Botanic Garden, Cambridge - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday we dodged the showers and went to the Botanical Gardens in Cambridge. As I mentioned yesterday, another week and the trees could be bare.  At the moment it looks very autumnal.

Tuesday's QRP

Today I started out on 10m WSPR (500mW) - no spots, and 6m JT65 (2W) - just spots from G0LRD (25km). Later, I shall probably go to just 10m JT65.

Sunspots and 10m - Tuesday November 8th 2016

Solar flux is 76 today and sunspot number 23. K=1.

QRT - all bands

After listening a bit after 2000z on 10m JT65 and taking part in the East Cambs net on 144.575MHz FM, I decided to go QRT on all bands. I shall be back on 10m JT65 tomorrow, hoping for better results than today.

OFCOM - microwave licence free operation

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-3/wt-exemption-2016 .

OFCOM has published notes on licence exempt use of some microwave bands.

Cambridge Botanical Garden - NOT amateur radio

We checked the weather forecast this morning and it said no rain all day. In fact, it said full sun much of the day. So we decided to go to the Botanical Garden in Cambridge. Yes, you guessed right - it rained! Really, you cannot plan anything based on the UK weather forecasts! We dodged the showers and managed some nice autumnal shots.

Another week and the best of autumn colours would be gone.

Return to 10m JT65

After a day on 20m, I returned to 10m JT65 a few moments ago. 10m is more of a challenge than 20m, which proved very easy with lots of spots at 2W. As yet, no spots.

UPDATE 1005z: RV6FT (3095km) near Krasnodar spotted already on 10m JT65. F2?

UPDATE 1832z:  No further spots all day on 10m JT65 here. No Es. No South Americans. Altogether, disappointing.

Sunspots and 10m - Monday November 7th 2016

Solar flux is 77 today and the sunspot number 24. K=1

Currently on 20m JT65

Last night and overnight I have been (still am) on 20m JT65. Things didn't start to liven up before this morning. I guess the band was "dead" last night with little or no propagation. As an experiment, I shall remain on 14.076MHz JT65 for a while longer before I move up to 10m, which is more interesting.

UPDATE 1014z: Busy on 20m JT65!! The image shows the stations spotting me so far. Quite a few despite a low antenna and just 2W. There is far more challenge on 10m JT65. I'll give 20m a few more hours, then QSY to 10m. I am glad I tried 20m JT65, but it is too easy and I like a challenge.

UPDATE 1322z: Lots and lots of 20m JT65 spots including the USA down as far as Georgia. I've decided to stay on 20m JT65 for the rest of the day and go back on 10m JT65 tomorrow.

UPDATE 1422z:  More 20m JT65 spots from the USA.

UPDATE 2024z:  More USA stations spotted and now South Americans logged on 20m JT65 RX.

Sunspots and 10m - Sunday November 6th 2016

Solar flux is 77 today and the sunspot number 24. K=2.