In addition to locals G4IKZ (18km) and G4KPX (14km) I am being spotted by DX stations on 10m WSPR. As well as many (24 so far today!) 10m WSPR spots from 4X1RF (3519km) in Israel, I have just had a spot from Brazil of my 500mW WSPR beacon. Thank you to the stations spotting me. I am always grateful for your reports.
Today 10m is in good shape. I am almost certain there will be 10m WSPR spots from North America later. Yesterday, I was spotted in Canada for the first time on 10m WSPR this autumn. Conditions today are better than yesterday, with a higher sunspot number and very undisturbed conditions.
26 Sept 2015
Sunspots and 10m - Sat Sept 26th 2015
With K=0 and a very high sunspot number of 145 it is not surprising that 10m is in good shape today. Even the solar forecast has conditions on 10m as "fair" rather than "poor". This is the first time they have not been "poor" in many weeks.
UPDATE 1014z: Quite a few spots already on 10m WSPR from 4X1RF (3519km). I think this is F2. I confidently think I'll be spotted in both North and South America on 10m WSPR later. Today is going to be a good day on 10m. Enjoy it as these conditions will be distant memories all too soon.
UPDATE 1018z: So far, a total blank on 6m WSPR where I am on RX for 82% and TXing for 18% with 1W ERP. No spots of UK stations either on 6m.
UPDATE 1014z: Quite a few spots already on 10m WSPR from 4X1RF (3519km). I think this is F2. I confidently think I'll be spotted in both North and South America on 10m WSPR later. Today is going to be a good day on 10m. Enjoy it as these conditions will be distant memories all too soon.
UPDATE 1018z: So far, a total blank on 6m WSPR where I am on RX for 82% and TXing for 18% with 1W ERP. No spots of UK stations either on 6m.
25 Sept 2015
FT991 price HAS dropped
MLS are selling the FT991 now at £999.95 with free UK delivery. I was right about the price dropping, but they dropped it sooner than I expected.
There is going to be a price war between the FT991 and the IC7300. This is just the first salvo. I can now see them both below £899 for Christmas.
At the moment I think the IC7300 will be a better radio, but with a price war likely now there will be strong competition between ICOM and Yaesu. A price of £799 for both would no longer surprise me. ICOM will have more chance of slashing price and still being profitable with their SDR architecture. Personally, I'd prefer 4m to 70cm and 2m, although having 2m and 70cm makes the FT991 more of "a station in a box". It is quite likely there may be early issues with both radios. It is often better to wait a few months until these are ironed out and prices fall a bit.
There is going to be a price war between the FT991 and the IC7300. This is just the first salvo. I can now see them both below £899 for Christmas.
At the moment I think the IC7300 will be a better radio, but with a price war likely now there will be strong competition between ICOM and Yaesu. A price of £799 for both would no longer surprise me. ICOM will have more chance of slashing price and still being profitable with their SDR architecture. Personally, I'd prefer 4m to 70cm and 2m, although having 2m and 70cm makes the FT991 more of "a station in a box". It is quite likely there may be early issues with both radios. It is often better to wait a few months until these are ironed out and prices fall a bit.
First North American 10m WSPR spot this autumn
VE1YY (4597km) was the first in North America to spot my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon this autumn. He has spotted me a couple of times this afternoon. They are back! At -19dB S/N this not too bad a report either. It suggests he may well of copied me if I was using 50mW as long as his noise level was low.
No doubt we'll get USA and Canadian spots on 10m now until the spring by F2.
UPDATE 1920z: Have now gone QRT on 10m WSPR until the morning, and now looking on 630m rather than 6m. Will be on 630m RX overnight.
No doubt we'll get USA and Canadian spots on 10m now until the spring by F2.
UPDATE 1920z: Have now gone QRT on 10m WSPR until the morning, and now looking on 630m rather than 6m. Will be on 630m RX overnight.
SX-2000 HF (to 4m) QRP transceiver and SunSDR-MB1
This was news to me. I have never seen this before although the post on the website below was earlier this summer. It looks like a poor man's IC7300 and covers the same range but at QRP power levels. It is an Italian transceiver. Personally I prefer the ICOM. I have no idea about price. It looks like a "back shed job" to me.
See http://www.cqdx.ru/ham/qro-qrp/qrp-hf-transceiver-with-touch-screen/ .
On the same website are details of the Sun SDR-MB1 assembled prototype, which is another rig I have never heard about! There is a video of this at https://youtu.be/SIfvVUw0774 . This rig looks more professional and the YouTube link quotes a price of $5500. This was 3 months ago.
See http://www.cqdx.ru/ham/qro-qrp/qrp-hf-transceiver-with-touch-screen/ .
