Spotted in Brazil on 10m WSPR

KD0VWO (7412km) monitoring in Brazil has spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon this morning at 1154z.  At -20dB S/N this was not a bad report either.  This is a promising start on 10m.  Let us hope I get some USA spots later.

UPDATE 1212z:  Still no spots on 6m WSPR today.

UPDATE 1605z:  It looks like the single spot on 10m from Brazil was "it" today. Again, well at least so far, no spots on 10m WSPR from the USA yet again today.  G8VDQ (93km) was spotted on 6m WSPR this morning, although this does not seem to have been uploaded to WSPRnet.

M0EMM (192km) reports me on 472kHz WSPR

Right on the lowest threshold M0EMM (192km) spotted my 5mW ERP 472kHz WSPR signal before breakfast today. He is the 23rd station to report my 5mW ERP signal on 472kHz WSPR in the last 2 weeks. G0HWW (29km) spotted me overnight too.

UPDATE 1130z:  Still all quiet on 10m and 6m WSPR.  I have been QRT on 630m (472kHz) since breakfast time.

FTSE 100 - NOT amateur radio

At the start of the year, some commentators were predicting the FTSE 100 UK share index would end the year above 7000.  It briefly exceeded this, although currently it is below 6000. A late rally might see it end the year in the low 6000s. I think expecting it to end the year above 7000 is wishful thinking.

Sunspots and 10m - Tues Dec 15th 2015

Solar flux is good at 124, sunspot number is 84 (K=3) and the 10m propagation forecast is "fair". Although yesterday was disappointing on 10m, today could be reasonable on 10m WSPR. We will see!

UPDATE 1028z:  All very quiet on 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR so far today.

New 472kHz reporter

 Yesterday I had several spots on 472kHz WSPR from M0JEK (68km). It is good to get spots from someone new. Overnight several spots of EA5DOM (1525km) on 472kHz WSPR. I have now gone QRT on MF and am active on 6m and 10m WSPR.

VERY late swallow - NOT amateur radio

According to my report on Devon birds, I see a swallow was sighted in Slapton, Devon on Dec 11th 2015. This is very late. It was probably from a late brood and stayed because of the mild weather. There have been rare, late, swallows before living off insects around seaweed in Cornwall, but I not aware of any proven records of over-wintering swallows staying in the UK. With our winters getting less cold it will happen some day.

The image is located at https://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/swallow_tcm9-18469.jpg?width=530&crop=(44,262,948,770) . If linking to it is problematic please let me know and I will remove the link.  I hope the free RSPB publicity is appreciated!

I have seen swallows in Devon in early December at Bolt Head, near Salcombe. Most make the hazardous journey to South Africa each September and return in April to these shores. Some arrive earlier, but most arrive by mid April, with swifts a few weeks later.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/s/swallow/ .

MF and 10m WSPR today so far

All quiet on 10m WSPR, so far. I was expecting a few spots by now.

On 472kHz (630m) I am spotting G8VDQ (93km) and being spotted by M0LMH (223km) in daylight. Overnight the usual stations were being spotted and spotting me. Best DX on RX (no preamp) was EA5DOM (1525km) and on TX (5mW ERP) with earth-electrodes was DL-SWL (701km). I wish there were some new stations.

UPDATE 1308z:  Still nothing on 10m WSPR.  I am surprised.

Sunday on 10m WSPR

More signs of possible wintertime Es with spots of my little 10m 500mW WSPR beacon from Italy. No sign of spots from the USA though.

Christmas concert - NOT amateur radio

London Eye at night

Yesterday we went by coach to London for a Christmas concert in the Festival Hall, South Bank, London given by the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Bach Choir  and Young Singers. It was excellent and felt very Christmassy.

When we returned to the coach, the London Eye was illuminated. You can just see Big Ben across the river.

Sunspots and 10m - Mon Dec 14th 2015

With a good solar flux level (122) and a sunspot number of 74 (K=2) there is a good chance of half decent propagation on 10m today. For the first time in a while 10m propagation is expected to be "fair".

Just 10m WSPR today

I went QRT on 630m before breakfast. Today I am just active on 10m WSPR, giving 6m and 630m a rest today. All being well I shall return to MF tonight.

