Portable SDR project

From Pedro:

Good morning Roger look at this fantastic project from Michael KE7HIA  I believe it will be fantastic for some digitals because of the low power.

hackaday.io/project/1538-PortableSDR
 
73 and fast recover

Pedro Almeida
CT5JZX

Sunspots and 10m

Sunspot number today is 115 (not bad) and 10-12m conditions are described as "fair". It remains to be seen how much F2 propagation there is on 10m today. I am currently ploughing a very lonely furrow on 6m WSPR - so far no spots given or received on 6m.

You will notice my "propagation" sidebar is now from a new source. I'm not sure how much longer the feed from SK G4ILO will continue to work. I suspect Olga (Julian's XYL) will close his sites soon.

Looking at the WSPRnet database I see both North and South America are being spotted in Europe.

G4SMX in JO01pc looks my best hope on 6m. Not copied him yet.

Microvert antenna

Quite a few people who use WSPR use the tiny Microvert Antenna whose design seems to have originated in Germany. For example, this diminutive antenna is only about 30cms long on 28MHz. It uses the coax intentionally as a counterpoise with an RF choke the right distance down the coax. Performance is several S points down on a full sized antenna like a 1/2 wave dipole. With small antennas there is always a compromise! Versions have been made for most HF bands. The  antenna looks ideal for portable or balcony use, being small and easy to erect. Perhaps I should test my (currently poor) build skills by making one for 10m or 20m WSPR use?

I wonder who reading this post has used a Microvert Antenna and how they found it?

See http://download.antennex.com/preview/archive4/Apr601/microvert.pdf .

Julian G4ILO has died, sadly

From Julian's blog:

Julian died yesterday on 24 October in the presence of his wife Olga and two Hospice nurses at home at 19-45 peacefully and painlessly. He will be always loved and always remembered.

See  http://onefootingrave.blogspot.co.uk/ .

We all knew this was likely but it saddens me greatly to report this here.

RIP Julian - you brightened our lives and we will all miss you. Olga, our sympathies to you in your great loss. Julian inspired a great many people. He will be remembered for a long time.

I have no details of memorials (flowers, donations, etc.) or funeral arrangements.

Glutton for punishment? 6m WSPR again

I must have a masochistic streak in me! After seeing that I could exchange spots with Australia on 10m WSPR, I have again moved up to 6m WSPR. Yesterdays 6m trip resulted in absolutely no spots either given or received.

As there are a few more people on 6m than yesterday I am hopeful of some GDX and there is a (remote) chance of some F2 or TEP.  Sunspot count is good today, so I guess today will be one of the better chances for the latter, if very unlikely this far north. Yet again I see there has been TEP between VK and JA on 6m.

If I spot just one GDX station on 6m then the outing on the band will have been worth it. I am running 30dBm ERP from a vertical.  In the summer I could exchange spots by tropo/plane reflection out to around 200km on 6m with this set-up.

UPDATE 1520z:  As yet, still very quiet here on 6m WSPR. No stations received here, not even wispy Doppler shifted, non-decoding, signals. I shall stick around for at least a few more hours - ever hopeful.

UPDATE 1634z:   Still absolutely nothing spotted and no-one spotting me on 6m, for the second day. This is very disappointing , although not unexpected.

UPDATE 1705z:  Still drawing a total blank on 6m. Another hour and I'll switch to 472kHz.

10m to the USA on WSPR

The first stateside station K3GEN was spotted, at 1206z on 10m WSPR today, at -15dB S/N. I was first spotted in the USA at 1146z by KJ4SPG (6328km) in FM05dm square. The band has been open to the USA on 10m WSPR every day now for at least a month, presumably via F2.

I suspect next autumn things "across the pond" will be considerably tougher on 10m WSPR, but not a complete no-no.

High sunspots

Sunspot count today is high at 147 (with blackouts) and 20-30MHz propagation is "excellent". Earlier this morning I was copying a VK portable on 10m WSPR and I was being spotted early by Souty 1310zh Americas on 10m WSPR. F2 conditions seem very good on the 10m band.

UPDATE 1312z:  VK3KCX (16883km) was spotting my 2W at 1250z on 10m WSPR at a decent -17dB S/N.  VK5MR (16144km) was spotting me. This morning, PU3WSF (10416km), PY3FF (10440km) were spotted and ET/G8DYK (5931km) in KJ98ix square was spotting my 2W on 10m WSPR. VK5MR has spotted me 7 times on 10m WSPR today and ET/G8DYK (5931km) was spotting me in Ethiopia.

No luck on 6m WSPR this afternoon, so far

I have been on 6m WSPR since 1424z but I have spotted not a single station. Not a single station has received me either. Perhaps this was to be expected.

I'll stick on 6m WSPR for a few more hours just in case things improve. As well as poor DX conditions, 6m WSPR is not helped by the very low level of activity. GDX to around 200km should be possible, but this needs active stations!

If I see just a single station on 6m I shall be pleased.

UPDATE 1742z:  Still nothing here on 6m WSPR. Will keep trying for a few more hours.

UPDATE 1842z:  Still nothing, but sticking around for another hour or so on 6m WSPR.  Ever hopeful!

UPDATE 2030z:  Not even a hint of a Doppler shifted signal on the WSPR 4.0 interface. I'll stay on the band until bedtime, but it looks if 6m is going to be a dead loss today. Nothing, zlich. You can't say I've not tried! I even published my activity on WSPRnet but still minimal 6m activity worldwide.

No SAQ transmission today after all

The famous SAQ 17.2kHz VLF transmitter was NOT in action today, October 24th 2014.  There was always some doubt whether today's transmission was to happen or not.

See http://alexander.n.se/evenemang/extra-transmission/ .

RA3APW - 100mW 10m WSPR beacon

Karen RA3APW's 100mW, GPS controlled, Ultimate 3, Moscow WSPR beacon (2443km) that uses just a short whip antenna in his shack is coming in well again today. He is getting plenty of WSPR spots over 2000km right across Europe today. I am seeing an 8dB variation in his S/N (-14dB best, -22dB worst) and I think I tend to get him worse than some others in the UK who may have better receivers and antennas. Karen carefully measured his power so his 100mW is genuine. -14dB S/N suggests that at times just 5mW would be enough.

RA3APW on 100mW 10m WSPR today - 9 spots already.

UPDATE 1532z:  RA3APW has now been spotted 13 times at up to a very strong -5dB S/N. This level suggests 1mW would have been copied, possibly 250uW. Amazing.