472kHz DX this evening

DX from EA3NE (1198km) and IW4DXW (1190km) is appearing very early on 472kHz WSPR this evening. F5WK (364km) is a consistent signal too.  On TX, just locals and relatively locals spotting me so far.

Sunspots

Sunspot number today is 138 and 10m daytime conditions,are expected to be "fair". So far 10m is in good shape with immediate spots from LZ and OH at excellent strengths. No F2 DX outside Europe yet seen.

SPRAT on DVD - new version

I am a great supporter of the GQRP club. Their quarterly magazine SPRAT represents the very best in Amateur Radio. If you are interested in QRP then please join the GQRP Club. It is excellent.

There is now a new, up to date version of the DVD with all back copies of the excellent SPRAT magazine.  If I had to stop all subscriptions and magazines then the GQRP club (and SPRAT every quarter) would be the only one I'd keep  - it is that good.

Hi

Tony & I have been working away and we have produced the latest version of the Sprat-on-DVD. This includes all Sprats right up to the one that has just been sent to members (number 160).

It is now available to members at £5 plus £1.20 postage. I will have them at the Galashiels rally and at Rishworth of course. The local guys who represent us at some of the other rallies will also have some shortly.

As we have known that this issue has been on the way for a while, as a concession, we will let anyone who bought the current DVD (1 to 148) after 1st August this year, have a copy of the new DVD for the special price of £2.50 including postage. To get this deal, you have to tell me when you bought the old DVD – if at a rally, which rally it was, and send me the CD case paper label together with the £2.50 in stamps. I do not want the actual DVD, just an assurance that you will destroy it when you receive the new one.

I should add that this is for members only of course, and applies just to UK members! Overseas members who think they also qualify should contact me direct and we may be able to work out a deal for them also.

Overseas prices are on the club website - http://gqrp.com/sales.htm

The new DVD is available to non-members at £12 plus the appropriate postage.

Thanks

73

Graham

G3MFJ

WSPR 4.0 (Beta release)

http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/WSPR4.00r4171.exe

This is a beta release of WSPR (version 4.0). It has worked fine for me.

This is the version I currently use on all bands. Unfortunately, it does not have the real-time waterfall. You see the action only after a 2 minute TX period and not during the transmission as was the case for WSPRX.

The interface looks very similar to WSPR V2.2.

Please let me, and others, know if there are more recent releases by adding a comment and link.

Sunspots and 10m WSPR today

I ran 500mW again on 10m WSPR, which was quite enough to reach the USA plenty of times and a lot further.

Sunspot number today was 84 (lower than recently) but 10m daytime conditions "good". Best DX today with 500mW was Australian VK3KCX at 16883km around lunch time. Best stateside DX was 8732km.

Last 12 hours with 500mW WSPR on 10m

472kHz WSPR overnight

Overnight, in fact before midnight last night, my 5mW ERP 472kHz WSPR signal was copied by DL-SWL at 701km. Although quite a lot less far than my best DX report from this QTH (1042km) it is my first spot from Germany on 472kHz.

Including spots tonight by M0PPP/A, I have now been spotted by 26 different unique stations on 472kHz WSPR in the last 2 weeks and even more this season.

UPDATE 2140z:  6 unique spots of my 5mW ERP WSPR on 472kHz in the last hour.

30m WSPR transceiver kit

By now, you probably realise that I just love WSPR. With quite simple equipment it is possible to be decoded across the planet consistently with real QRP power levels.   I am always on the look-out for new ideas, although until my health improves I am not in a position to build too much myself. See http://www.knology.net/~gmarcus/WSPR/wspr_v4.pdf for an example of a complete 30m WSPR transceiver.

This is NOT a new circuit  - it has been around for some years - and it still needs a PC for the WSPR software. Some TX-only WSPR beacons use microprocessors to generate the WSPR TX messages, thereby freeing up the PC and consuming little power overall. Some sync to GPS to avoid timing issues too.

QSYed to 472kHz WSPR

For some reason the WSPR4 software stopped working late this afternoon. I decided to restart it but on 472kHz with 5mW ERP instead of with 500mW on 28.1246MHz. As yet, I am being spotted by the 472kHz WSPR stations that have already spotted me before and I am seeing stations I have spotted before.  Now I have my shack back I shall leave the 472kHz WSPR running overnight.

UPDATE 1852z:   Best DX so far this evening, on 472kHz WSPR RX, is F1AFJ (607km).  I expect this will be exceeded later.

