South America on 10m (CX2ABP) and 6m yet again

CX2ABP (11127km) in Uruguay was spotting my 500mW WSPR signal just before noon today. There are plenty of USA stations spotting me today also.

Recent 10m spots of my 500mW WSPR beacon

I am also WSPRing with 30dBm ERP (to my vertical V2000) on 6m at 20% TX and 80% RX.  So far, no luck at all on 6m yet again. It would have been good to catch some wintertime Es on 6m or even some GDX.

I'll keep trying until after tea tonight on 6m on several different days and drawn a total blank so far. Nothing at all like the peak of the Es season in the summer.

CX2ABP (11127km) - South America

CX2ABP (11127km) in Montevideo has been spotted here 27 times so far today on 10m WSPR until 1856z. He has been coming in most of the day and evening   Although the band was open to North America too, I think conditions have been better. CX2ABP was peaking at -15dB S/N here. Since 1900z only locals have been spotted.

Spots of CX2ABP today on 10m WSPR

CX2ABP - 7 times so far this afternoon

CX2ABP (11127km) has been spotted here seven times since lunch so far. Rodolpho is using 2W but is a very consistent signal with me. He has one of the best signals from South America. Not sure what antenna he uses?

UPDATE 1645z: CX2ABP has now been spotted 9 times this afternoon. Conditions N-S on 10m are good today.

CX2ABP (11127km ) - 10m WSPR

It had to happen sometime today.  CX2ABP (5W) was spotted on 10m WSPR today at 1326z. I suspect there will be more spots later. This is N-S F2 propagation.

Back on 10m again for an evening look

CX2ABP(11127km) in Montevideo (GF15wc) has just been spotted here at -25dB S/N on 10m WSPR even though propagation is supposed to be "poor" and he is using 5w.

10m really is my favorite band of all. Propagation supposed to be "poor" yet here is a South Anerican 11127km away on QRP! Now he is -21dB S/N and getting better!

UPDATE  2015z:  Weak highly Doppler shifted signals near the bottom of the WSPR band suggest there is some 10m GDX about too.  With luck, this may decode before too long? It needs a period with low Doppler.

UPDATE 2050z:  CX2ABP has now been spotted 4 times in the last 38 minutes and he is now -18dB S/N which is 7dB stronger than at first. Again, it may be just co-incidence but his best signal corresponds with when Doppler on his signal is lowest. It is as if ALL stations with any drift or Doppler are best when Doppler (or is it drift?) is lowest.

UPDATE 2111z::  Nothing seen since 2038z, so I suspect the band has died out for the day (or the software has ceased working again!).  Maybe I should go back on 6m looking for GDX again? I'll leave it on 10m for another 20 minutes just in case.

UPDATE 2132z:  Gone back to 6m GDX hunting.  All quiet here so far this evening. 

Back on the air (10m and 2m)

10m WSPR (so far this morning) is just EU stations via Es. My only report, so far, is from SM6WZI  (1007km) who has spotted my 2W several times. I have spotted, several more stations too.

On 2m, GB3NGI (N.Ireland beacon) is currently just above the noise keying away at around 530km by tropo.

UPDATE 0924z:   4X1RF has just spotted me on 10m WSPR. Sunspot count 161 (good) but 20-30MHz conditions described only as "fair".

UPDATE 1105z:  4X1RF has spotted me 8 times so far today. Still no DX from further east though (well not here).

UPDATE 1150z: CX2ABP (11127km)  just spotted. 10m opening to South America.

UPDATE 1450z:  CX2ABP spotted 5 times now. Opening to South America looks reasonable this afternoon. But no South American has spotted me yet today.

UPDATE 1712z:  CX2ABP (5W) has been spotted by me several times today, but I guess my lower power (2W ish) is enough to put my signal in "the crud" of Monte Video as he has not spotted me once yet. Maybe later? Also, no other South Americans seen here.

UPDATE 1815z:  CX2ABP has spotted my 2W for the first time today at 1812z. It was a long time coming! Reports differed by around 3dB which is right for the power difference.

UPDATE 2030z  :  I4ZTO spotted me. Es propagation must be responsible for this strong (-7dB S/N) spot of my 2W at 2018z.

10m - South America

At the moment I am spotting CX2ABP (11127km, 5W)) on 10m WSPR. The band is open(ing) to that part of the world, although there are no signs yet of North Americans. Maybe these stations will appear later?  No other South Americans yet seen.  Just 4X1RF (Israel) and DK6UG (Germany) around closer to home.

On 2m, beacon GB3NGI (530km) is still coming in here just above the noise - callsign and QTH locator can be copied.  I have not listened for other beacons yet.  Quite amazed the Northern Ireland beacon near Ballymena is so consistent here. I don't think conditions on 2m tropo are above average?  Should I expect to copy some beacons at 530km regularly? Seems like this is a good one.  Not sure about GB3ANG (near Dundee) yet - will have to beam further north to see.

Based on these 2m CW beacons, WSPR or JT9 at similar ranges should be possible for stations with even small beams. I did have a quick try on 10m JT9 (supposed to be just 2dB worse than WSPR but fully 2-way) but no stations seen. A 2W CQ brought no replies.