10m WSPR today

As usual, I am on 10m WSPR TX with my 500mW beacon. Apart from local G4KPX (14km) the only DX so far today is EI3RCW (505km). This could be Es or aircraft reflection.

UPDATE 2022z:  10 unique spots today with the best DX 1812km. If this is still Es, then this is very late in the season. Now QRT.

6m FT8 again

I have been RX only on this band/mode since before breakfast. Although most spots are of G stations, there has been one Es spot so far of HG9SM (1508km).

UPDATE 1950z: 6 countries spotted in the last 12 hours. Now QRT.

10m WSPR (TX)

Although only active for about 1 hour, OH2VMP (1734km) has spotted my 500mW 10m WSPR beacon several times. Is this Es or even single hop F2?

UPDATE 1725z:  With OZ9QV (864km) just spotted, I suspect this is Es.

UPDATE 1938z: With 16 unique spots since teatime, another great Es day on 10m WSPR. This season seems never ending!

6m FT8

All yesterday and most of today I have been QRT. I turned the rigs and PC on at about 1625z today. Even though it is September, there have already been lots of Es spots.

UPDATE 1942z: Yet another great day on 6m with stations spotted from all over Europe again. It is now September and we still have great Es on 6m FT8.

Sunspots - Friday September 1st 2017

Solar flux is 92 today and the sunspot number 59. A=31 and K=4.

Rainbow's End - NOT amateur radio

After a great day with the grandchildren including a picnic, this evening we had thunder and lightning. Once the storm had passed we were treated to a double rainbow. One end was on our museum and the other on a bungalow called "Rainbow's End". Pure coincidence.

Hackers? - NOT amateur radio

Blog numbers were way above normal yesterday, indicating possible "probing" for vulnerabilities. It will be interesting to see if numbers remain high today. Certainly visits from the usual suspect country are up.

Normally, if I think there is any danger, I change my password. So far, I have not been hacked.

QRT - storm risk

Today there was a risk of thunderstorms, so I decided not to turn the rigs on and leave everything disconnected.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/europe/index.php?lang=en .

UPDATE 1640z: The storms are currently 5 miles NW of here and it has started to rain.

Hamfest and GQRP Convention this weekend

2-3 SEPTEMBER 2017 : TELFORD HAMFEST & G-QRP CONVENTION
Enginuity Technology Centre, Coalbrookdale, Telford, Shrops. Combined social, Buildathon, guest speakers and Radio Rally. www.telfordhamfest.co.uk
A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Sunspots - Thursday August 31st 217

Solar flux is 87 today. Sunspot number is 42. A=5 and K=2.