10m WSPR and 6m JT65 and Es

Both 10m and 6m have shown clear signs of Es propagation. I am getting better results on 6m JT65 than WSPR on 10m. I think this is just due to usage. Moving to JT65 was definitely the right move on 6m. Though theoretically not as good as WSPR, it seems to get more reports. Maybe the 1 minute TX cycle helps with JT65?  I am still awaiting transatlantic spots on 6m, although I have been spotted in the Caribbean on 10m WSPR by Es.

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday July 3rd 2016

Solar flux is 71 today. Sunspot number is again zero  (K=2) and the forecast for 10m propagation is "poor" again. Luckily there is Es on 10m and 6m at this time of year.

2m UKAC activity contest - advanced warning

As next Tuesday is the first Tuesday in July, it will be the 2m leg of the RSGB's activity contest. It runs from 1900-2130z (8pm to 10.30pm UK clock time). I run QRP (5W) to a big-wheel omni (3dBD) antenna. Usually my best DX is around 200km, but this depends on who is active and conditions. Last month I managed further. At this time of the year we are likely to have more portables out on hilltops. Usually I stop after about 1 hour as my voice is not good. Activity levels are usually good. It is a good way to work a few new squares even if you don't like contests.

Old flint tower - NOT amateur radio

Close-up of the church tower at Merton

Merton Church near Watton, Norfolk, UK has a very old, round, flint tower. Part of the tower dates from before the Norman Conquest in 1066AD. We have some truly wonderful church buildings in East Anglia, possibly the best in the world. Within an hour we probably have 1000 to chose from. We like to visit some of these.

Best 6m DX

Although I have had only 2 stations spotting me all day on 10m WSPR, I have had much better results on 6m JT65. Best DX on 6m today (so far) is a spot by OH8ETB (KP35 2057km) by Es.

I wonder if this station works in Oulu? I went there for work many years ago and was surprised to see the ice in May! We flew to Oulu from Helsinki, a city I liked.

Church blog updated - NOT amateur radio

After quite a break, I have just updated the East Anglian Churches blog to include Merton, St Peters near Watton in Norfolk. See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ . This is a very typical lonely, locked, Norfolk church with a round tower. Quietly beautiful.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat July 2nd 2016

Solar flux is just 71 today with yet another day with zero sunspots. K=2 and the forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor". Thankfully there is Es about.

The sunspot number and solar flux are now well down on the peak, which was poor. The next peak is expected to be lower still.  See http://www.solen.info/solar/ .

JT65 on 6m - another surprising day

 

Spots on 6m JT65 (1W ERP) to mid evening last night

Yesterday proved to be another great day on 6m JT65 with spots again by Es from all over Europe. Nothing further as yet, but I keep trying. I use PSK reporter to see where I get spotted and the stations I spot. See https://www.pskreporter.info/pskmap.html .  Already I see I've been spotted in Germany on 6m JT65 this morning.

UEFA 2016 and Wales - NOT amateur radio

Although not a great football fan, I watched Wales beat Belgium 3:1 to reach the semi-finals. Unlike England (who were beaten by outsiders Iceland), Wales played well. By contrast England were hopeless! Well done Wales - you deserved to win.

Anglesey Abbey - NOT amateur radio

Young rabbit

One of our favourite places is Anglesey Abbey, which is about 4 miles from our home. In every month there is something of interest.

Damsel Fly

10m WSPR

My 500mW 10m WSPR beacon has been on all day. Although it has been widely spotted in Europe again today I have not been spotted further afield. I was hoping that I would be spotted across the Atlantic on 10m WSPR.

ONLY 23 spots of my signal today on 6m JT65

If this was 6m WSPR, rather than JT65, I might have been spotted a few times! With 1W ERP of JT65 on 6m even on a quiet day I've already been spotted 23 times. 6m JT65 really does work well. I am very impressed, but still waiting for transatlantic Es DX on 6m.

Somme 1916 - NOT amateur radio

It is 100 years ago today that the Battle of the Somme started with a huge loss of life. The whole of WW1 was a slaughter of innocents. It should never have happened.

If we learn anything, it is that wars like this one are futile and it is usually the innocents that are killed or injured. We should do all in our power to ensure such futility never occurs again.

I am not a Quaker but I have great sympathy with their policy on non-violence.

