Nick G4IKZ monitoring 10m WSPR now

Local G4IKZ has been monitoring 6m most of the summer, but I notice he is looking on 10m today but so far is seeing just G0LRD and me.

I was wondering how efficient my antenna is on 10m compared with others. It is pleasing to see that Nick is not copying that much either. I think he uses a 10m Moxon beam, but no idea which way it is aiming today. He is getting me much weaker on 10m than on 6m. I believe my Par 3-band end-fed is somewhat down on an optimised 10m antenna, but not too badly.  Certainly not enough to worry about. I seem to be spotted quite widely if I run 2W.

I suppose a more efficient 10m antenna would (maybe) allow me to use 200mW instead, although in RX I copy most stations in all directions, quite well on 10m. The Par also does a decent job on 20m and even 40m, even though quite low and just strung to a tree in the garden.

For several weeks now 10m has been open to Europe at some time in the day. It was open to Spain and Israel this morning. Most days it has opened for F2 DX to places much further away.  So far, this afternoon is exceptionally quiet on 10m WSPR.

6m WSPR - this morning

6m was very quiet this morning with just reports from local G4IKZ (18km).   Let's hope things improve  after lunch.

Just spots from G4IKZ on 6m WSPR this morning - very quiet.

UPDATE 1240z:   Still just G4IKZ spotting me on 6m WSPR. All very quiet today.

Non radio day

Today we went on a day return by train to London to be with our son Tim, his wife Jo and our grandchildren. Tim met us and took us back to Kings Cross. Booking in advance and with Senior Rail Cards if works out cheaper than driving. At present I cannot drive because of my brain bleed last year.  It was good to spend time in their home again after so long.

With the grandchildren in London today

Totally by accident, we sat next to Nick G4IKZ on the train back from London. I'd not seen Nick since work days over 6 years ago. Many years ago we worked together in several Cambridge companies. Nick is one of the brightest minds I've had the privilege to know. There are few better RF engineers. We compared notes on 6m WSPR of course. He confirmed his 6m antenna is a horizontal Moxon.

Being late back, I decided not to turn the rigs on tonight.

"WSPR has stopped working" message

I think this is a Windows 8.1 issue? It happened around 0700z this morning and has been fixed by resetting internet time and reopening the WSPR software. I wonder if it is linked to Windows doing an update?

Anyway, all is now fine and only about 1hr missed on 6m. So far just the usual STRONG reports from G4IKZ (18km) on 6m. I may QSY to a different band later for a change.

G4IKZ 6m spots of my 1W ERP so far this morning (13.6.14)

WSPRing on 6m needs patience: there are long periods of relative silence punctuated by a little DX activity, usually Es but occasionally GDX.  Most days in the last few weeks I have just let the software run to see what turns up. It has been rewarding. 

I just wish more east coast USA/Canadians would come on 6m WSPR.  If there are any stateside multi-hop 6m Es openings WSPR is the ideal mode to find them. You can then do other things at the same time.

Doppler on 6m with G4IKZ (18km)

There must be more local flying activity at Cambridge Airport on Sundays (private flying?). On my 6m 1624z transmission there was 3Hz Doppler noticeable at G4IKZ - quite a bit when usually I get none at all. For a WSPR signal to be heard, the direct signal has usually to be much stronger than the Doppler shifted signal otherwise WSPR will not usually decode properly. Usually aircraft directions in flight have to be such that no Doppler is apparent for aircraft refection to work as a "path enhancer". I have noticed this with G3WKW in Hampshire on 144MHz WSPR over what is quite a long path. Get just the right flight direction and decodes occur. Otherwise, strong signals and no decodes. Sometimes G3WKW has been there for hours before he decodes on 144MHz.

G0LRD (25km) is just coming in on 6m at 1638z  at a strong -8 dB S/N with -4Hz Doppler, so his signal is arriving off an aircraft currently.

6m - May 29th

Later starting on 6m WSPR today - first transmission 1044z - although so far just G4IKZ (18km) spotting me at +9dB S/N, but I don't  think I've missed any Es. Es usually peaks lunchtime and teatime.

