AM in Portugal - Nov 5/6th

Southgate News reports on an AM weekend in Portugal in November:

"ARLA - The Portuguese 'Associação de Radioamadores do Litoral Alentejano' is organizing a whole weekend of Amplitude Modulation-AM on the 6th and 7th of November, the sixth edition of the event previously known as 'Dia Nacional do AM em Portugal' (National Day of AM in Portugal).
The broadcast, in amplitude modulation, will take place in 80m, 40m, 20m, 10m, 6m and 2m between 08AM UTC Saturday Nov 5 until 11:59PM UTC Sunday Nov 6.
Therefore, ARLA asks all ham operators and SWL, national or worldwide, to participate in this special broadcast, widen this year and for the first time to two consecutive days, in AM and in the amateur band plan.
The broadcasting will take place in several frequencies and the following should be considered for calling or meeting points between the participants:
3 705.0 kHz (+- 5kHz);
7 146.0 kHz (+- 5 kHz);
14 270.0 kHz (+- 5 kHz);
29 075.0 kHz (+- 5 kHz);
51,575.0 MHz (+- 5 kHz);
144,550.0 MHz (+- 5 kHz).
As referred above, this year we've widen the event to 48h due to several requests of previous participants, tho maintaining the same goals as the last events:
a) to give the opportunity of putting old recovered or collecting equipment's on the air
b) promote an different experience as well calling, whenever possible, to this type of broadcast that it's not that used anymore, focusing on new ham operators
c) pay our respects to the old short wave amplitude modulation broadcasting in Portugal, nowadays extinct
The logbook isn't mandatory but it would be great if you send your log to the organization.
Those who can and are willing to give us that joy, please send them to cs5arla+dia.do.am@gmail.com
All participants that make a contact with CS5ARLA station, operated by Carlos Mourato (CT4RK), will receive a participation certificate.
 
João Costa CT1FBF
Vogal da Direcção da ARL"

A better 10m day

I have been on 10m JT65 all day. So far 6 South Americans spotted together with a couple of spots of my own 2W QRP 10m JT65 signal from Europeans.

UPDATE 1550z:  Now 7 South Americans spotted. Best 10m JT65 RX spot is LW7EMM (11483km).

UPDATE 1702z: Now spotted 10 South Americans on 10m JT65 RX.

10m JT65 since before breakfast

Although on 10m JT65 since before breakfast, I see IZ0AIS (1506km) spotted me a few minutes ago. I assume this is Es. I don't think there were earlier spots.

Sunspots - Wednesday October 19th 2016

Solar flux is 77 today. The sunspot number is 24 .  K=2 . As mentioned yesterday, assume 10m F2 propagation is forecast to be "poor" unless I say otherwise. In future, I shall NOT be mentioning 10m F2 propagation.

Disappointment

Well it is now 1730z and I have been on 10m JT65 most of the afternoon. Not a single spot given or received on 10m JT65. Yesterday was quite different.

I shall stay on the band for a while longer, but think the DX chances have gone for the day.
 
UPDATE 1818z:  When not looking for QSOs, I usually monitor PSKreporter maps in the lounge on a different PC. I see that PU4ENY (Brazil) was spotted at 1358z calling CQ, although he did not upload to PSK reporter. So, there was just one South American logged on 10m JT65 today after all. G0VUH was also spotted. I am still active, but 10m JT65 is very quiet here.

Exchange rates - NOT amateur radio

See https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/currencies/investing.html for how the UK pound is fairing against other currencies. Although I voted to remain in the EU, I can see the Euro weakening in the next 18 months. The UK (a big contributor to the EU pot) is leaving, the Greeks have little prospect of ever repaying their debts and there is a general sentiment that the EU is dated and holding back its members.There is no doubt that the UK will have a difficult few years, but the EU is in for a rough time too.

