10m (28MHz) operation

10m (28MHz) is probably my favourite band. Antennas are modest and some remarkable DX can be worked with low power. I am sure beams might help when conditions are marginal, but I obtained 10m QRP SSB DXCC about 30 years ago with simple wire antennas. I have even heard USA AM stations with a super-regen and a base loaded whip in the car.

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

10m FT8

Since 0920z, I have been on 10m FT8 RX with the indoor loop. On TX I was getting some RF feedback, so I am RX only at the moment.  Much to my surprise, a couple of Italians already spotted. Winter Es?

UPDATE 1317z:  Nobody has spotted me, but 7 stations spotted here on RX.

Another Tenner transceiver photo

Some years ago I designed and made the Tenner transceiver for 10m CW. It produced about 500mW but gave me loads of contacts with just a low wire dipole. As 10m starts to get better as we climb cycle 25, this could be increasingly useful.  

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/10m_tenner .

10m FT8 RX

At the moment I am on the poorer indoor loop, which is the one used on 20m, 17m and 15m. It sits on the shack windowsill. I reckon it is about 6dB inferior to the dedicated 10m loop made with copper thin bore pipe. Although I think my chances are low, I have left the kit running on 10m FT8 RX "just in case". It would be good to spot something!

UPDATE 0840z:  Not surprisingly, nothing spotted.

UPDATE 0855z:  Amazingly, EI9JF (488km) spotted.

UPDATE 0821z:  Now G0PQO (50km) and G0FWX (160km) also spotted. No real DX yet, but I am pleasantly surprised to spot these stations already on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1358z: 18 stations have spotted me today on 10m FT8 RX. 

UPDATE 2035z: 5 people spotted my 2.5W 10m FT8 to the poorer indoor loop antenna and I have spotted stations in the USA and South America as well as all over Europe. 

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28MHz (10m) WSPR TX - 500mW

As I have my outdoor 10m antenna erected again, I thought I would connect my W5OLF WSPR beacon. This puts out 500mW and transmits 100% of the time, but changes frequency every 2 minutes.

If anyone copies me I shall be amazed.  The Es season is over and we are at sunspot minimum. Still, it is easy to connect and you never know!

UPDATE 2048z: After a whole day, not a single 10m WSPR spot. Maybe tomorrow I should try FT8 instead on 10m?

Very simple 28MHz WSPR, FT8 or PSK RX

My trouble is I cannot remember where I've posted things!

So, if this has appeared here recently please accept my apologies. It is a simple, low cost, circuit and worth sticking on 10m WSPR when you have an antenna free. Most days you will copy something. As you can see it uses an oscillator running at half frequency and a Polyakov mixer.

I used a cheap GQRP 14.060MHz crystal, pulled. It worked well on 10m WSPR. The same idea would work on FT8 and PSK as long as you can find cheap crystals!

10m FT8

Although I have been on 10m FT8 RX for a while, no spots as yet. Mind you, it is quite early.

UPDATE 1100z: Still no spots. An RA2 was spotted, but this did not upload to PSKreporter maps.

UPDATE 1326z: Just a couple of spots so far on 10m FT8 RX from RA2 and an I. Best DX is IK0NEP (1425km).

UPDATE 1723z: 3 stations in 3 countries spotted on 10m FT8 RX today so far. I wonder if we will see South Americans later?

10m WSPR and some Es?

This morning, I am on 10m WSPR (20% TX 2W, 80% RX). Although no-one has yet spotted me, it looks like there is some Es with a couple of spots of others.

UPDATE 1220z:  No further 10m WSPR spots since earlier this morning.

UPDATE 1735z:  My 10m (2W) signal was copied in northern Spain at 1658z. This is Es I'm sure.

Back on MF and 10m WSPR

For one night my shack was being used as a nursery bedroom, so I was unable to use it for radio work. As my son, his wife and their 2 little ones have now returned home, until the week before Christmas, I now have the shack back and have restarted WSPR on 472kHz (using the earth-electrode "antenna") and 28MHz (10m) using the 500mW WSPR-AXE beacon.  On 472kHz I am using WSPR4 software and 5mW ERP.

On 472kHz I am spotting G8VDQ, and G3ZJO.   G3XDV, G0LRD and G8LCO are spotting me so far.

UPDATE 1228z:   On 10m I am being spotted around Europe with best DX (so far) R2AEW (2439km). OH3LMN (1747km) is the person spotting the beacon most (12 times already).

WSPRing MF and 10m simultaneously

Late this afternoon, I decided to try 472kHz WSPR (using the FT817, transverter and earth-electrode antenna (5mW ERP) and 28MHz WSPR (using the 500mW WSPR-AXE 500mW TX beacon) . All seems to be working with USA reports on 10m still, as well as G0LRD spotting me on LF and I am spotting G,PA and DL on 472kHz WSPR. Certainly MF is a great deal more productive than 6m was over 6 days of trying.

UPDATE 1710z:   a 472kHz report of -12dB S/N from G3XDV (61km) suggests he might just copy me on the same (short) earth-electrode antenna on 136kHz especially if I used QRSS30. I really must try a longer baseline earth-electrode antenna. The earth-electrode antenna definitely has directionality like a loop.

10m operation

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/10m_op .

The above link (on my main website) is my "take" on 10m operation. Although I have never applied for a DXCC certificate I have worked well over 100 countries on 10m with QRP and small wire antennas. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the best amateur band we have. Low cost CB type all mode rigs means it can be accessed at low cost, even buying new. A small dipole is effective and need not be too high.

Easter Sunday 10m WSPR

Early morning 10m unique WSPR spots today

A modest start this morning with a few Asians coming through. Sunspot count is 259 (high) but HF conditions are again disturbed so conditions are only shown as "fair" at present. I wonder if the band will open to the USA /Canada later?

