Ultimate 3 Beacon

So far today I have not yet been on the radios at all. No 10m WSPR, no 2m/70cm beacon hunting.

Later, if I feel well enough, I may make a start on my Ultimate 3 Beacon Kit.  It would be good to get this running but I have been waiting until I felt a bit better (less giddy). Now is maybe the time? Perhaps I'll start on an easy board today.

10m today - still good

http://www.hanssummers.com/images/stories/ultimate3/1/5.jpg

All afternoon I have been receiving WSPR spots for my 2W WSPR transmissions.  Up to now ALL spots have been from transatlantic stations in the USA. The band is still in good shape.   The sunspot count is drifting gradually downwards (94 today) but, for now at least, HF conditions on the higher bands like 10m remain generally good.

This weekend I may make a start on my Ultimate 3 WSPR beacon kit (see image above on Hans Summers' site).  This is a complete (no PC needed) beacon kit for modes like WSPR and QRSS3 and very reasonably priced even if buying the GPS timing kit too. Mine cost £37 including postage from Japan with GPS.

I feel a bit better than I did and less clumsy. We'll see.

10m with125mW (Ultimate 3 WSPR beacon)

As you may recall, I am building an Ultimate 3 WSPR beacon for 10m as soon as I feel up to the task. Currently I am too clumsy building because of my stroke. The reports yesterday and today with 500mW on 10m suggest the majority of spots would still be achieved with 6dB less power, QRM permitting.

Just maybe I'll try the beacon initially at its 125mW design level.  I was intending to run about 2W pep finally.

My last 500mW TX burst on 10m (at 1634z)  just now got no less than 11 different spots, with all but one (IT9) being received from the USA.  And conditions today are not as good as yesterday!

UPDATE 2300z: The last spot of my 500mW 10m WSPR signal was at 2136z tonight. My last spot (of others) was at 215oz (KE5XV). Best spot of my 500mW signal was from CX2ABP at 11127km