Sunspots and 10m - Tues March 22nd 2016

Solar flux 89 today. Sunspot number is 25 (K=2) and the forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor" today. Yesterday, with similar conditions, my 2W 10m WSPR was spotted many times in Brazil and Israel. There was also some short-skip in the early morning on 10m.

UPDATE 1035z:  No spots on 10m WSPR here as yet.

That balloon again!

The Bristol balloon is now over North Africa, having been all around the globe.

See http://tracker.habhub.org/#!mt=roadmap&mz=0&qm=All&f=UBSEDS14&q=UBSEDS14

Frog (or is it a toad?) - NOT amateur radio

For the first time since last summer we saw this fellow in the garden. I think it is a frog rather than a toad, but I am no expert. Last year we saw these most times we were in the garden. This one was about 10cm long, maybe less. We have no ponds in the garden so I don't know where it comes from.

Hambay - free ads to sell amateur gear

Southgate News reports there is a new site (from April 2016) with free ads to sell amateur gear. It is linked here in good faith. Not having ever used this site caveat emptor, buyer beware.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/march/new_uk_amateur_radio_free_ads_site.htm .

FTSE 100 - NOT amateur radio

After early losses, the UK share index has climbed a bit and is in positive territory (just) as I write this.

Early Es on 10m?

Barely 15 minutes on 10m WSPR and I am exchanging strong WSPR spots with DK1MAX (891km). Is this short-skip Es? Nothing else yet copied and this was a total surprise. I was not expecting spots until much later.

UPDATE 0934z: Now spotting OE6PWD (1232km) on 10m WSPR. Surely this is Es. Perhaps I should try 6mWSPR today?

UPDATE 0954z:  4X1RF (3519km) is now spotting my 2W 10m WSPR. This is early and promising. I suppose this could be double hop Es, although single hop F2 is more probable, I think. HA9EL (1455km) has exchanged 10m WSPR spots and this could mean there is a chance of multi-hop Es.

UPDATE 1334z:  4X1RF (3519km) has spotted my 2W 10m WSPR no less than 10 times so far today.

UPDATE 1832z:  Several late spots from Brazil on 10m WSPR.

Pasties - NOT amateur radio

We bought some meat from Waitrose on a "3 for £10" deal, which was good meat at very good prices. As there is some beef left over from the stew at lunch yesterday, the plan is to make some homemade pasties for lunch.  My wife will do the pastry and I'll do the rest. I love pasties!

The pasty is famous in Cornwall. At one time it was a favorite with tin miners with savories at one end and jam at the other - a complete meal in your hand. Some of the best pasties in the world are made by Ivor Dewdney in Plymouth.

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

The image below is NOT on this site and will be removed if linking it is a problem.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Cornish_pasty.jpeg/1024px-Cornish_pasty.jpeg

Sunspots and 10m - Mon March 21st 2016

Solar flux is 88 today. Sunspot number is 25 (K=2) and 10m propagation is, yet again, forecast to be "poor".

I QSYed from MF to 10m WSPR at 0915z. No overnight surprises on 472kHz.

Back on 472kHz WSPR

At about 1925z I QSYed from 10m down to 630m (472kHz) WSPR. I shall be on 472kHz WSPR for the evening and night with 5mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I am on RX 80% of the time.

UPDATE 1940z:  I see that G0LRD (25km) spotted me strongly on 472kHz WSPR.

UPDATE  2200z:  It helps to have the "upload spots" box ticked!  I was wondering why WSPRnet had others spotting me but I was, apparently, not spotting anyone. Then the penny dropped. Doh.

QRP Club News

More from Oleg:

Dear Club 72 members and friends,
See full QRP Rendez-Vous weekly report and "soapbox" on blog page - http://qrp-club72.blogspot.ru/
Visitors  of  the  week: UA1ADF, UA6BFE, DL4ZBY, G3UD, OE6GWG, DL4AM, RD7K,  DF3QE,  RU3NJC, RV3GM, UA1CEX, UA9MLY, UR0ET, R1CAF, UA1CEG/p, OM6TC,  UX3MC,  OH6NPV, UR7VT, UA1ASB, DF5SF, Z35M/p, G3KJC, YU1WC/p, RX3DIT, VR2/RV3DSA, IZ1ELP, G3VBS, G3VXJ, RA3AL/m, R2FAE, EW1CY, ON6KZ
OE6GWG  and  G3VBS became Honor Frequenters of "rendezvous" -
Thanks for activity!
See you ALL on next "rendezvous" round tables!
72! Oleg RV3GM / KH6OB "Mr. 72"

Chinese 40m Pixie Transceivers

Looking in eBay recently I see that a 40m Chinese Pixie can be obtained for just £2.27 including free postage from China. Last year I bought one from a different supplier and it worked first time. I have no idea how they do these and make a profit at this price.

