these days on 10m QRP WSPR.

UPDATE 1840z:  4 stations have spotted me, all multiple times today.

10m WSPR TX

As my 10m antenna is free, I am again on 10m WSPR TX with 500mW from the W5OLF beacon. Just spots from local G4KPX (14km) so far. At least I know it is getting out!

10m WSPR TX (500mW to the indoor loop)

10m WSPR spots of 

me last night to 2050z

As I needed my main rig (used on FT8) for the 70cm UKAC contest last night, I decided to put my W5OLF beacon on 10m WSPR.

Much to my surprise, I was spotted by 10 different stations all after 1900z.

10m WSPR TX

Although I have been on 10m WSPR TX (500mW, 100% TX, randomised frequencies) all morning, not a single spot ! There is Es on 6m, so this is probably down to less activity on 10m WSPR than 6m FT8 or that my antenna is not very good.

UPDATE 1350z: No spots received all day today on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1638z: Several spots of my 10m WSPR beacon by EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Isles.

UPDATE 1848z: 8 unique stations have spotted my 10m WSPR beacon today so far.

UPDATE 1927z: 63 spots today on 10m WSPR.

10m - closed now?

It is now 1857z and there has been no Es here now for over an hour. In the periods I was monitoring 10m, no F2 propagation was spotted. No GDX seen either in the last few hours.

I will QSY to 472kHz shortly I think.

I was thinking of buying a dedicated 10m rig, but unless my voice rapidly soon improves  (SSB, FM and AM are hard work for me because of my stroke) this is probably a waste of money at the moment. For now I shall stick with 2-5W on digital modes, which I can manage with the FT817 rig. JT65 and JT9-1 are my best bets. PSK31 is quite hard as it requires (near) real-time keyboard skills. I rather dislike PSK31 with macros -  you can usually tell when someone is using macros - I much prefer real QSOs. At least JT65 and JT9-1 use very formulaic formats for minimal data QSOs. QSOs are very very basic, but for me this helps at the moment. One reason I enjoy WSPR is it tells you about conditions on a given band and once set up, it just runs with minimal intervention. Some will (rightly) say it is computers talking to computers. At the moment, this is close to what I need. JT65 and JT9-1 are proper 2-way modes.

Intriguing inter-G propagation on 10m

This morning I am copying G4SPE at 195km on 10m WSPR. This sort of inter-G distance is not uncommon on the 10m band. I assume this and similar spots are by normal tropo. Years ago the RSGB ran evening 10m contests and decent inter-G QSOs were possible with 10W SSB/CW to dipoles.  Every contest evening I would work down south or up to Yorkshire. I assume most inter-G WSPR spots are tropo but some may be back-scatter. I am sure consistent JT9-1 QSOs (and WSPR spots) would be possible inter-G if there was more activity. Something to try in the quiet years on 10m?

Return to 10m and rubbish band plans

I am concentrating on WSPR currently as it does not require me to use my voice, something I find very tiring with my stroke. Just a few sentences and I get quite exhausted. I am told this is to be expected and it should improve over time.

As 474.2kHz is quite quiet in the daytime, I have QSYed up to 10m where I have already been spotted in LZ, RA3,  DK, PA,  G,  GM and 4X  this morning at 2W. This afternoon, I expect the band will be open to the USA. and Canada.

If my voice was better I'd be trying 10m AM, which despite the absolute rubbish in recent IARU and RSGB band plans is still 29 to 29.2MHz. The band plans, surely written by non-users (?), shows 29-29.1 as for use by modes 2.7kHz wide or less. AM gets  a begrudged and confusing  throw away comment in the footnotes. Reading the band plans it reads as if AM on 10m never happens, whereas when the band is open I regularly hear and work (with real QRP)  stateside AM in the 10m AM window, mainly 29 - 29.1MHz. Sorry, but these poorly thought through band plans ANNOY me.

Why can't the 10m band plan reflect what ACTUALLY happens on the band? 28-29MHz is quite enough space for narrow band modes leaving AM where it is (and SHOUT THE FACT that AM exists and is a good  and fascinating mode on 10m), as well as space downlinks and FM  where they are now. Why do these know-alls have to interfere unless they actually understand what actually happens? Band plans are usually a good idea when they actually help. The current 10m band plan is plain WRONG in my view above 29MHz. Write to the RSGB, ARRL etc.. and tell them. AM is 5-6kHz wide NOT 2.7kHz or less and at 29-29.2MHz this is fine. Just damn well leave AM where it is please. Stop messing about!

I also feel it is daft having SSTV and FAX channels mentioned in the 2m band plan but AM only gets a (begrudged?) comment in a footnote. 2m AM is a minority interest but surely deserves a "centre of activity" spot on 144.55MHz so AM folk know where to gather? Ex-PMR AM gear is almost given away and AM gear is simple to build and test. When did YOU last hear a FAX station on 2m? At best, the 2m band plan is a mess. Either leave "special interest" channels out or add an AM CoA in please. AM is NOT the pox, but a good and useful mode!

RANT OVER,but these errors do get my goat.

UPDATE 1745z: lots of 10m WSPR spots this afternoon including plenty from across the pond and at good range:

The band closed transatlantic (for me) at 1840z, well after dark with copy of W8QYT. It may have been even later as my PC shut down the WSPR program after doing some updates!

More 10m WSPR

Late this afternoon I was on 10m WSPR again with 2W and the Par 10/20/40 antenna. Yet again, the band was wide open to the USA and Canada with plenty of spots in both directions. Really, at present, 10m WSPR is too easy as DX is always there when I look.

UPDATE 1840z:  2.5 hrs after dark the 10m band was still wide open to the USA but then the transatlantic path suddenly died out.

10m WSPR still running this evening

Even though the last Stateside DX finished around 1724z, I have left my 2W 10m WSPR kit still running in the hope of catching some 10m GDX this evening, So far nothing heard or seen on the screen.