UPDATE 1045z/1300z:  UA6AAK  has been a massive +3dB S/N signal here at 1038z.   Single hop F layer I presume. At 1300z he was +6dB S/N with 5W.

UPDATE 1255z:   First spots of my 2W 10m WSPR today from Brazil PU2BFG (8852km) at 1122z and my first spot of CX2ABP (11127km) at 1208z.

UPDATE 1910z: I notice several USA and Canadian stations in the WSPR log for late this afternoon. Most activity seems to have been N-S into S.America, but at least there was a stateside opening after all.

UPDATE 2210z: All the DX now seems to be South American.e..g. spots of my signal from PY2ZX (9555km).

10m - late finish last night and early start today

Transatlantic spots were being exchanged here with the USA at 2W as late as 2252z last night and with Israel at 0610z (very early) this morning. I have the feeling that today will be good on 10m WSPR. Sunspot count is extremely high (245) but conditions on higher HF are said to be disturbed with blackouts and "poor" .

Recent 10m WSPR spots

Interesting that since 0612z 10m seems to have gone very quiet. Maybe blackouts? Only G7FYO copyable here now this morning (162km) at -19 to-24dB S/N.

I am periodically checking the WSPR software is still running and the clock spot on internet time. Usually there are several Europeans visible as well as FR1GZ if active.

Late evening reports on 10m

Before my program stopped running, 10m WSPR was in good shape up to (at least) 2200z last night. TI3/AB4AW (Costa Rica, Central America) was last reported (by me) at 2200z.

10m 2W WSPR spots last evening until very late

It may well have been open later still, but my WSPR program decided to close! This morning, I have re-opened the WSPR software and reset the clock to internet time. This morning, sunspot count is 149 with "stable/good" propagation forecast. 10m should be good today.

Slow start on 10m this morning

Time now is 1030z and so far only DK3SML (733km) at 0854z has been spotted on 10m WSPR.  Sunspot count is 105 with "normal" HF conditions, so hopeful of improvements as the day progresses, but signs are not encouraging: it was better at this time yesterday and yesterday was not a very good day.

UPDATE 1148z: spots exchanged with PY2RN,  also CX2ABP (11127km) spotted here. The band is livening up on N-S paths only so far here. No transatlantic stations yet copied.

UPDATE 1950z: transatlantic spots, 2-way spots by exchanged with CX2ABP (11127km) into S.America with 2W, and a TJ3 - in all a good day on 10m, despite the slow start.

UPDATE 2042z: still being spotted by K1OF (5500km).

Unique 10m WSPR spots of my 2W signal today

10m - mixed fortunes

Today was an odd day on 10m WSPR - some good propagation N-S but very marginal indeed transatlantic.  The band did open up but hardly any transatlantic spots.

I think we are now moving towards summertime conditions and are gradually starting the slide down towards the next minimum. We will have a very long journey downwards and some days conditions will be excellent. On many days, the band will be closed. On some days propagation will be mainly N-S only.

With luck, Es will help to liven up the band in summertime. Just occasionally, mutli-hop Es will support transatlantic 10m and 6m propagation as well as propagation into the Middle East. Also, sometimes the first hop is Es then linking up with F layer propagation further to the south.  Even in the quiet years, 10m has surprises.

At 2142z NA4U (6533km) was spotting my 2W still. Surprise!

Good start on 10m this morning

EA8/LA3JJ has already spotted my 2W WSPR 3 times and it is only just after 0800z. Sunspot count is 95 and the forecast is for "stable/normal" HF conditions. Perhaps this will be a good day on 10m?

10m WSPR spots with 2W to 1130z today (basically N-S)

More transatlantic 10m

Atlantic

10m is still (mainly) open to the USA and Canada from just before lunchtime, local time. The sunspot number continues to decline, but 10m propagation remains in great shape. Even 6m should be good for TEP from southern latitudes. The MUF near Brazil was 47MHz yesterday, so only a bit short of that needed for 6m TEP.   

PY2RN (9550km) has been spotted on 10m WSPR several times already today. Southern Brazil is a long way from the UK but it is mostly a sea path.

VE3GEN - colossal 10m signal, and G7JVN

Running 2W RF,  VE3GEN is a huge WSPR signal today at +4dB S/N, implying he would be copyable with low milliwatts. LZ1OI is 10dB stronger still.  Even my own 2W is +1dB S/N right now at 1542z with KB9AMG at 6300km. Just goes to prove how good 10m can be on a good day.

Intrigued by me copying G7JVN (JO00) who is 154km south of me. Just what 10m mode is this? -23dB is not too bad a signal.  I'd be surprised if aircraft scatter was involved, so could it be tropo?  Drift on his signal was large at 2Hz, but the actual received signal showed a near continuous, but frequency varying signal, no sign of Doppler or  multiple signal returns as commonly seen with aircraft reflections. Similarly, G3WKW at 134km copid earlier in the day, but we believe this WAS an aircraft crossing the path (no Doppler). I suppose G7JVN could have been an aircraft crossing the path too?

10m WSPRing again

This afternoon I have returned to 10m WSPR. There are lots of transatlantic reports of my signal, as well as reports of my 2W signal from Russia and Brazil.  Not sure if it is a Win 8.1 issue or just the V2 WSPR program playing up but I seem to be NOT uploading spots I see at my end. Perhaps the internet service is very weak in my shack?

UPDATE 1545z:  Restarting the program and re syncing the clock fixed it. Anyone know how to change how often the PC clock is sync'ed to internet time in Win 8.1? I need to increase the frequency I think. I don't even know how to find the control panel in Win 8.1 !

Unique 10m WSPR spots received so far this afternoon