At these prices you cannot go wrong. If it goes wrong you've only wasted the cost of a coffee in a cafe. The amateur kit market is a tough one. If the Chinese can do kits at low, low prices what hope do the likes of the revamped Heathkit have? No, being in the amateur radio kit market is not for the faint-hearted.

Crystals

Often people want to buy crystals, but find these very expensive these days. There are alternative ways of getting specific frequencies these days using synthesiser chips, but some crystal frequencies can still be obtained inexpensively. GQRP club has a good range at reasonable prices (especially crystals for QRP frequencies) but Kanga UK also do a good range.

Return to 10m WSPR

10m WSPR beckoned and I returned at around 1015z. On 40m WSPR I was spotted in the USA late in the night.  Conditions on 40m have been better and it was an uneventful night.

UPDATE 1330z: 4X1RF (3519km) has spotted me 4 times on 10m WSPR so far today. I assume this is single hop F2. No other spots given or received on 10m WSPR so far.

UPDATE 1936z:  Several spots from Brazil on 10m WSPR. Who needs a high sunspot number?

Sunspots and 10m - Sun March 20th 2016

Solar flux is 89 today and sunspot number is 26 (K=2). 10m propagation is forecast to be "poor" again, although I rarely find this is so!

Quy - NOT amateur radio

Quy, Near Cambridge

Every year they hold the Fenland Country Fair near here. At this time of the year it is very quiet. A few years ago I saw some kingfishers here. Today, a buzzard and a couple of little egrets flew over.

QSYed to 40m WSPR

I have now gone QRT on 10m WSPR and QSYed to 40m WSPR for the evening and overnight period. Plenty of reports (15) of my first transmission. No great DX, but plenty of reports.

Getting ready for summer? - NOT amateur radio

Burwell Cricket Team getting ready for summer?

As we walked past today, it looks like the Burwell cricket team was getting ready for the new season.

Tan House, Burwell, Cambs

The Tan House is the biggest house in the village and was once the home of Francis Pimm who was at one time Foreign Secretary in the government.

Sherwood tests

See http://www.sherweng.com/table.html .

When it comes to comparing radios, the best place to look is the Sherwood Engineering page. Here, the main parameters of each rig are measured so you can see how they compare. This is the page to look.

See also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbgHVwNF9W8&feature=youtu.be&list=PLRSwUN4qr1LpSG3CfFHy_L5z917EJYBKd .

So, 10m WSPR surprised me again!

Really, I was expecting very little on 10m today and I go and spot Australia (again) and get spotted many times in Israel. This seems to happen so often!  Even with low sunspot numbers, lowish solar flux and disturbed conditions, 10m, yet again, surprises. No wonder some also call 10m a "magic band" like 6m. This really is a case where WSPR still shows the band is good for real DX.

10m WSPR so far today

UPDATE 1322z:  LU8EX (11208km) has recently been spotted. So far today, 10m has been pretty good.

Sunspots and 10m - Sat March 19th 2016

Solar flux is 91 today. Sunspot number has dropped to 29 (K=4) and 10m propagation is again forecast to remain "poor".  Unless we get a surprise, 10m is not looking good today. Perhaps the best I should expect are Gs?

UPDATE 1022z:  Not surprisingly, no spots on 10m WSPR as yet.

Return to 10m WSPR

After an evening and night on 630m WSPR (no surprises) I returned to 10m WSPR a few minutes ago. As yet, no spots.

Moving to 472kHz WSPR

Well, what a disappointment 10m WSPR has been today.  Just 2 spots from G4CUI (172km) earlier and nothing else all day. I am about to QSY to 472kHz WSPR where even my 5mW ERP gets spotted and I always spot DX.

I shall stay on 472kHz WSPR overnight until breakfast time.

UPDATE 1705z:  I have now moved to 472kHz WSPR.

UPDATE 1840z:   G4FKK (106km) has spotted me many times so far tonight. As yet, I have not spotted others tonight.

OFCOM added value?

See http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/mobile-coverage-enhancers/statement/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mobile-coverage-enhancers-statement.

OFCOM busy again. These people do so much. How do they find the time?

An aging mainly male hobby?

My comment on ours being a hobby mainly of older men has received quite a few comments on amateurradio.com. Not sure of your view, but our hobby will have to change in the coming years or it will fade away. What interested us may not be the same for young people in the 21st century.

