QSYed to 10m JT65

At about 1715z I QSYed to 10m JT65 from 6m JT65. I may have left it too late as I have not had any spots on 10m yet. Maybe, there was no European propagation to link to the TEP area? Anyway, I'll leave things running for a few more hours.

UPDATE 1927z: IZ4RE (1138km) spotted me in the last ten minutes.

UPDATE 2200z:  I finally went QRT at around 2145z. In all, 5 South Americans were spotted on 10m JT65, all after dark here.  Best DX on 10m JT65 RX was Argentina. I was not expecting to spot any South Americans on 10m this late. Surprised again!

6m JT65 (2W) and 10m WSPR (500mW)

This morning, I decided to go on 6m JT65 and 10m WSPR.  Just G0LRD (25km) spotting me on 6m and nothing on 10m.

UPDATE 1538z:  F1LII (995km) spotted me on 6m JT65 a few hours ago and EA6SX (1439km) in the Balearic Is was the best DX on 6m JT65 RX. Both these were a total surprise on 6m. Nothing at all on 10m WSPR.

Working QRP SSB stateside DX from the car

This photo was taken in spring 2013 (before my stroke) and shows me working QRP SSB DX from the car on the edge of Dartmoor, Devon. I guess this will never happen again now as SSB is such hard work! I think the band was 15m. Conditions, and the weather, were good.

Cobweb in the dew - NOT amateur radio

This cobweb was covered in dew this morning. We are now very much in autumn and the grass is very wet in the mornings. I hope you like it as much as I do. In every season there is something good.

G3XBM video channel

Just a reminder that I have a video channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/G3XBM . This channel has many of my projects.  Most videos were created before my stroke. I hope you enjoy these.

Sunspots and 10m - Monday October 31st 2016

Solar flux is 75 today. Sunspot number is12 . K=3.

It is hard to believe we are already at the end of October.

24GHz handheld

Well, I missed this at first, but am mightily impressed!

This was spotted on Amateur Radio Weekly, but it first appeared on a blog in Spain. Can you believe it? A 24GHz handheld! What some manage just astounds me.

See ea4eoz.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/24ghz-old-way.html?utm_source=amateur-radio-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

UK clock change and 10m

In the end, I gave CQWW a miss today (because of my voice) and stayed on 10m JT65.

I keep forgetting that the UK clocks went back last night (we are now GMT until the end of March) and that it will be dark an hour earlier tonight. So, I have to remember that any DX on 10m is likely to peak an hour earlier. So far, just a single Brazilian spotted on 10m JT65 today. With the earlier darkness, it is less likely there will be many (or any) more today. I think the chances of USA spots on 10m has passed for today. I guess this needs a lower K index and a higher sunspot number, although I am no expert.

UPDATE 1536z:  I have just spotted a station in Faro, Portugal, CT4RC (1814km) on 10m JT65 at 1528z, although no further South Americans. If the South Americans are coming through by TEP, then the Portuguese station indicates some chance of linking into this TEP from the UK.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_and_FM_DX#Transequatorial_propagation_.28TEP.29  . This article is about FM and TV DXing, but it gives some insight into TEP.

UPDATE 1725z:  In the last 15 minutes 2 more Brazilians (Sao Paulo area) have been spotted on 10m JT65. This is consistent with TEP and an extension to northern Europe by some other mode of propagation.

UPDATE 1800z:  Now 5 South American spotted on 10m JT65 with the best RX DX being CX3BA (11131km) in Uruguay.  I am more convinced than ever that this is TEP with extension to northern Europe.

UPDATE 1925z:  No further South Americans in the last 3/4 hour. In the end 9 South Americans spotted with best DX on RX Argentina. I am wondering if we are seeing TEP extended by southern hemisphere Es? I doubt we'll see more South American spots tonight on 10m JT65.

Halloween - NOT amateur radio

Call me a killjoy if you like,  but I think Halloween has been commercilised here in the UK. A few years ago Halloween was nothing special. Now, it is BIG business. Tills are ringing and we are all sucked in. No, the prime reason it is now so big is MONEY and PROFITS, pure and simple. It stinks.

Autumn - NOT amateur radio

It seems only a few weeks since we were in summer, but it is definitely autumn here. We still have sweet peas out in the garden, we have still to have a first frost, but the trees have turned and the colours are great.