SFI:67 SN:0 A:10 K:2
With the upcoming 10m ARRL this weekend I decided to check 10m from now on. I really have no idea how 10m is these days. But don't expect too much since we are at the sunspot cycle minimum. I've got a weakness for 10m since I'm actually a gilded CBer. So, this contest is my last one of 2018 and it is actually one of my favourites even without real good propagation. 10m has a surprise element, you don't know what to expect. It went reasonable good last year though I got some comments from stations that listened over the weekend and did only hear noise. I think it is just a difference between QRM in the city and my quiet rural location. Compared to last years multiband vertical the HF5B antenna is much higher and better. But whatever your antenna is....10m is all about propagation. Is it going to be a dramatic year for the 10m ARRL contest? Or will it be reasonable like last year?
For a few years ago WSPR was the mode to check propagation on 10. But these days the FT8 frequency could be a better choice. I left the radio on 10m WSPR today to see if there is any propagation anyway? The antenna is pointed south towards the highest point of the sun at this time of the year. Is it a best choice? It would be better to point the antenna to the sun automatically, but unfortenately I don't have that feature yet...
Results today:
With the upcoming 10m ARRL this weekend I decided to check 10m from now on. I really have no idea how 10m is these days. But don't expect too much since we are at the sunspot cycle minimum. I've got a weakness for 10m since I'm actually a gilded CBer. So, this contest is my last one of 2018 and it is actually one of my favourites even without real good propagation. 10m has a surprise element, you don't know what to expect. It went reasonable good last year though I got some comments from stations that listened over the weekend and did only hear noise. I think it is just a difference between QRM in the city and my quiet rural location. Compared to last years multiband vertical the HF5B antenna is much higher and better. But whatever your antenna is....10m is all about propagation. Is it going to be a dramatic year for the 10m ARRL contest? Or will it be reasonable like last year?
For a few years ago WSPR was the mode to check propagation on 10. But these days the FT8 frequency could be a better choice. I left the radio on 10m WSPR today to see if there is any propagation anyway? The antenna is pointed south towards the highest point of the sun at this time of the year. Is it a best choice? It would be better to point the antenna to the sun automatically, but unfortenately I don't have that feature yet...
Results today:
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| RX, a few bogus reports... OH5XO was received at night, probabely airplane scatter |
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| TX with 1W, some surpises |