There are some ideas here which we should think about.
See http://www.amateurradio.com/hobby-30-years/#comments .

One example from CN8VY:

Roger,
I agree with you 100%.
Ham is missing one after the other all the game-changing opportunities: the wifi-wireless revolution, Drones becoming general consumer goods, solar and alternative energy, the need of a fitter lifestyle (trecking and extreme sports), the global outcry for Solidarity, etc
All the items I have mentioned here are of concern to men, women, kids all over the world. We ham are unable to contribute seriously to them and “surf” the wave and get newbies. Let me make myself clear with one example. If you go to a public park anywhere in North America or Europe, set up a small solar panel or a wind generator, start using a small radio to send GPS data or weather bulletrins, you will get a lot a lot a lot of attention and interest. You will see teens and young active adults come and ask you about the set up. Initially, they don’t care at all about RF. They are attracted by the solar stuff and the resilience to power shortage. This is the good starting point to convert may be 10% of them to ham.

More on that Bristol balloon

Southgate News reports that this balloon has crossed the Pacific Ocean.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/march/uk_student_balloon_crosses_pacific.htm.

Some notes on WSPR 4 from G3UDI

This came from Bob G3UDI:

A few notes on WSPR-4
Downloading software Follow George M1GEO: http://www.george-smart.co.uk/wiki/Compiling_WSPR Linux and Windows. Another useful site is VK2TPM: http://blog.marxy.org/2014/11/wspr-on-ubuntu-1410.html Linux only. I used older instructions as here: http://www.george-smart.co.uk/w/index.php?title=Compiling_WSPR&oldid=5027 I am using Linux Mint-17 and have no direct experience of running WSPR under Windows.
Issues WSPR-4 is a bit flaky, particularly in uploading to the database and maps, in both Linux and Windows. There is a newer version, WSPR-X, and this appears to be even more flaky according to various forums.
Uploading Spots to WSPR database: Spots are held in file ALL_WSPR.TXT. This file is a complete log of all WSPR activity rx and tx. It can be cleared from the gui. The location of the file is not too obvious: ~/.local/share/WSPR/ALL_WSPR.T

XT They are uploaded to the WSPR database. Confusingly there are references to the "old database interface" although this is the working interface. 1. In real time: check "Upload spots" box in WSPR gui; starts from the time when the box is checked. Sometimes data is not shown in interface, but it is always registered. 2. To upload all new spots manually. Open site http://wsprnet.org; click on "Database" in top right- hand corner; scroll to bottom of Database; click on Link to old database interface. Enter callsign and Maidenhead locator. In the box labelled "Location of ALL_MEPT.TXT" enter the location of ALL_WSPR.TXT. Then click on "Upload spots".
3. To upload all new spots automatically.
1. Obtain a copy of curl. In linux : sudo apt-get install curl . This is a general program for transferring data to/from a server, with a huge number of options. 2. The key command is, all on one line: curl -F allmept=@Desktop/ALL_WSPR.TXT -F call=g3udi -F grid=JO02de wsprnet.org/meptspots.php Desktop/ALL_WSPR.TXT is the location of ALL_WSPR.TXT, callsign and Maidenhead locator are obvious, allmept is the receiving file at the wsprnet target. The rest of the mumbo-jumbo are curl options. 3. Under Windows the procedure is similar. 4. See attached for my Linux script and the Windows option of N8FQ, taken from the WSPR site. Also screenshot of operation using HiQSDR + Quisk software.
Bob g3udi 18/3/2016

Dull again - NOT amateur radio

Spring flowers

We have had a mild, wet winter here in East Anglia, UK. There have been more muddy, wet puddles than I can ever recall. I have lived in this part of the UK since 1970.  They were forecasting a very cold winter. Mind you, they said this last year! At some point they will be correct. Most spring flowers came out very early.

It re-enforces my view that the most reliable forecast is to look out of the window! We had rain last night, but I don't think it was forecast.

Sunspots and 10m - Friday March 18th 2016

Solar flux and sunspot number are both 66 today. K=3 and the forecast for 10m propagation remains "poor" today.

UPDATE  1045z:  Not surprisingly, no spots on 10m WSPR, as yet.

UPDATE 1218z:  Just a single spot of my 2W by G4CUI (172km) on 10m WSPR, so far. It is very very quiet here at the moment with no DX spotted or spotting me.

472kHz WSPR overnight

Last night, I followed my usual pattern and closed down on 10m and 6m WSPR and went on 630m WSPR overnight.  My 5mW ERP WSPR on MF was copied in Norway again by LA3EQ (769km). Otherwise nothing special, although I was copied in Belgium and Holland again on 472kHz WSPR.