UPDATE 1940z:   Best DX on 472kHz WSPR RX this evening so far is now DH5RAE (995km). My 5mW ERP on MF has reached PA3ABK/2 (306km) this evening.

UPDATE 1945z:  A single TX burst on 472kHz WSPR with just 5mW ERP  gets me typically 2 to 4 spots per transmission, which is not too bad I reckon.

UPDATE 2000z: I should really try a bit on 137kHz WSPR from this QTH.  This QTH is quiet and I should be able to hear WSPR from the nearer Europeans and there is an outside chance of being copied by a few semi-locals. I really need a longer baseline earth-electrode system though and the 137kHz transverter needs a rebuild and my health is not really up to these tasks.

UPDATE 2100z:  LA3EQ (769km) running 2mW ERP has been spotted 3 times so far this evening on 472kHz WSPR.

10m results with 500mW out

Just 500mW seems quite enough to get plenty of 10m WSPR spots. The table below shows just recent spots. The actual power from the antenna is probably 1-2dB less than 500mW because of cable losses.

Recent 10m WSPR spots running 500mW from rig.
 

UPDATE 1520z: So far today on 10m, with 500mW, I have received 174 reports and the day is far from over.

USA copying my 500mW 10m WSPR before lunch

WG2Z (5600km) was the first USA station to copy my QRP 10m WSPR signal at 1152z this morning. 500mW is again quite enough to span the Atlantic Ocean on 10m WSPR. Today looks like being another good day on the 10m band.

I may try JT65 or JT9-1 for some 2-way QSOs on 10m.

Sunspots and 10m conditions

Sunspot number has drifted down to 138 (still good) and daytime 10m conditions are forecast to be "fair".

I am using 500mW WSPR on 10m and am having no problems getting plenty of spots. Best DX so far this morning is 4X1RF (3519km) who gave my -12dB S/N.  I expect the band to open to the USA shortly.

UPDATE 1052z: Best 10m WSPR DX on RX here (so far) is HS0ZKM (9485km).

QRT for the night

At 1822z I had to go QRT as my shack is being used as a nursery. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow. I finished on 10m with 500mW. Normally, I QSY down to 630m around this time. Slowly but surely the number of stations spotting me is increasing on 630m (472kHz) WSPR. I have still to calculate the all-time 472kHz WSPR spots from this QTH. Best DX report is just over 1000km (LA4ANA) with 5mW ERP. On RX the best DX is EA and I. At the moment I am lucky that this QTH is electrically quiet on RX on 472kHz WSPR.  It is actually better than the old QTH. Of course, this could change overnight.

500mW on 10m

A few minutes ago I turned the WSPR power back to 500mW, 5 spots from the first transmission with 3 of the 5 being spots from the USA and Canada. Yet again, 500mW seems quite enough on 10m. Very few extra stations spot me with higher power: just better reports on the whole with 2W.

Sunspots

Sunspot number today is a respectable 138 but daytime 10m conditions are described as just "fair". Nonetheless, 10m is again wide open with very strong 10m WSPR signals from the USA. Right now conditions on 10m are very nice. In previous sunspot cycle peaks we may have seen 6m F2 propagation but with the current state of play, this is unlikely.

6m

For GDX on 6m at this time of year I think more than 1W ERP is needed. The cable loss to my V2000 vertical is at least 1dB as I use a run of RG58 coax. I was quite surprised just how few UK stations were active on the 6m band. Back in the summer months when Es was plentiful I used to copy and be copied by, GDX stations by tropo or plane reflection out to around 200km most days. It seems outside the Es season the band gets largely vacated at this time of year, on WSPR at least. The couple of active UK stations were not copied here and did not copy me. As Doppler from moving planes is a big problem on VHF WSPR, it can take all day to get a favourable reflection that actualy decodes.

So, I am giving up on 6m for now. Life is too short and I lack the patience. I could run 5W from my FT817 but don't want to risk blowing the PAs at full power for nearly 2 minutes.

Not on tonight

As my shack is being used as a nursery for a couple of nights, evening MF operation is out of the question. Normal evening operation will resume on Wednesday.

For now, I am giving up on 6m. After 4 days and not a single spot given or received, can you blame me? Day time I shall concentrate on 10m and in the evenings I'll QSY down to MF, 630m (472kHz) WSPR.

6m WSPR - one last try today

I was going to give up on 6m until next spring, but, having had early success on 10m, I've decided to give 6m one more chance today.  I am using 30dBm ERP from my V2000  tri-band vertical.  Nothing at all yet!