Sunspots and 10m - Sun Dec 13th 2015

Solar flux is 115 and sunspot number 89 (K=3). 10m propagation is again expected to be "poor". 10m WSPR? May be reasonable today, but yesterday was disappointing.

Climate change - NOT amateur radio

So all the countries at the Paris climate summit have reached agreement. This is just the start, but it shows a willingness to work towards a world which does not have dangerous warming. As someone pointed out on BBC TV this morning, the cost of choosing a non-carbon path has significantly reduced, so it is less burdensome to choose clean energy.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35084374 .

UPDATE 2315z: A new challenge will be non-carbon fueled cars.  As someone who had a fair bit to do with rechargeable batteries, I do not see the electric car as the answer, unless there is staggering breakthrough in battery technology allowing 300+ mile ranges between charges. Somehow I doubt this will happen. Maybe the answer will come in fuel cells, or low cost anytime storage of renewable energy? We need efficient storage of wind, solar and tidal energy so the energy generated can be used later.  Maybe the answer is partly power in the roads, with the car picking up this inductively? This way the weight of cars could be dramatically reduced? The car would only need a smaller battery to use when in-road power is not available?

USA spots (at last) on 10m WSPR

K9AN (6505km) has spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon several times starting at 1530z.  From posts on Twitter (I get emails about these) it appears the ARRL 10m contest has sparked 10m activity and there was also 6m Es today.

UPDATE 1716z:  It looks like K9AN (6505km) was the only USA station to spot me today on 10m WSPR.  No 10m WSPR spots for well over an hour now.

QRP Club 72

This came today from Oleg RV3GM:

"Dear Club 72 members and friends,
Visitors  of  this  week  rendezvouses:  UA1CEX, UR7VT, DL7MA, UA4NU,
UA1ADF,  UA1CEG, RV3GM, S51PL, SM5MEK, PD0HRS, OM6TC, DL8NBG, YL3GIE,
RU3NJC,  UA0SBQ,  OH6NPV,  YU7AE, DK6PD, UR0ET, RV9WMZ, UR5EFD, R1OA,
HA5AEK, OH8GLZ, RV3DSA/0, OK1KW, R9WY, SO3AK, EA2CAR, EA4AND, LY2BNL,
OH9XX, R2FAE
See comments and reports (soapbox) on the blog page - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
Thanks everyones for comments!
See you all on next week QRP Rendez-Vous (72 Net) at
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at 9 UTC on 14060 +/- (alternative 10116 kHz)
Comments and reports appreciated to "mr72" e-mail, please.
72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"
=== In QRP We Trust! ==="

ICOM IC7300

The IC7300 from ICOM may be available mid-January 2016 according to YO8IRF's blog. I guess this means they have CE approval. YO9IRF also quotes a price.

See http://yo9irf.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/icom-ic-7300-available-in-january.html?utm_source=amateur-radio-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter.

No doubt dealers in most countries will be out to maximise their profits from early adopters who must have this radio. After these have sold, with early issues (?) expect the price to fall. The game is called "marketing". I call it ripping us all off.  Dealers, I for one will wait and wait and not join your silly games. Offer us the rig at a fair price. You need to make a fair margin, of course, but do not rip us off. Not everyone is a mug.

Winter 10m Es? Daytime on 472kHz.

With lots of closer Europeans spotting me on 10m, I suspect we are seeing wintertime Es on 10m WSPR today. Spots are coming in widely in the 459-1300km range. As yet, no great DX on the band.

UPDATE 1242z:   PA3ABK/2 is being spotted at 1216z on 472kHz WSPR.

UPDATE 1520z:  It looks like today will be another day without 10m DX WSPR  me on 47spots here. I guess if the band did open, my 500mW was not enough.  I really did expect to get spotted in the USA today. It could still happen I guess? There have been no 10m WSPR spots since lunchtime. A disappointing day on 10m WSPR.

UPDATE 1525z:  M0LMH (223km) spotted me on 472kHz WSPR at 1058z.  PA3ABK/2 has been spotted many times throughout the day on 472kHz WSPR. I guess he can be spotted at any time?

10m WSPR - a promising start?