I have now QSYed to 10m WSPR (2W 20% TX, 80% RX).

Ickworth (National Trust) - NOT amateur radio

Lambs at Ickworth

As members of the National Trust, we are very lucky to have several properties with fine grounds nearby.  Today, as the sun was shining, we went to Ickworth not far from Bury St Edmunds. Although there were lots of lambs, the daffodils are still not out, in the main. A few are, but most are still in bud. All the NT places nearby are very different. We also made use of our free "tea for 2" voucher which came with a card.

Back on MF WSPR overnight

As it now after dark, I have gone QRT on 6m and 10m WSPR and QSYed to 630m (472kHz) until after breakfast tomorrow.  So far, the best DX on RX is LA1TN (1269km) and on TX (5mW ERP) G6AVK (78km).

On 6m and 10m WSPR

Local G4NUA (12km) was exchanging strong spots with me on 10m, so I decided to swap to my W5OLF 10m WSPR beacon (500mW) and use the FT817 to go on 6m WSPR at the same time (1W ERP vertical). The W5OLF beacon takes about 20 minutes to settle before I start getting reports.

UPDATE 1718z:  No reports, well not yet anyway, of my 500mW beacon on 10m WSPR. G8VDQ (93km) has been spotted several times on 6m WSPR.

10m and 6m Es

The sporadic-E (Es) season will soon be with us in the northern hemisphere. This usually peaks May to July, although there are openings less frequently outside these times. I shall probably return to 6m WSPR soon in the hope of catching some short-skip DX on the band. If I go on 6m, I shall return to the W5OLF beacon on 10m. This stand alone 500mW WSPR beacon runs 100% TX but randomises the TX frequency within the WSPR window. In previous summers I have been copied by 4X1RF (3519km) on 6m WSPR. Although the conventional wisdom is that this is multi-hop Es, I have my doubts. Es yes, probably, but some sort of chordal hop?

630m (472kHz) WSPR overnight

G0MRF (103km) was very strong and consistently spotted, but otherwise the same stations spotted and spotting me. With 5mW ERP I think it unlikely I'll be spotted by anyone else now this spring on 472kHz WSPR.

Sunspots and 10m - Thurs March 17th 2016

Solar flux is 92 today. On average this is gradually decreasing. It is typically below 100 now. Sunspot number is 53 (K=5) and the 10m propagation forecast remains "poor". Although I have been on 10m WSPR since about 0700z, I am not really expecting great things, although I have frequently been proved very wrong on 10m.

UPDATE 0850z:  No 10m WSPR spots as yet today, although it is very early.

Amateur Radio Balloons

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/march/ubseds14_flying_across_pacific.htm .

Quite a few radio amateurs are "into" balloons. These often contain tracking systems so they can sometimes be recovered. Tracking the flights and constructing the lightweight electronics is a challenge. Southgate News reports on one such flight. Some of the distances covered are remarkable.

Ads from the past

AmateurRadio.com has an interesting post with old ads from 73 magazine back in the 1960s. As the post says, we have come a long way.

See http://www.amateurradio.com/50-years-ago-ads-73-magazine/#more-44841 .

Summer bird migrants returning - NOT amateur radio

The wheatears have started arriving back in Devon and soon it will be martins and swallows. The long winter will soon be behind us.

See http://www.devonbirds.org/news/bird_news/devon_bird_sightings .

The image below is not on this site but at the link below. It will be removed if a problem.
http://www.devonbirds.org/images/library/dbn/public/stoke_point_male_wheatear_10617_0.jpg.

Wheatear in Devon

Our hobby in 30 years?

Although I cannot speak for other countries, here in the UK ours is a hobby mainly of older people and mainly men.  When I was fitter, I gave several talks to local radio clubs in East Anglia and without exception it was mainly OAPs who came along. OK there were a few youngsters and women, but the vast majority were older men.

Amateurs and SWLs are a dying breed, unless we can attract young people into the hobby. I am 67 and will be dead within 30 years, probably a lot sooner. An aging population will not buy so many rigs, will not support magazines etc. Numbers will fall, activity will fall, interest will drain away.

In 20-30 years we will be very much in uncharted territory. What will our hobby be like in years to come?

Sunspots and 10m -Tues March 16th 2016

Solar flux is 93 today. Sunspot number is 44 (K=2) and the 10m propagation forecast remains "poor", although I rarely find an absence of 10m DX even when the forecast is "poor".

A lot of 10m seeming dead is people taking a casual look, hearing no stations, and moving down the bands. If on SSB or CW call CQ.  Better still, go on WSPR - little power is needed and if DX is about you will find it!