New Greenland 6m Beacon

Southgate News mentions a new 6m beacon OX6M in Greenland on 50.047MHz. This is worth listening for, especially in the Es season. I have worked Greenland with 2.5W handheld on 15m SSB in the past from the back garden with just a base loaded whip on the rig.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/october/new-ox6m-beacon.htm

1.3GHz UKAC this evening

This is a band I do not go on. Tonight is the 1.3GHz leg of the UK activity contests organised by the RSGB.

If this is like the 2m and 70cm contests, it is a good opportunity to come on the band and work a few new stations and squares.

In the distant past I borrowed a converter and listened on the band with a homemade, indoor 4 el yagi made of 2.5mm silver plated wire. I recall hearing a local well.

Really it is a band I should try,  like 10GHz. I have always been put off by a lack of test gear. My site is quite good, but I am not good on ladders these days and decent antennas are a must.

45 countries on 10m JT65 in the last week

Despite the declining solar conditions and my poor antenna, 45 countries were copied here on 10m JT65 in the last week alone. Who says 10m is dead?

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

QSYed to 10m JT65

At 1332z I QSYed to 10m JT65 only. No further 6m JT65 or 10m WSPR spots received. It will be interesting to see how 10m JT65 performs today.  I run 2W QRP on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1435z: A very quiet day so far on 10m JT65. No spots given or received here at all so far. Things may change - I hope so!

UPDATE 1442z:  It may be coincidence, but I seem to get better results into South America when there is good European propagation, which I presume is  Es. I wonder if the Es (?) gets signals into the TEP region? I am pretty sure the South Americans are TEP, but TEP tends to be better further south than the UK. I am so grateful we have 10m JT65 and WSPR as these weak signal modes tend to be monitored when SSB users think 10m is a dead loss.

UPDATE 1525z:  Still no 10m JT65 spots here today. Bad hair day? I'll give it a few more hours, but time is running out.

10m WSPR and 6m JT65

I have been active since just after breakfast on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65. I shall be switching to just 10m JT65 later.

On 10m WSPR EA8/LA3JJ (2870km) was spotting me earlier. I assume this is F2 propagation.

On 6m JT65 just spots by G0LRD (25km) so far.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday October 18th 2016

Solar flux is 76 today (falling) and sunspot number 23. K=3. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor". In future, I don't intend to report 10m propagation unless the forecast is other than "poor".In other words asssume the forecast is "poor" unless you hear otherwise.

In many recent days, 10m has been quite good N-S by what I assume is TEP. Here, it has only opened to the USA on a single day this autumn. This was on 10m JT65 and it only reached Florida. Since last year solar conditions have dropped a lot on average.

Now QRT

As the last 10m JT65 activity here was almost an hour ago, I have gone QRT until the morning. I may start tomorrow on 10m WSPR and 6m JT65 and move to 10m JT65 later in the day, probably after lunch.

Another Geosync Amateur Satellite?

Southgate News links to another possible geosynchronous amateur satellite. Like buses, we see none and then lots! As HF conditions deteriorate, geosync satellites could prove very useful. The footprint just reaches the UK. 10GHz download.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/october/a-geosync-ham-radio-satellite.htm .

See also https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/geosynchronous/na-gso-sat/ .

F2 DX on 10m JT65

3B8CW (9751km) and EA8YV (3004km) were spotted on 10m JT65vearlier. As yet, nobody has spotted my QRP 10m JT65 signal.

 
UPDATE 1318z:  No further DX as yet and nothing, yet, from South America. Also, still no spots of my own signal on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1344z: LU1HVK (11244km) in Argentina spotted my 2W QRP 10m JT65 11 minutes ago. We are now entering the Southern Hemisphere's Es season. I wonder if this helps very far south signals to get into the TEP zone?

UPDATE 1430z: My QRP 1m JT65 signal has been spotted by CS8ABY (2573km) in the Azores and by PY2NQ (9589km) in Brazil.