LZ1UBO (2037km) has just spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon by what I assume is F2. This is a promising start on the band. At the moment I am on 10m and 630m WSPR. I may QSY from 630m to 6m later.

UPDATE 1522z:  In the end I stuck with 630m and 10m WSPR.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat Dec 12th 2015

With a solar flux 114 and a sunspot number of 77 (K=3) we could see some reasonable propagation on 10m today despite the 10m propagation forecast remaining "poor".

Doh! 472kHz WSPR overnight

I was wondering why I got not a single WSPR spot on TX overnight on 472kHz. EA5DOM (1525km) was spotted 50 times. Then I twigged! TX mute was somehow enabled so I was not transmitting at all! Even now PA3ABK/2 (306km) is still being spotted in broad daylight.

FT991 review

The Yaesu FT991 is reviewed in the latest edition of Practical Wireless. Apparently this rig is proving very popular in the UK. I think this is the first review of this rig in the UK.

Lunch - NOT amateur radio

This lunchtime we enjoyed lunch at a local gastro pub with old friends who live quite close to us. They came back to us for tea/coffee afterwards. The food was good as always.

Back to 472kHz WSPR

At about 1800z I went QRT on 10m and 6m WSPR and have returned to 630m (472kHz) WSPR for the evening and night. DK7FC (669km) has been spotted here already many times, although Stefan has one of the best signals on 472kHz WSPR and he is regularly spotted across the Atlantic.

UPDATE 2115z:  No-one has yet spotted me on 472kHz WSPR, but EA5DOM (1525km) is now coming in on MF together with more German and French stations.

UPDATE 2124z:   LA3EQ (769km) has now been spotted a couple of times.

10m and 6m WSPR. No MF last night.

Overnight I stayed on 10m and 6m WSPR and, for a change, I did not go on 630m (472kHz) WSPR. No spots on 10m overnight but G8VDQ (93km) was spotted a few times on 6m. There is definitely a path between us on 6m which is impacted by aircraft Doppler. Not all reception decodes.

At around 1000z I did a reset of my 10m WSPR beacon so if there are any 10m openings this morning I should catch them. At the moment all is quiet on that band.

UPDATE 1005z: I shall be on 10m WSPR and 6m WSPR all day.

UPDATE 1210z:  RZ6AOJ (2780km) has spotted my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon twice so far.

UPDATE 1622z:    RZ6AOJ seems to be the only station spotting me on 10m WSPR. G8VDQ has been spotted on 6m WSPR a few times.  No 10m WSPR spots again.

Sunspots and 10m - Fri Dec 11th 2015

Solar flux is 108 today and the sunspot number 88 (K=3). 10m propagation is yet again forecast to be "poor".  I somehow think 10m WSPR will be better today than of late?

Another day with no 10m WSPR spots from the USA

We are nearing winter and sunspot activity is sliding. Today was yet another day without 10m WSPR spots from the USA. Conditions are on the change sadly.

Stroke voice - NOT amateur radio

Today I had to go to Addenbrooke's Hospital for an outpatient appointment at the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) clinic. This meant having a camera down my nose into my throat. Sadly, the diagnosis was that my poor voice is "neurological" and there is nothing that can be done to make it better. I am seeing the "main man" later just in case, but it sounds like I am stuck with my poor voice unless it gets better over time. This is a blow, although at one time I was told I would never eat ever again. For the last year I've been able to eat just about anything. Moral? Never, ever give up. It maymean I am stuck with digital modes for a long time!

"Our Nectar programme is changing" - NOT amateur radio

Yet another email from one of the many computers at British Gas. Another example when headless chickens make benefits worse than before. British Gas are not alone. Now we will be able to earn fewer Nectar points.  I'd change energy suppliers, but from what I can tell one is as bad as another.

Amateur VLF transmissions

Although my health has rather put a stop to VLF earth-mode tests here, I see that radiated tests are still happening. Uwe, DJ8WX has been doing radiated VLF tests at 8.27kHz recently.

Brazil on 10m WSPR

KD0VWO (7412km) monitoring in Brazil was the only person to spot my 10m 500mW WSPR beacon this morning.

