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On 10m G4DAY (142km) was copied twice in the early morning and again at 0940z.

Es has been plentiful this morning.   Looking at the WSPR screen earlier there was lots of MS about with several traces of intermittent (non decoding) signals on 10m WSPR, presumably UK or EU signals reflecting off meteor trails. Es so far includes DL6UG, DL6NL, EB3EPR, EA5CYA,  LB9YE and HB9JOI.

Also spotted FR1GZ (9724km) by F2 propagation at 1038z, 1122z and again at 1128z.

10m is a far more productive band than 6m. Interestingly, G4DAY (10W) was being spotted by Es several times in the night suggesting Es propagation was there but not good enough to allow my 2W to be decoded. For some Es and GDX it seems 10W helps.

In the last few minutes I have moved back to 10m WSPR from 6m. On 6m I was still getting GDX spots but no Es. On 10m there is still Es about and already I have been spotted by SA6BSS (1059km) and am spotting LB9YE (1533km), decent DX across Europe.

I have reset the clock on internet time and will leave 10m running through the night. We’ll see how early the first 10m Es and F2 start appearing, as long as the PC does not crash!

Sunspot count was 159 today (pretty good) with 20-30MHz propagation “normal”. Let us hope tomorrow will be similar and we get some F2 propagation on 10m.

LB9YE and I have been exchanging WSPR spots since 0458z this morning. In both directions there is considerable Doppler. On another signal (not currently decoding) there are clear signs of meteor reflections as the signals are strong but in short bursts. I wonder if MS was playing a part in LB9YE’s decodes?

Earier in the night PB0AIC (288km) was decoded STRONGLY at -8dB S/N . At this range I assumes this was early morning tropo or again possibly MS? At the very same time 0404z, G8VDQ (93km) , was decoded strongly at -12dB S/N.

Otherwise all quiet on the Es front.

I do wonder sometimes about Es (SPORADIC E-layer) reflections. Many signals do come into this category with fleeting, often quite localised, strong openings, but many others are anything but sporadic. Are these really Es as we know it or some other propagation?

At 1936z G8VDQ (93km) in IO91um was spotted here at -26dB S/N.  When there are GDX stations they seem to be copied. G8VDQ’s signal had -3Hz Doppler, suggesting aircraft reflection was involved.

UPDATE 1950z:  Es is still in evidence with DK6UG spotting me 4 times (so far) now at around -22/-23dB S/N.

UPDATE 2120z:  Es again; this time  IK1WVQ (1084km)  spotted at -20dB S/N.

There has been no Es here since 1714z. I shall leave 10m WSPR running as it is quite possible there will be Es later, but the last hour has been very quiet on 10m.

At 1816z just spotted G0LRD who is a semi-local at a strong -13dB S/N. A few minutes later he spotted me at -23dB S/N. This may be conditions or that my antenna could be improved or is (unintentionally) directional.

UPDATE 1906z:  Still no more Es here this evening since 1714z. Intrigued why G0LRD is so much better here than me with him. Don’t imagine Dave has a very bad noise issue on 10m at his QTH so it is probably the antenna inefficiency here. I’d like to try a different antenna for 10m but this means antenna work which is very hard currently. The present antenna covers 10, 20 and 40m which is very useful and it does seem to get most of the F2 and Es stations OK. My 2W WSPR has been copied in Australia this year on 10, 20 and 40m.

UPDATE 1926z:    Es still around on 10m. DK6UG (633km) spotting me at -22dB S/N at 1922z which is similar to the report he gave G0LRD. We are both running around 2W.

Just noticed that I spotted G4HZW (209km) at -22dB S/N this morning on 10m WSPR. This is a good GDX distance but it does not surprise me. Later this afternoon  G8JNJ/A (184km) was spotted at -24dB S/N.

During evening time 10m contests organised by the RSGB during sunspot minima I could regularly work stations up and down the country when I was using 10W SSB and CW and just dipoles at my end.

209km with 2W WSPR sounds very do-able. Oh for more GDX stations on 10m, and 6m!

UPDATE 1520z:  OZ7IT spotting me on Es at a STRONG -11dB S/N. Even if little GDX is around there are Es openings to be enjoyed at this time of the year.

CX2ABP (11127km) and FR1GZ (9724km) have both been spotted here today on 10m WSPR, so there was/is N-S F2-layer propagation on 10m, as expected.  So far only EA1KV (1304km) has spotted my 2W 10m signal, but it is early days.

I will stick on 10m at least this afternoon but may go back to 6m later chasing transatlantic Es DX.

It is possible that this 10m N-S DX propagation is a mix of F2-layer and Es. EA1KV is spotting me consistently via Es and it could be only F2-layer from further south where the F2 MUF will be higher?

UPDATE 1530z:  More Es about now on 10m. Spots from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. As I recall from previous Es seasons, openings to Scandinavia seem to become more frequent later in the Es season. Is this to do with thunderstorm activity or some more obscure Es connection? PA0O (440km) is also being spotted by me. This could be short skip Es, or even tropo. I notice G4IKZ regularly spots him by tropo on 6m.

10m unique WSPR spots so far today (now 1545z)