More UK Rallies

Sunday 3 JULY : 20th RED ROSE QRP FESTIVAL
New Venue The Rose Centre (Lowton Civic Hall), Hesketh Meadow Lane, Lowton, Warrington WA3 2AH The venue has easy access from all directions; M6, M61, M60, A580. There is free car parking and the spacious halls are at ground level with disabled facilities. Doors are open from 11am to 3pm and admission is £2 with under 14s free. There will be trade stands, clubs stands and special interest groups as well as an RSGB bookstall. There will be a Bring & Buy. A licensed bar and refreshments are available on site.
Contact Les Jackson, G4HZJ, on 01942 870 634 or by email to g4hzj@ntlworld.com

Sunday 3 JULY : BARFORD NORFOLK RADIO RALLY
Barford Village Hall & Green, Barford, Norwich, NR9 4AB Opens 0900 (traders from 0800) with Talk in on S22 and featuring trade stands, car boot sales, bring and buy, raffle, repeater groups, catering and free car parking. Entry £2.00 per person / under 16's free. Pitches £8, indoor tables £10 Contact radio@dcpmicro.com : www.norfolkamateurradio.org

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Weather in the UK - NOT amateur radio

We are now in July and certainly here in East Anglia we have had one of the worst summers I can remember so far.  We have had just a few continuous days of sun. Most of the time it has been a mixture of rain, cloud and some sun. In the west of the UK it has been better, but we have had a real absence of high pressure over us with long settled, warm, sunny, weather.

10m and 6m

Yet again, both bands have Es propagation to liven things up. I continue to WSPR on 10m (500mW 100% TX) and JT65 on 6m (1W ERP). Since moving to JT65 on 6m, I have been amazed by the number of reports.

Sunspots and 10m - Fri July 1st 2015

Solar flux is 73 today. Sunspot number is zero again (K=3). Yet again the 10m F2 propagation forecast is "poor".

BREXIT - NOT amateur radio

It is now a week since the UK voted to leave the EU. Although the pound has fallen the stock markets seem to have taken things OK. The UK seems to be on a self destruct route at the moment with the Labour party in civil war and the Conservatives thrown into confusion by Boris not standing for PM. It will be some time before the fog clears and we chart a new path.

Better and better on 6m

It just gets better and better on 6m JT65. Already today on 6m I have had more spots than yesterday by Es and tropo despite my low ERP and omni antenna (1W ERP). Spots are coming in thick and fast from all over Europe. Maybe next year I should replace my lossy RG58 coax with low loss coax?

Rally (N.Ireland)

Saturday 2 JULY : BANGOR & DISTRICT AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY RALLY
Donaghadee Community Centre, Manor Street, Donaghadee, Co. Down BT21 0HB.

The venue is just 100 metres from the harbour with car parking available. Doors open at 11.30am and admission is £3. There is a talk by Ian White, GM3SEK on Practical Outdoor Weatherproofing as well as trade stands, a Bring & Buy and an RSGB bookstall. Special interest groups will be in attendance. A raffle will be held on the day. Details from Harry on 0289 142 2762 or by email to norman.newell@yahoo.com.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

OFCOM

See http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/mobile-data-strategy/update-strategy-mobile-spectrum/.  OFCOM has published a paper on its mobile data strategy.

VLF SAQ 17.2kHz CW - a reminder

A reminder that SAQ will broadcast on July 3rd 2016.

See http://alexander.n.se/the-radio-station-saq-grimeton/saq-transmissions/?lang=en .

Early Es

Both on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65 I am being widely spotted as a result of Es. It surprises me just how good 6m JT65 is proving. See https://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html .

Sunspots and 10m - Thurs June 30th 2016

Solar flux is 74 and yet again the sunspot number is zero (K=1).  The forecast for 10m propagation (F2) remains "poor", but there is Es on both 10m and 6m.

JT65 on 6m

Best DX spotted on 6m JT65 was CN8YZ (2233km) in IM63 square in North Africa. My own 1W ERP 6m JT65 signal has been spotted all over Europe once again with around 30 reports so far today. Every day I seem to spot, and be spotted, by loads of 6m stations. I am still awaiting some transatlantic 6m DX on JT65.  I also want to be spotted by 4X1RF on 6m JT65.

I continue to TX at the same time on 10m WSPR, but I am seriously thinking of stopping these transmissions until the end of the Es season. It is possible I may try 10m JT65 in the autumn.

UPDATE 1752z:  Spotted TA1BM (2499km) in Turkey on 6m JT65.

6m JT65 today

UPDATE 2200z:  Well it is time for bed, but 6m JT65 has looked more like 20m! The map below shows the spots in the last 12 hours when using 1W ERP.

Where I have been spotted in the last 12hrs on 6m JT65 (1W ERP)

Southgate News

Most days I take a look at Southgate News as they usually have things of interest. Sometimes the content takes news items from other sources, but usually I find something of interest.

More QRP and QRP Club

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,

I'm happy to inform about new Club 72 member -
UD0LBA Mrs. Yana Karachevskaya (XYL of Sergey RV3DSA)

Also remind about QRP Rendez-Vous in Thursday 9 UTC on 14060

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

Sunspots and 10m - Wed June 29th 2016

Solar flux is 74 today. Sunspot number is again zero (K=1) and the 10m F2 propagation forecast is yet again "poor".

10m WSPR and 6m JT65

About 10 minutes ago I switched on my 10m WSPR beacon (500mW), which had been off overnight. I left the 6m JT65 (1W ERP) running through the night and this is still on.

