6m FT8 RX

Since before breakfast I have been on 6m FT8 RX. So far, just G3PXT (82km) spotted.

UPDATE 1550z: So far, 4 spots, all Gs.

UPDATE 1810z: 5 stations spotted on 6m FT8 today, all Gs.

Overnight on 630m WSPR RX

630m WSPR RX Uniques Overnight

Yesterday evening and overnight I monitored 630m WSPR RX using the coax feed to my 2m "big wheel" as the antenna on 630m via a ferrite rod ATU and mains ground - nothing at all special, all feeding the FT817. In all, 8 unique stations spotted including Spain and Norway.

QSY to 630m WSPR RX

After a poor day, I have moved to 630m WSPR RX using the coax to my 2m "big-wheel" antenna as the MF antenna matched with a ferrite rod ATU. As yet, no MF spots.

UPDATE 1945z: 2 stations spotted so far on MF with best DX DC0DX (467km).

UPDATE 2111z: Best DX is now LA3EQ (769km).

DST100 receiver

My first "proper" HF receiver was some beast! It was a DST100 which covered from 50kHz to just over 30MHz. It took 2 people to lift it. I think it was originally designed for tanks in WW2. It heard some impressive DX much of it on AM.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/dst100

See also https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=78909&page=2

FT8 rather than WSPR?

Although WSPR can detect signals some 10dB weaker than FT8, I am getting better results on 6m FT8 than 10m WSPR.

Maybe the 15 second periods in FT8 are better suited to aircraft reflections. Maybe my 6m antenna is much better than my 10m one. Maybe my 500mW on 10m is not enough?

Certainly FT8 is becoming very popular nowadays. Although I don't know, will this become the new MS mode?

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

Since before breakfast, I have been on 10m WSPR TX with my little beacon. No spots today so far.

UPDATE 1622z: Still no spots today.

6m FT8 RX

Although I have been on since before breakfast only Gs and GI spotted. Best DX so far is GI4SNA (488km).

UPDATE 1426z: Still no further stations spotted here today.

UPDATE 1621z: Just one additional spot today: G3YDY (65km). No Europeans spotted today.

UPDATE 1630z: Another G spotted. So far today, 6 stations (all in the British Isles) spotted on 6m FT8 today.

UPDATE 1838z: Not uploaded to PSK Reporter Maps (not sure why) were GU and F spots. So far, just British Isles stations spotted today, although with the GU and F spots today's total is 4 countries spotted on 6m.

Olives - NOT amateur radio

This was a market stall in Anagni, Italy, a delightful hilltop village last week, Mostly olives.

Sunspots - Wednesday September 20th 2017

Solar flux is 71 today and the sunspot number 11.  A=8 and K=2.

The 2m Liner-2

In the 1970s 2m operation was revolutionised. The 10W Liner-2 brought 2m SSB to the masses. Until then I had only used AM and FM and I was amazed how far I could work on SSB with just a small beam. People these days joke about the TX sidebands if the rig was overdriven, but 2m SSB was possible for the masses for the first time.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/liner2 .