On the same website are details of the Sun SDR-MB1 assembled prototype, which is another rig I have never heard about! There is a video of this at https://youtu.be/SIfvVUw0774 . This rig looks more professional and the YouTube link quotes a price of $5500. This was 3 months ago.
Does increasing ERP on 10m WSPR make sense?
In the past I said that increasing 10m WSPR ERP was probably not worth it. However, I have changed my mind. G4IKZ (not that far from me) runs 5W and a Moxon beam on 10m WSPR. His ERP in the best direction is probably 10-13dB higher than me, and maybe even more. On RX he will have the gain of the Moxon in his favour. Looking at reports on WSPRnet today, he has been copied by far more stations than me and he is copying some decent stuff on RX too.
No, I think in more marginal 10m conditions the extra would be worth having. For now, I'll stick with the beacon and 500mW, but I may switch to the FT817 so I can run a bit more power on TX and listen too on 10m WSPR. My antenna is a compromise.
No, I think in more marginal 10m conditions the extra would be worth having. For now, I'll stick with the beacon and 500mW, but I may switch to the FT817 so I can run a bit more power on TX and listen too on 10m WSPR. My antenna is a compromise.
10m F2
Already my 10m 500mW WSPR has been spotted in Brazil by KD0VWO (7412km). So far, this is the only DX seen on 10m WSPR today. I remain hopeful that I may be spotted in the USA later today on 10m WSPR.
UPDATE 1415z: KD0VWO (in Brazil) has copied me several times on 10m WSPR, but 6m WSPR has drawn a total blank so far today with no spots given and none received on that band. I am ever the optimist and will stick on both 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR until this evening. Around 1900z I shall switch to 472kHz WSPR RX.
UPDATE 1415z: KD0VWO (in Brazil) has copied me several times on 10m WSPR, but 6m WSPR has drawn a total blank so far today with no spots given and none received on that band. I am ever the optimist and will stick on both 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR until this evening. Around 1900z I shall switch to 472kHz WSPR RX.
More Rallies
I have been notified of the following Radio Rallies:
Sunday 27 SEPTEMBER : PENCOED ARC TABLE TOP SALE
Pencoed Rugby Football Club, The Verlands, Felindre Road, Pencoed, Wales, CF35 5PB. Tables £5 each (first come first served). OT 8.30am sellers, 9.30am buyers, £2. C, REF. Madeline Roberts, 01639 885 126. www.mw0prg.co.uk/events.uk.
Sunday 27 SEPTEMBER : BELGIUM AMATEUR RADIO & COMPUTER RALLY
Hall 'LOUVEXPO', rue Michel Debauque, La Louvire (50km S of Brussels). TI 145.600 (rpt), 438.875 (rpt), 439.4375MHz (D-Star). OT 9am. 4000m2 of TS, FM etc. Michel, ON7FI, +32 475 45 45 78, michel.dewyngaert@skynet.be. www.on6ll.be.
A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/
Sunday 27 SEPTEMBER : PENCOED ARC TABLE TOP SALE
Pencoed Rugby Football Club, The Verlands, Felindre Road, Pencoed, Wales, CF35 5PB. Tables £5 each (first come first served). OT 8.30am sellers, 9.30am buyers, £2. C, REF. Madeline Roberts, 01639 885 126. www.mw0prg.co.uk/events.uk.
Sunday 27 SEPTEMBER : BELGIUM AMATEUR RADIO & COMPUTER RALLY
Hall 'LOUVEXPO', rue Michel Debauque, La Louvire (50km S of Brussels). TI 145.600 (rpt), 438.875 (rpt), 439.4375MHz (D-Star). OT 9am. 4000m2 of TS, FM etc. Michel, ON7FI, +32 475 45 45 78, michel.dewyngaert@skynet.be. www.on6ll.be.
A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/
FTSE 100 well up so far today - NOT amateur radio
So far, the UK FTSE 100 share index is up over 2.5% on the day. Yesterday it fell well below 6000, but not quite to the lowest point this year. So far this year it is down over 10%. At its highest it topped 7100.
Sunspots and 10m - Fri Sept 25th 2015
With a sunspot number of 86 and K=2 I think we could see some interesting 10m F2 conditions although the propagation forecast for 10m remains "poor". I am not expecting much on 6m. On both 10m and 6m some late Es remains a (remote) possibility.
UPDATE 1204z: So far, not a single spot given or received on 6m and just local G4IKZ (18km) on 10m WSPR.
UPDATE 1204z: So far, not a single spot given or received on 6m and just local G4IKZ (18km) on 10m WSPR.
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