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Just after midday local time I returned to 6m having switched off last night. So far, only G4IKZ (18km) is spotting me on WSPR and at excellent strength (+10/+11 dB S/N despite cross-polarisaton). No Es (yet) and no GDX (yet) but there is a lot of time today still to come.

UPDATE 1542z:  Just spots all afternoon from G4IKZ and no-one else so far.

UPDATE 1800z:   CN8LI (2113km) and I have exchanged WSPR spots 7 times since 1604z, many at great strength again. Es I assume although this propagation is almost predictable! No EAs active on WSPR so if multi-hop Es I shall never know.

Again there is a distinct lack of east coast USA stations, so any E-W multi-hop Es events across the Atlantic will go unnoticed on 6m WSPR today. A crying shame. East coast USA WSPR stations – where are you? We need YOU on and active!

UPDATE 1808z:  First Es in the other direction today – OH5MD (1757km) has spotted my 1W ERP at 1800z.

I decided that I wanted to try something new paddle-wise for my lunchtime QRP portable operations. The main criteria was that it had to be on the inexpensive side. That seems to be my main criteria these days where a lot of things are concerned. Besides working well, it would also be nice if  the paddle was light in weight.

Palm paddles would probably be the ultimate, but are way too expensive and would not fit within my meager budget right now. I needed to keep it under $50 if at all  possible.  That really narrows down the possibilities, let me tell you. I have a Whiterook MK-33 single lever paddle.  It works well and it also fits the bill, but it tends to get a bit sloppy around the 22-23 WPM mark.

I had a Bulldog paddle back when I had my K1 and I liked it. However, I included it as part of the K1 package when I sold that radio to raise money for my KX3. So, relying on my memory, I decided to give another Bulldog a try.  I went to the Website: http://www.amateurradioproducts.com/, only to find out that they no longer manufacture the model I had.  Mine was the one on a small triangular wooden base that had three tiny suction cups.

They have several different models now, and I decided to go with the BD6, the Mini-Iambic.  It arrived on Saturday through the mail, and tonight was the first chance I had to try it out.

I have to admit that I was skeptical when I opened up the package that it came in.  It is indeed ‘mini” – in fact, it gets lost in the middle of the 1.5 inch fender washer that serves as a base! But as usual, it turns out that looks are quite deceiving. This little paddle is smooth and is great to use just as it is, no adjustments were required, although  the accompanying instruction sheet tells you how to go about that, if needed.  I worked both W1AW/5 and W1AW/0 tonight at about the 21 WPM range. The paddles acquitted themselves nicely there. Then I turned up the speed a notch to work EV1R and LZ1WR and C6ATT. Even at the speed where the Whiterook goes kaflooey on me, the Bulldog stays sharp, smooth and flawless and had great feel to it. The fact that it was only $35 was icing on the cake. I will definitely bring these along for Field Day. They may be too small for some of our guest operators, but they work great for me!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!

I have now closed down on 6m for the night, but not before spotting G8JNJ/A (184km) at -25dB S/N at 2032z. A little  earlier he spotted me. Otherwise the band is quiet apart from local G4IKZ (18km).

Around teatime I had a couple of Es spots from German stations on 6m.

Apart from CN8LI (2113km) and G4IKZ (18km) no-one else is spotting me or being spotted by me. If these are Es conditions (to CN8LI) I am surprised that more stations are not copyable. No GDX stations being copied either.

The last spot of CN8LI seems to have been at 1544z (no spots since then) and since then I’ve only seen local G4IKZ.

6m spots by CN8LI today (to 1536z)

6m has been good with lots of spots both ways of CN8LI (2113km) during the day. So far, he has spotted me ten times (see below)  and I have spotted him 5 times by 1435z. The common wisdom is this is Es but he is the ONLY DX spot so far and this is long distance for single hop. There is no sign of stations half way if this is double hop Es. Could it be F2-layer 1 hop? He has spotted me twice since (by 1525z).

Spots of my 1W ERP 6m WSPR signal by CN8LI (2113km)

Red legged partridges in the back garden

All my antennas (40m-70cm) are at one end of the garden and don’t spoil the garden view at all.

Back garden

For the last few days I have had my brother and his wife staying here from Devon, so last night I missed out on the 70cm UKAC contest. Today I am back on 6m. Sunspot count is 149 with “good” 20-30MHz propagation with a danger of blackouts. My brother and his wife have gone home today.

Brother trimming our front hedge

G4IKZ (18km) is back on 6m so I can tell that my 6m WSPR is getting out even without Es yet. Note the false (?) decodes +/-50Hz when I am very strong. Not sure whose end this is, but it is not operationally an issue.

Nick’s 6m spots of my 1W ERP WSPR signal so far today.