OFCOM updates

From the OFCOM website:

"Ofcom has today published a decision explaining that it will aim to make the 700 MHz band nationally available for mobile data by the second quarter of 2020 – 18 months earlier than originally planned

In November 2014 Ofcom announced that the 700 MHz band – which is currently used for digital terrestrial TV and wireless microphone applications – would be repurposed for mobile data.

As part of its funding for the 700 MHz clearance programme, Government has agreed to fund a grant scheme to support PMSE users who will have to vacate the 700 MHz band earlier than expected.

Ofcom has also set out its decision to allocate 20 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band – known as the ‘centre gap’ – to mobile data."

Sunspots and 10m - Monday October 17th 2016

Solar flux is 80 today and sunspot number 25. K=3 . Yet again the forecast for 10m F2 is "poor".

King of Thailand Dead

Until today, I had no idea that the late King of Thailand held the call HS1A. His death will sadden many in Thailand and many amateurs in the world. I was aware that the late King Hussain of Jordan was JY1.

I wonder how many other famous amateurs there are? For certain, I have not worked anyone famous!

Salcombe Lifeboat Disaster 1916 - NOT amateur radio

See http://salcombelifeboat.co.uk/lifeboat-disaster-centenary/ .

One hundred years ago this month the small Devon town where I came from suffered a tragedy when the lifeboat overturned with the loss of life of most of the crew. It was a tragedy in a small community. There will be a special service to mark the 100 year anniversary. One of my aunties witnessed the tragedy when she was a young girl.  Most of the crew were not young men as most of these were fighting in WW1. Only 2 people survived.

October 2016 2m UKAC Results

The results of this contest have just been published and I sit a credible 82nd out of 180 in the AL section. This is not at all bad considering I am only on for about 20% of the contest and run 5W QRP SSB on 2m to a small omni antenna. I enjoy these sessions, even though I find it hard going with my poor voice these days.

 See http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfresults.pl?Contest=144MHz%20UKAC&year=2016 . 

Autumn - NOT amateur radio

Within a few weeks the weather has moved from late summer into autumn. On Friday we planted pansies at the back of the house and these should be in flower until the spring. It's funny how we adapt to shorter days, dark nights earlier, autumnal colours, the trees losing their leaves etc.. Time to hunker down by the fire.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pansy .

10m JT65

Although I've not been active very long, I have already been spotted in Israel by 4X1RF (3518km) and spotted a station in France F1GTU (754km). I guess the Israeli spot was F2 although it could have been Es. The French station was either Es, aircraft reflection or F2 backscatter.

UPDATE 1140z:  I have already spotted a couple of South Africans and been spotted all over Europe and the Azores.

UPDATE 1300z: First 10m JT65 spot in South America today was about 20 minutes ago. PY2JEA (9596km). Lots of Europeans spotting me and being spotted.

UPDATE 1342z:  Best DX on 10m JT65 RX is LU2XSN (13361km) in Tierra del Fuego, Southern Argentina. 6 South Americans and 3 South Africans spotted so far today on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1552z:  Just one more South American received on 10m JT65, otherwise things seem to have gone quiet here.

UPDATE 1840z: 14 South Americans spotted on 10m JT65 today. As no spots recently I am going QRT.

UPDATE 1848z: GD0TEP (381km) was spotted several times. This is an interesting distance. It is possibly tropo, aircraft reflection or backscatter.  Now QRT here until the morning.

