8m tests (Tuesday)

This morning I am doing MSK144 tests with Paul G9PUV nearby Brighton. I am copying him, but he is not copying me. 

UPDATE 0801z:  Sadly he did not copy me. At times he was very strong, presumably by random MS bursts. I guess with his much higher power they were long enough for me to decode Paul. Being much weaker, it would need a very long burst for me to be decoded at his end. We tried. I am sure with a proper MS shower or Es backscatter, we have a chance. Currently FT8 RX on 8m on 40.680 MHz USB dial.

UPDATE 1314z:  No FT8 spots.  I see both S50B and ZS6WAB are monitoring. I think I have a very modest station, so my "experiment" is really to see how 8m does with a QRP station and small wire antenna.

UPDATE 1345z: Now on 40.680 MHz USB dial FT8 TX again. 2 local spots so far. I have still to have a 2-way exchange of reports on 8m.

UPDATE 1530z:   For about the last hour, I have been on 8m 40.680 MHz FT8 RX. No spots. I must see if I can see the Irish beacon EI1KNH near Dublin on 40.013 MHz sending FT8 for part of its cycle. I may just be possible to copy this beacon by tropo, but I expect it will be strong on MS pings just as the old Rosemarkie beacon GB3RMK was on 6m. Even with my poor 6m antenna it peaked on random MS pings every few minutes.

UPDATE 1652z:  The EI1KNH 8m beacon is not copyable by tropo.