The last 24 hours on 630m WSPR

The last evening and night were quite productive. My 10mW ERP WSPR was spotted by 13 unique stations and I spotted 16 uniques.

10m FT8 RX

Just before breakfast I moved to 10m FT8 RX again. Despite poor solar conditions and zero sunspots, several stations are coming in via F2.

Best DX currently on 10m FT8 VU2TS (8062km) in Southern India.

UPDATE 1048z: Best 10m FT8 RX DX is VK6RK (14469km) in Western Australia. Did someone say 10m was dead? Solar flux is low and the sunspot number is zero! FT8!

UPDATE 1150z: It just get better! VK5SFA (16221km) is now the best DX spotted on 10m FT8 this morning.  FT8 is magic.

UPDATE 2052z: Well. I think today was the best yet this autumn on 10m FT8 RX. Did someone say 10m was "dead"? Well even with low solar activity and zero sunspots the photo shows the spots on 10m FT8 today! Amazing!

Sunspots - Tuesday November 7th 2017

Solar flux is just 69 today and the sunspot number still zero. A=2 and K=1.

630m FT8

This evening I copied DL6TY (629km) calling CQ in FT8 on 630m. Although I called him, he did not copy me. This is the first time I have decoded anyone on FT8 on 630m. This will become the communications mode on most bands. I have now gone back to 630m WSPR.

QSY to 630m WSPR

At 1935z I QSYed to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP, 20%). I should be on overnight.

UPDATE 2055z: GW3UCJ (286km) was copying me 4dB stronger than usual.

Geomagnetic storm?

According to Southgate News we may well get a geomagnetic storm tomorrow (Nov 7th). This was picked up from the spaceweather website.

Cattle Egret - NOT amateur radio

Until recently, cattle egrets were rare in the UK. The latest wildlifeindevon report show no less than five in South Huish. I have the distinct impression these will be the next "big thing" with them being a common sight in the UK within a few years.

Back in the 1980s little egrets were rare in the UK. Now they are all over the place.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/c/cattleegret/ .

Our village - NOT amateur radio

Burwell is about 10 miles from Cambridge. Most who live here work in Cambridge. Population is now about 6000, although it still feels like a village, with friendly people who say, "hello" in the streets.

USA and guns - NOT amateur radio

Yet again we hear about a mass shooting in the USA. This time it was a church and a kid as young as 5 was killed among the 26. The USA has a gun culture and a very high rate of killings. OK, gun ownership in Switzerland is high because of National Service, but they don't seem to have a problem.

Why is the USA so violent? Does gun ownership really make you safer?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41880511 .

Low cost Chinese handhelds

I ordered a pair of Chinese UHF portables for just over £13 a pair. One arrived. I have still to chase the company for the second unit. It seems they had got the order wording wrong.

Sorry, but I ordered a pair and that is what I expect to get - in the end.

Gearbest - remember the name. We'll see how they do in the end.