472kHz WSPR overnight

It was good to see EA5DOM (1525km) in the 472kHz logs on RX several times. At some points he was strong at -11dB S/N.  In all, he was spotted 38 times last night. Again this was just using the earth-electrodes and the FT817 without a preamp. He  have a very effective MF system as he gets out well.

I went QRT on 630m (472kHz) WSPR at breakfast and am now active in 6m and 10m WSPR

Sunspots and 10m - Thurs Dec 10th 2015

Solar flux is 108 today and the sunspot number is 77 (K=4). Predictions for 10m propagation remain "poor". 10m cannot be worse than yesterday!  With quite disturbed conditions, I have doubts about 10m WSPR spots from the USA today.

UPDATE 1000z:  All quiet so far on 10m and 6m WSPR.

2m and 70cm UKACs

It must be my age!  My XYL said last Tuesday "have you got a contest tonight?" I said, "no" thinking it was the end of November. Somehow I also read my email reminder of the 70cm UKAC too late last night.  So, I managed to miss both the 2m and 70cm December legs of the monthly RSGB activity contests, thinking it was the end of November still!

Incidentally, my article on the big-wheel antenna for 2m is in the January RadCom. If I had remembered, this is the antenna I would have used! It works well and is a horizontal omni with gain. Mine was very kindly erected by David G0LRD, to whom I am much indebted.

Steve's blog (G1KQH)

A reminder to check out Steve's blog from time to time:

More from the Blog:

http://g1kqh.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/usb-simple-idea-of-attachment.html

 

73 Steve 

http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

 

Sunspots and 10m - Wed Dec 9th 2015

Solar flux is 105 and sunspot number 58. K index is 1 so quite undisturbed today. I think 10m WSPR should open to the USA this afternoon. If not, there is little hope for the rest of the winter and spring! The forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor" though.

UPDATE 1104z:  No spots at all on 10m WSPR as yet. By now, I'd have expected a few Russians on 10m WSPR at least.

Return to 6m and 10m WSPR. QRT on MF

Just before breakfast I returned to 10m and 6m WSPR. G8VDQ (93km) has been spotted several times on 6m WSPR.

Back to MF

I have closed down on 10m and 6m WSPR and returned to 630m (472kHz) for the evening and night. G8VDQ (93km) was spotted 3 times on 6m WSPR probably by a mixture of tropo and aircraft reflection. On 10m WSPR only the single spot of me was by DK6UG this morning. Where are the USA WSPR reports?

UPDATE 2148z:  On 472kHz WSPR just the same stations copied on RX with best DX, so far,  DH5RAE (995km). No-one has copied me yet this evening.

UPDATE 2238z:   PA0O/1 (440km) has copied me this evening on 472kHz WSPR as has G4AYT in Kent.

Stroke exhaustion - NOT amateur radio

It is perhaps surprising that well over 2 years since my stroke, I still get very exhausted so easily. We have had good old friends staying for a couple of nights and after helping to prepare lunch, I was totally exhausted. After 10-15 minutes I am OK again, but anything physical or mental gets me very tired after a short time. I guess I have to accept this is how it is going to be, although people tell me I am getting slowly better. They can see progress, although I cannot generally see it.

ICOM IC7300

Although UK dealers are happy to take a deposit, I am not aware of a "final" (initial!) price or of any shipments. Maybe the design is still be optimised? I would hope that 5MHz is covered as standard as there will be a worldwide allocation (in most countries) from 2017 and some European nations have contiguous allocations of up to 150kHz I believe. Maybe they are looking at the FT991 to see if there are any bands/features that can/should be added?

Personally, I hope they release the 10W version in Europe as well as Japan. This would be a fine successor to the IC703. I'd buy one of these. Buy the 100W version? Probably not.

It is a pity 472kHz TX is not included in any Japanese (any?)  transceivers. I guess this design would stretch the PA and ATU designs too far.

Sunspots and 10m - Tues Dec 8th 2015

Solar flux is 101. Sunspot number is 50 (K=2) but 10m propagation is yet again expected to be "poor". How 10m will be today is anyone's guess!

UPDATE 1054z:  All quiet, so far, on 10m and 6m WSPR here.

UPDATE 1122z:  Again DK6UG (633km) has spotted me on 10m WSPR.