UPDATE 1720z:  After 4 days of trying, I have now given up on 6m, at least for now. In 4 days not a single spot given or received! Not even a hint of GDX.

10m - very early USA spot on WSPR

WG2Z (5600km) was spotting my 2W WSPR signal on 10m at 1110z today. This bodes well for North and South America later on 10m.  In addition, there is no shortage of Europeans on 10m.  This could be Es or more probably F2 backscatter.  Also spotting me on 10m WSPR this morning was VK5MR (16144km).

Sunspots

Sunspot number today is 157  but 10m conditions (daytime) expected to be "fair". Already 10m looks in good shape here.

QSYed from 6m to 630m (472kHz) WSPR

After 3 days of trying on 6m with not a single spot given or received I have decided to stop trying on 6m until next year. I have now QSYed down to MF and met with immediate reports both received and given, despite just 5mW ERP from my highly compromised antenna not at all designed or optimised for 472kHz use.  All I have done is resonate the strapped feeders to my existing V2000 vertical and HF end-fed PAR antennas.

Early WSPR results on 472kHz this evening.

6m WSPR - still trying

So, I have been on 6m WSPR most days in the last 3 days running 30dBm (1W) ERP from my V2000 vertical.  So far, I have neither received anyone and nor has anyone spotted me. I shall keep trying, but watching paint dry is more exciting!  I am very disappointed with 6m and will soon give up on the band, unless things look up, until the next Es season starting in April.

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.

10m WSPR - busy!

10m WSPR has been very busy this morning. This is a recent shot of the WSPR V4.0 screen showing stations being received here.

10m WSPR screen a few minutes ago showing stations being copied here.

UPDATE 1220z:   My first 10m WSPR spot from a USA station was at 1110z today by WG2Z (5600km). The earliest times are getting earlier and earlier as the season progresses.

Sunspots

Sunspot count today is 126 and 20-30MHz propagation "excellent". Earlier in the day it was "good".  Expect decent 10m conditions. Yesterday conditions on the band were good .

UPDATE 1100z:  CX2ABP is already being spotted on 10m WSPR by F2.  Lots of Europeans being spotted and spotting me on 10m WSPR this morning.

UPDATE 1112z:  13 spots of my 1110z 2W transmission on 10m WSPR.

OR7T on 472kHz

Last night OR7T copied me several times overnight on 472kHz WSPR. This was the 22nd unique spot on the band of my 5mW ERP signal in the last 2 weeks. I need to calculate the total number of stations that have spotted me on the band this year from this QTH.

Returned to 472kHz WSPR

Since 2024z I have been back on 472kHz WSPR and am already spotting DLs and F stations and being spotted by the local and semi-locals and G3WCB (101km).  Still hopeful that more new spotters will be on this evening and overnight. The number of unique reporters of my QRP signal is gradually increasing. Still a long way to go to match results on 500kHz from the old QTH.

Last 28MHz WSPR USA DX was at 1942z here this evening. Since then, only locals and semi-locals on 10m.

10m GDX

In along side the "real" DX on 10m WSPR today I notice G3ZTY (232km) and I were exchanging WSPR spots (-22dB S/N for my 2W signal) by what looks like tropo late lunchtime. I guess it could be F2 backscatter. There were also lots of Europeans as well as EI and GI stations too.

Genesis Q5 1W QRP TX - not available?

I have been told that this 1W QRP TX from Australia, mentioned on the blog a few days ago, may no longer be available to order. I suggest you email the address on the Genesis website to see if it can be ordered. Certainly some of the SDR transceiver kits are only available in limited numbers. I am sorry if I got some hopes up only to be dashed.

See http://www.genesisradio.com.au/Q5/ . The website gives detailed schematics so you could always "roll your own".

First USA 10m WSPR spot at 1150z

WG2Z (5600km) was spotting me at 1150z. This is pretty early, confirming good 10m conditions. Others in the USA have been spotting me too.

FR1GZ (9724km) and I are also exchanging 10m WSPR spots (F2 propagation).

Sunspots

Sunspot count today is 123 and 20-30MHz propagation is forecast to be "excellent". 10m seems in good shape (plenty of Europeans already) but no F2 DX seen here as yet.

472kHz WSPR - spots of me in the last 2 weeks

Over the last 2 weeks, I have been spotted now by 21 different stations with best DX LA4ANA (1042km). The latest station to spot me is F5WK (436km). These are the unique stations spots of my 5mW ERP.  Duplicate spots are not shown. Spots are arranged by distance.

Unique WSPR spots of my 5mW ERP in the last 2 weeks.