6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is turned on. After about an hour 2 stations have spotted me on FT8.

UPDATE 1725z:  18 stations have spotted me (see map) with the furthermost DF6HT (806km).

6m QRP FT8 ( Wednesday)

I QSYed to 6m FT8 from 2m using 2.5W and the vertical omni V2000 antenna. 8 stations have spotted me at 1136z. 

UPDATE 1436z:  11 UK stations have spotted me today on 6m FT8.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My 2.5W FT8 to the vertical V2000 antenna was turned on about 1300z. So far, just UK spots of me.

UPDATE 1948z:  Some spots from Portugal of my 2.5W QRP 6m FT8 today.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 My 6m FT8 QRP (2.5W to a vertical omni V2000 antenna) is on.  So far just a spot by M1ABK (70km).

UPDATE 1140z:  3 stations have spotted me with the furthermost SM7KOJ (935km).

UPDATE 1405z:  11 stations have spotted my QRP (better than I was expecting), but I  am unsure of the propagation. I am sure it is not F2 backscatter, so it is possibly aircraft scatter or patches of Es. 

UPDATE  1445z: No further stations spotting me, suggesting the propagation is some short-lived mechanism such as aircraft or Es that quickly went.

UPDATE 1701z:  12 stations have spotted my 6m FT8 today.

6m QRP FT8 (Thursday)

 

My 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna is on and 6 stations have spotted me.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My QRP 6m FT8 was turned on at about 1128z. So far, my 2.5W to the V2000 vertical have been spotted by 2 G stations.

UPDATE 1929z:   11 stations haves spotted me (see map). QSYed to 630m QRP WSPR. Winter Es?

6m FT8 (Sunday)

As activity levels on 8m are very low at the moment, I am on 6m FT8 with 2.5W and the V2000 vertical omni antenna. So far, 7 stations have spotted me with the furthermost IW9FRA (1847km) . See the map.  It would appear there is some winter Es about.

6m FT8 QRP (Saturday)

Just a local spotting is me today so far.

UPDATE 1533z:  14 stations have spotted me. Some possible winter Es in evidence.

6m QRP FT8

My gear was turned on at 0800z.  At 1016z just local spots.

UPDATE 1408z:   11 spots of my 2.5W in 4 countries (see map).

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.