10m FT8 today

Already, I have spotted stations in 5 continents on 10m FT8 today: Australasia, Asia, Africa, Europe and South America. This with a low end-fed wire antenna - no big towers and beams here, HI.  I suspect there will be a few more South Americans in the next few hours. And all this is on a day with zero sunspots and when 10m is supposed to be "dead".

At the moment I am still using WSJT-X V1.8.0 rc2. There is a later version (rc3) too that I must download and use.

Many desert 10m. Stick with it, as you may be very surprised.

This autumn, 6 continents have been spotted on 10m FT8. A great band and FT8 is proving to be a great mode.

Catalonia - NOT amateur radio

Catalonia is quite a rich part of Spain. Spain cannot afford for it to break-away. It is hard to see how the EU would handle this. If Catalonia goes, surely the Basques will want to follow? This would leave Spain in a right mess. By comparison, BREXIT is quite simple and clear. Personally, I think this will grow into the EU crisis of 2018.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41678086 .

My memory - NOT amateur radio

I mentioned earlier that I go to a series of lectures on Samuel Pepys in Cambridge each Wednesday. So far, there have been 2. Let me recount an odd story.

The first talk was Wednesday last week. I travelled into Cambridge on the service bus that leaves at 9.49am. This should arrive at about 10.43am. It is a 10 minute walk from where the bus stops to where they hold the lectures. The lectures are from 11am -12noon.

In my mind I have a very clear picture of being the very first there and helping to set out chairs and the main table. I sat at the same spot yesterday, furthermost from the door. This memory is very, very, clear. However, to get in very early would have been impossible using this bus. I would have arrived shortly before the lecture started. I have absolutely no memory of arriving "just in time". I am still deeply puzzled: was this a dream? Only if I suddenly have a flash-back will this mystery be solved. In the meantime, I cannot be sure what is a dream and what is reality!

Some would say, "old age". Others might say, "your stroke". The truth is I just do not know what happened a week ago.

Rallies this Sunday

21 OCTOBER 2017 : CARRICKFERGUS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB RALLY
Downshire Community School, Downshire Rd, Carrickfergus BT38 7DA. Doors open 11am and admission is £3. Light refreshments will be available. All will be welcome. Details from Elizabeth Forde, elizabethforde64@yahoo.com

21 OCTOBER 2017 : YEOVIL ARC 71 ANNIVERSARY
Sparkford Village Hall, Sparkford, Nr Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7ED Free admission and light refreshments. Displays, computer controlled radio, SDR, Morse, Spy sets. Ex Members welcome. Bob on 01963 440 167

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Autumn - NOT amateur radio

You can tell it's autumn! This was our nearest garden centre this morning.

At the other garden centre they had lots of Christmas things on sale. Well, it is October and profits are profits. Personally I think Christmas things should only be allowed for sale in December, but I am a grumpy old man!

Rain - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday it rained.

This is a view of Rose Crescent, Cambridge, looking towards the Market Square. If it rains in Cambridge, we are quite unlucky as rainy days are quite rare. We get them, but it rains far less in the SE of the UK than in the west.

10m FT8

Since breakfast, I have been on 10m FT8. As yet, no spots.

UPDATE 1124z: Several DX stations to the east spotted on 10m FT8 including VK9VKL (11970km) on Christmas Island. He appears to have been widely spotted, so he looks genuine. This is my first VK this autumn.

Food - NOT amateur radio

Every Tuesday and Wednesday I travel into Cambridge for University of the Third Age lectures.

On Tuesdays it is, "Weather and Climate" and on Wednesdays, "Samuel Pepys". We are very lucky in Cambridge having a huge variety of courses.

Afterwards, my wife joined me for lunch.

630m WSPR overnight

Spots of my 10mW 630m WSPR overnight

For last night's test I removed the radials across the lawn (2) and a local ground quite close to the shack. If anything results were better! On TX I was spotted by 9 unique stations (10mW ERP) and on RX I spotted 12 unique stations. I was spotted in Wales for the first time this autumn on 630m and G0KTN was another new one this season. My conclusion is, in my case, the radials made no difference and actually may have made things worse. I guess this says my ground is actually more effective than I thought. The actual antenna needs improving if I am to up my ERP.

Sunspots - Thursday October 19th 2017

Solar flux is 72 today and the sunspot number zero.  A=5 and K=3.