QRP, QRP Club and Sputniks

From Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
Weekly QRP Rendez-Vous report (October 10 to 16, 2016)

Visitors of the week: UA1CEX, HB9DAX, OE5GYL, RA1M/mm, RU3NJC, UA1CEG,
R1CAF,  UR5EFD,  DK1HW,  US3EN,  S57RT, UA4NU, OM6TC, OK2HBY, OH6NPV,
US5ERQ, R2FAE, ON6KZ, SM5ALJ, HA7NE, DF9QV, DL2DBU, YO4BQV
Congrats S57RT, he became Honor Frequenter
See  full  Visitors  and  Frequenters lists at the Club 72 web page -
www.club72.su

72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"


Dear Space Friends,
RA7RA/V  informed about new QSO with S57T on 14060 kc (150 mW). Also,
"Astronaut"  Vlad  R2DNN/V  send me pictures of his 120 mW one pnp Ge
transistor GT321 TX, enjoy pictures on the "results" page on club72.su
Note:  his  TX  installed  on  the  door's furniture (detail). What a
wonderful  idea,  isn't  it!  Also,  keep  attention for heat-sink of
transistor,  looks  like  micro-Sputnik  :-)  9  Volts battery name
"KOSMOS" (Space)
Sputniks?Vanguards frights to be continue before October 18.

72! beep-beep-beep...
Deep Space Communications Center
operator on duty -
Oleg ("Mr. 72") RV3GM / KH6OB


Dear Space Friends,
Cosmonaut Jiri OK1DXK (Sputnik) informed yesterday he logged QSO with
RX2AM on 40 m. Jiri used sloper wire 9 m long and 1 watt output.
Enjoy QRPp!
72! beep-beep-beep...
Deep Space Communications Center
operator on duty -
Oleg ("Mr. 72") RV3GM / KH6OB


Dear Space Friends,
R2AJA  informed  about  his  a-la  "Vanguard"  beacon mode TX. Modern
components  used  in  the  auto-beacon  TX, 1 watt output to LW 10 m.
RA7RA/SWL  copied  R2AJA/Beacon  in  October 11. Picture of TX-beacon
installed on the totals result page club72.su
Flights  to  be continue before October 18. I looking for results and
QSO reports, please.

72! beep-beep-beep...
Deep Space Communications Center
operator on duty -
Oleg ("Mr. 72") RV3GM / KH6OB

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday October 16th 2016

Solar flux is 83 today and sunspot number 35. K=3 . Yet again the forecast for 10m F2 is "poor".

WSPR or JT65?

As you can tell, my favorite mode seems to be JT65 rather than WSPR, although I still use WSPR from time to time. WSPR is theoretically better by a few dB, but activity seems higher on JT65.  I think the 60 second TX period in JT65 helps too. In recent weeks with 10m JT65 I have had considerable success despite my poor set-up and 2W.

At the moment I think I'll use 10m JT65 rather than 10m WSPR. Although I have now spotted a couple of USA stations in Florida I have still to be copied in the USA this autumn on 10m JT65.

Now QRT

We have my son, his wife and 2 of our grandchildren here this weekend, so I have now gone QRT. All the DX DX on 10m JT65 seemed to stop a few hours ago, although Europe was still coming through in the last hour. I shall be on again tomorrow, although later than usual.

Another great day on 10m JT65

As well as my own 2W QRP signal being widely copied in Europe and South America, I copied stations in Saudi Arabia, Burkina Faso and South Africa. A great 10m day.

Stroke update - NOT amateur radio

Not much progress in the last year.

Although most things work I still feel giddy when walking, tire easily, have poor fine motor skills, have problems with liquids and my speech is poor.

Overall, I feel I have to come to terms with the new me, as this is how I am going to be now, barring miracles.

Active on 10m JT65

This morning, around breakfast time, I went on 10m JT65. I have been active (2W) with this band and mode ever since. Conditions on 10m seem fine with spots all over Europe and Israel. If things don't change, it looks a lot more promising than yesterday on 10m.

Sunspots and 10m - Saturday October 15th 2016

Solar flux is 91 today and the sunspot number 38.  K=2.  The forecast for 10m F2 propagation is, you guessed, "poor".

