6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

Looking at my Facebook memories today, I noticed that I monitored 6m FT8 a few years ago and was spotted by several stations by mid-winter Es. So, I have decided to try 50.313MHz FT8 with my 2.5W and V2000 vertical omni. At 0925z, just one G spotting me with a couple of stations received including a station in Brittany, France.

UPDATE 1224z:   Several G spots of me. Best DX on RX was a station in Germany.

UPDATE 1500z:   There looks to be some winter Es about. I have been spotted by 10 stations and have spotted stations on 6m FT8 as far as southern France.

UPDATE 1717z: 12 stations spotted my QRP 6m FT8 today with the furthermost OH1MN (1633km). See map.

UPDATE 1902z: 14 stations have spotted me including 3 in Scandinavia, presumably by winter Es.

8m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W and dipole were turned on at 1116z. 

UPDATE 1429z:  No spots.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

My system (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni) has been on for hours, with no spots at all on RX or TX. It would appear there is nobody on unless there is Es or F2 about.

UPDATE 1720z:  No spots all day. QSYing shortly to 630m QRP  WSPR.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 6m FT8 gear (2.5W to a V2000 vertical omni) was turned on about 0940z. So far, absolutely nothing on RX or TX. I would have expected some activity on a Sunday morning if only a few local Gs. I checked that everything was correct: timing, SWR, frequency, antenna, co-ax,  WSJT-X restarted etc.   As far as I can tell, all is fine.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

At about 1250z, my 6m QRP FT8 was turned on. So far, at 1255z, spotted by just 1 local G6KWA (22km).

UPDATE 1333z: Spotted by OH7PS (1698km) a burst of Es or even F2? I suppose it could have been random MS.

UPDATE 1417z: 2 locals have spotted me, 1 G further afield and one OH.

European Conditions

At the moment, conditions in Europe do not look too promising. At the moment, I am inclined to try 6m FT8, although I suspect most or all of the reports of my 2.5W to the V2000 will be from England.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

This morning, I am on 6m QRP FT8 with my 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. At 0831z, I have been spotted by 2 stations and I have spotted 1 station. All these were in England.

UPDATE 0927z: Still just 2 UK stations spotting me. I have spotted 2 stations on PSKreporter and I spotted EI2CN working a French station.

UPDATE 1037z: 3 English stations have spotted my 6m QRP. No further spots on RX.

UPDATE 1250z:  No further spots.

UPDATE 1402z:  5 English stations have spotted me today. I suspect these are by tropo or aircraft scatter? No spots outside the UK.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical was turned on at about 0800z. No spots yet. If things look promising, I may try 8m QRP FT8.

UPDATE 0849z:  So far, spots of my QRP from 4 UK stations. I suspect some are by aircraft reflection with the furthermost GW4VXE (367km),

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

 Although I have been on for about 15 minutes, no spots have appeared on PSKreporter. I rechecked frequency, time sync and restarted WSJT-X. The internet connection works fine. 

Either PSKreporter has a long delay, or is not working as there are plenty of monitors that usually spot me that are within range.

UPDATE 0920z:  Darn Windows updates! Since doing the updates, I am being spotted. It is almost as if until the update was done, no spots could be seen. On my Chromebook, updates are done seemlessly, which is far better.

UPDATE 0950z: 3 spots of my QRP 6m FT8 with the furthermost DL3BUA (939km) near the Polish border. There is still life on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1034z:  Still just those 3 spots of me on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1150z: Now 4 spots including G8EEM (208km).

UPDATE 1206z:  4 spots of others on RX with the furthermost OZ8R (819km).

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna was turned on just after 0600z this morning. Plenty of Es with my QRP spotted by 12 stations including several in southern Europe. I have since QSYed to 8m.

Sunday plans

At the moment, it would appear most propagation on 10m is F2. Just occasionally there is a burst of Es, but it is far rarer than a few months ago.

My plans for tomorrow are 500mW beaconing on 10m WSPR TX and 6m QRP FT8. If thing look really promising, I may try 8m QRP FT8.

Incidentally, Belgian Class A stations have now got access to 8m.   I hope to be copied in Belgium and spot some Belgians, probably by tropo. I hope many administrations follow suit.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My 2.5W 6m FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni was turned on just before breakfast. Already spotted by 8 stations with the furthermost DK8NE/6 (702km). Was this random MS? All the other spots were G.

UPDATE 1000z:  12 spots of me in 3 countries so far (G, DK and EI).

UPDATE 1845z:  24 spots of me. I suspect the OH stations are Es.

UPDATE 1955z:  OH7EBY (2107km) spotting my 2.5W to an omnivertical is not bad for September. QRT soon.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

For about the last hour, I have been on 6m FT8 with my 2.5W and V2000 vertical omni antenna. Nine stations have spotted me today so far, but I suspect these are all aircraft scatter as they are all UK. 

UPDATE 1608z: 12 stations spotted .

UPDATE 1946z:  14 spots of my QRP FT8.  Es? (See Map).

UPDATE 2118z: QRT. 

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 After about an hour plenty of spots of my 2.5W to the vertical omni antenna including Italy and Northern Ireland.

UPDATE 1248z:  Any Es today looks fleeting with no further Europeans spotting me in recent hours.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

Today, the early start on 6m FT8 QRP resulted in 3 QSOs across Europe. My gear is 2.5W to the omni V2000 vertical antenna. 

UPDATE 0803z: 45 stations across Europe have spotted my QRP 6m FT8 today.

6m QRP FT8 tomorrow?

As an experiment, I may try 50.313 MHz QRP FT8 tomorrow. The main Es season is over, but Es still occurs, but less often. FT8, which is better than CW, uses a 15 second TX period. If propagation lasts this long, one has a great chance of being detected. Often Es signals can be quite strong, if short-lived.

I like to experiment on 8m FT8, but there are too few monitors sadly.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

Today, I am currently on 50.313 MHz vertical on FT8 with my 2.5W. Already 2 G spots of me shortly after 0500z. My antenna is the V2000 vertical omni. 

UPDATE 0729z: 10 spots of my QRP so far.

European Es season

It looks like the main Es season in the northern hemisphere is just about over but, as I remind people, Es can occur at any time. OK, the days when 10m or 6m may be open for hours may be over for this year, but there will still be times.

This is why FT8 can be so useful, sniffing out very brief openings that in the past would have gone unnoticed. Frequently, the 27 MHz CB band is busy, yet 10m is quiet. This suggests decent propagation, but a lack of activity. These days, there is little excuse. Just 15 seconds of FT8 transmission is all that is needed to prove a path is "open".

See https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My gear (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni) has been on since breakfast. So far just spotted in the British Isles with the furthermost a spot by EI3KD (583km). On RX the furthermost is Latvia.

UPDATE 1042z:  My 2.5W has just been spotted in the Canary Islands Is by EA8DBM (3016km). So far today, 25 stations have spotted my 6m QRP FT8 in 7 countries. I think this is Es but it could be F2. Almost certainly Es as I am now getting lots of spots from Spain and Portugal on 6m QRP FT8.

UPDATE 1320z:  43 stations have now spotted my QRP 6m FT8 today.

UPDATE 1606z:  59 stations have spotted me so far (see map).

6m FT8 (Monday)

My 6m FT8 QRP gear has (2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni) has been on most of the morning.   So far, 73 stations have spotted me today.

Stations spotting my
QRP 6m FT8 today

UPDATE 1435z: 117 stations have spotted my 2.5W 6m FT8 today. Who said the Es season has ended?