Sunspot count is lower than of late at 72 with 20-30MHz propagation forecast to be "normal" whatever than means. I suspect that 10m will not be great for F-layer DX today, although with luck both 6m and 10m will be livened with Es propagation. I am also looking for GDX on 6m.

UPDATE 1107z: G4FFC (45km) spotted at -10dB S/N, a very decent consistent signal, when running 2W. There is just the smallest hint of Doppler (aircraft reflection) so I think this signal is pure tropo.

UPDATE 1510z:  CN8LI (2113km) spotted my 1W ERP WSPR signal at 1328z for the first Es opening noted here today. 3 spots from him by 1428z.

UPDATE 2050z:  A couple of 6m WSPR spots of Italians around teatime, otherwise quiet Es, with just local G4IKZ for 3 hours.

Very quiet start on 6m this morning - better later

This morning, it was very quiet start on 6m WSPR with just the usual strong spots from G4IKZ (18km).  I am actually very pleased with these reports of my 1W ERP signal as I am pretty sure Nick uses a horizontal beam so we are cross-polarised.

Sunspot count is 100 but 20-30MHz conditions are reported as being "good" so maybe 10m will be in decent shape for DX today. 6m will remain "sporadic" hopefully with some Es propagation later?

UPDATE 0940z:  Still just G4IKZ spots this morning so far.  Not sure if the few dB variation in reports is the noise floor increasing, path variations, or Nick moving the antenna a tad.

UPDATE 1445z: Well, there is 6m Es about.  Firstly OE1MSB (1220km) at 1114z then several spots from CN8LI (2113km) - 14 spots to 1444z - as well as G4FFC (45km) although at 45km hardly GDX. Wouldn't it be great to hook up to some TEP with Es to northern latitudes? Lots of Doppler on my spots from CN8LI - moving Es patches?

UPDATE 1530z:  Had to disconnect antennas because of local storms.

UPDATE 1635z:  Antennas back on around 1625z and CN8LI still spotting me and me him. He has been a remarkably consistent reporter all afternoon long. At teatime signals both ways are VERY strong (like he is down the road!).

UPDATE 1740z:   HB9PLH just spotted me on 6m WSPR. Still plenty of Es around.

On 6m again this morning

Conditions (tropo) are up on 2m today with the Kent 2m beacon measuring strongly on the FT817ND's S-meter. Usually, the S-meter does not even move. I don't know if tropo has as great an impact on 6m (I think not) but so far today just the usual good reports from G4IKZ (18km). Later, I hope to catch some sporadic-E (Es) propagation or even some GDX by 6m tropo, or more distant "semi-locals".

G4IKZ's first report was at 0648z when I first turned the rig and PC on today.  Reports vary by about 6dB but this could be G4IKZ rotating his beam rather than propagation. I'd be surprised if propagation varied by 6dB over such a short path. The other explanation is my local noise floor is increasing as the day goes on and more local appliances are activated? Another explanation is aircraft reflections from small planes over Cambridge? Maybe there is more activity today. That could explain the Doppler on my signals too.

Otherwise all very quiet  here so far at 1000z. It is a bit early in the day for Es which usually peaks around lunch and teatime unless the band is really humming.

Currently, I am not monitoring 10m, but the sunspot count is 130 and 20-30MHz propagation forecast to be "good", so HF should be good.

10m WSPR

Whilst in the shack checking emails and my blog, I've been WSPRing on 10m. The only report so far is from G4IKZ not far from me. V53ARC is active on 10m and has been received in Europe today but I have yet to spot him.

10m WSPR

This morning I've been WSPRing on 10m again. G4IKZ 18kms away is a good signal and he has been heard in Italy. G4IKZ is copying me, but no DX reports yet. There is a great deal of aircraft Doppler on local signals. We have the Mildenhall and Lakenheath airbases some 20-30kms away, so I expect it is because of aircraft taking off, circling and landing.

10m WSPR

This afternoon, for a change, I loaded up my 5m vertical on 10m and have started to WSPR at 5W level. So far, only one report received from G4IKZ just 18kms away at -13 to -15dB S/N. He is running 10W and is about -4dB S/N with me.