As the song goes, "what a difference a day makes"

Yesterday by this time, I had been spotted all over Europe and widely in South America on 10m JT65. Although I am spotting a little DX, today is nothing like yesterday. I know there is still time for things to  improve, but I have the feeling this is going to be a "bad hair day".  If we get any real DX, it had better happen soon! At least having 2W 10m JT65 running I am spotting, and being spotted, by some.  Even with 100W SSB I doubt these openings would have been noticed.

Loop on the ground antenna

See The Loop on Ground Antenna - the "LoG".

I was sent this link by a blog reader who has used it very successfully. It is primarily designed as a receive antenna.

Sunspots and 10m - Friday October 14th 2016

Solar flux is 96 today. Sunspot number is 41 and K=4. The forecast for 10m F2 propagation remains "poor".

Rally

Sunday 16 OCTOBER : HOLSWORTHY RADIO RALLY
 
Holsworthy Community College, Victoria Hill, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6JD. Doors open at 10am. There will be traders, a Bring & Buy and catering. The venue has disabled access. Details from Howard, M0MYB by email to M0OMC@yahoo.co.uk.

10m JT65 right from the start

Before breakfast I resynced the PC clock and went straight on to 10m JT65. As yet, no spots given or received on that band.

Yesterday was a very good 10m day considering where we are in the cycle with stations in North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe spotted despite my poor (and low) 10m antenna. My own QRP signal was spotted by several stations a long way away. Yes, a good 10m day.

I know others with better antennas will have done better. 10m is still in good shape, although you have to look!

UPDATE 1130z: DG0OPK (730km) spotted my 2W 10m JT65 QRP 2 hours ago. Probably Es, although backscatter and aircraft reflection are possible.

UPDATE 1145z: G4CUI (172km) has spotted me on 10m JT65. Tropo?

24 hours on 10m JT65 QRP

USA on 10m JT65 at last

K4RUM (7134km) in Florida was spotted earlier. At last a USA station this autumn on 10m JT65. It seems the opening on 10m are getting further north.

LU9XT (13473km) spotted right at the far end of Argentina on 10m JT65.

Best 10m day this autumn by far

10m JT65 today https://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html

With stations from all over Europe, South America, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand and spots of my own 10m JT65 signal by 6 stations already in South America, this is by far the best day on 10m JT65 this autumn.

At this rate, the USA should be audible within 2 weeks.

Autumn HF conditions?

Although we are now well in to autumn, apart from South Americans by what I assume is TEP, I have not (yet) seen a great improvement in HF conditions.

We are fighting a downwards solar cycle trend and, as yet, I have still to get any USA spots on 10m JT65. Conditions may still improve. The next few months are likely to be the best we are going to see for a very long time on 10m and conditions this autumn are well down on the last few years.

Last chances? It is now unlikely I'll see great 10m conditions ever again in my lifetime. That is a sobering thought. There are many in my agegroup who remember great HF conditions in past solar peaks.

Autumn - NOT amateur radio

Suddenly we seem to have moved from summer into autumn. The nights are getting rapidly darker earlier, the temperature has dropped and it suddenly feels like autumn. I enjoy all the seasons, but they seem to come around sooner. Where was summer? Yesterday we planted primroses instead of the begonias which die in the first frosts. The picture shows the primroses under the windows at the front of our bungalow.

Active on 10m JT65

For just over an hour, I have been on 10m JT65 only. As yet, no spots given or received.

UPDATE 1012z: My 10m JT65 has been spotted in Austria and Poland. Es?

UPDATE 1050z: Now being spotted by 9A2WB (1430km) and I am spotting 10m JT65 stations from all over Europe.  Today looks good on 10m Es, well I assume this is Es. This is definitely a good case for JT65 running in the background. On SSB a quick CQ is unlikely to be successful on 10m.

10m JT65 at noon today - stations spotted this morning

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

UPDATE 1106z:  Now being spotted in Germany on 10m JT65.

UPDATE 1148z:  PSK reporter map for me looks more like mid-summer!!  If 10m is wide open around Europe, I suspect 6m might be too.