UPDATE 0906z:  4 G spots so far on 6m JT65. Nothing yet on 10m WSPR.

Our son - NOT amateur radio

Our elder son came up from London to see us this afternoon. He is a professional jazz pianist so works odd hours. When he comes up he helps us in the garden. It is always good to see our boys.

6m JT65 success again

6m JT65 (1W ERP) so far today

It is hard not to be impressed with 6m JT65. Yet again, my 1W QRP from my omni vertical is being spotted all over Europe. I am also spotting others at similar ranges. If this was 6m WSPR I may not have had a single spot all day. For 6m, even though theoretically not as good as WSPR, I am having great success with JT65.

It would be good to spot, or be spotted, across the Atlantic on 6m JT65. I am sure I have a much higher chance than with WSPR.

See https://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html .

UPDATE 2125z:  6m JT65 has been excellent all day. With around 30 spots of my 6m QRP signals from all over Europe I am convinced that JT65 is the mode on 6m for me.

6m JT65 spots of my QRP today so far

Hedgehog - NOT amateur radio

This morning, we found a hedgehog in the back garden. For those unfamiliar with these, they are about 15cms long, prickly, and cover about a mile on their, mainly nocturnal, walks. We used to see them often at our old house but this is the first seen here.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog.

Muntjac deer seem to have taken a fancy to our sunflowers as the tops have been eaten! See http://www.bds.org.uk/index.php/advice-education/species/muntjac-deer

Sunspots and 10m - Tues June 28th 2016

Solar flux is 75 today and the sunspot number is zero yet again (K=2). The forecast for 10m F2 propagation is again "poor". Luckily there is Es about on 10m.

QRP and QRP Club

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
I'm glad to inform about new Club 72 member -
US5ERQ op. Sergey (Dnipro region, Ukraine), membership card # 87.
Remind  about "72 QRP" round table (Rendez-Vous) tomorrow at 9 UTC on
14060  +/-  QRM,  QRL,  keep  RIT  for  xtal  stn's.  See you also on
"rendezvous"  on  Thursday  and  Saturday.  Comments  and reports are
appreciated to "mr72" e-mail, please.
72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

6m JT65 and 10m WSPR today

Apart from a couple of G spots of my 1W ERP signal on 6m JT65, all is quiet on both bands here with no signs yet of Es.

UPDATE 0920z: I see there were a couple of EA stations spotted here on 6m JT65 around breakfast time, so there was Es on 6m earlier.

UPDATE 1628z:  EA8CNR (2929km) is best RX DX today on 6m JT65.

2m UK activity contests

Last week, the RSGB published the results of the UKAC 2m so far this year. Even though I have been only active of about 40% (or less) of the time in each session, I only use 5W QRP and an omni antenna, I am half way up the table (AL section) and I appear to be moving up too. Contests have never really been "my thing", but I enjoy these sessions until my voice gives in. Because of my stroke I usually manage less than an hour. Activity levels are usually good, although the last 70cm UKAC was dire here.

UPDATE 0922z: The next 2m UKAC is on the first Tuesday in July starting at 1900z (8pm UK clock time).

Slowly declining solar activity

We have had several days recently with a total absence of sunspots. There is now little doubt that we are now on the slow, downward slide to the next solar minimum. The slide on the downwards few years is usually slower than the rise to the next peak after the minimum. The next peak is expected to be very poor.

Next autumn could be very interesting, although conditions on 10m are very unlikely to be as good as the last few years.

In my lifetime it is very unlikely I shall ever see 10m F2 conditions really good again. This is quite a sobering thought. Es (multi-hop) may be the only real hope of E-W DX on 10m in some summer months. Such DX may also happen on 6m too. The only time I worked the USA on 6m (this was 2.5W CW QRP) was by Es in a quiet part of the solar cycle when F2 propagation was poor on the higher HF bands.

As always, this is the law of averages. There may be good days when 10m is "open" but such openings may be missed as people follow the activity ever lower in frequency.  In the minimum even 20m may be dead. This is a few years away.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon June 27th 2016

Solar flux is 76 today. Sunspot number is zero again (K=3) and the forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor".

OK, you win!

OK, I am truly convinced that JT65 is much better than WSPR as a guide to propagation on 6m. The map shows where I reached on 6m (1W ERP) today. If I had been on 6m WSPR, which is better at digging weak signals out of the noise, I would have been lucky to get a spot at all! On 10m, I am still using WSPR as the activity levels are higher on WSPR than on 6m.

See https://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html .

UPDATE 1918z: This is the 6m log today. Not bad for 1W ERP and a simple vertical omni.

Click on log to see a clearer version.

Working in garden - NOT amateur radio

Back Garden

Yesterday, I was going to cut our lawns but it was too wet. Today, the weather was good so I managed to cut both the front and back lawns. My XYL did a bit of weeding and chopping back. It is amazing how everything seems to have grown in the short time we were away.