Hacker? - NOT amateur radio

Odd how some of my blogs suddenly have "amazing" posts and simultaneously I get lots of new comments and they are all just the same with the same links!

The last lot were clearly trying to drum up traffic for a blog. All these comments have now been deleted.

If you see any I missed tell me. I will not have spam comments!! Some people (or bots) really do try.

March 2018 solar data awaited

A few days into the month, I usually get the solar data for the last month. It is only the first of the month, so this data is not yet available. In February, there was a very slight improvement although the average is that we are still on the way down to the next solar minimum.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/

QSY to 2m FT8

Well, my brief time on 70cm FT8 proved unsuccessful with nothing at all spotted, so I have QSYed to 2m FT8 and met with immediate success. My very brief CQ was copied by 4 stations with F1OIL (185km) as the best DX. In addition, a couple of stations were spotted on RX. I am now RX only on 2m FT8.

UPDATE 1626z: So far this afternoon on 2m FT8 RX, 28 unique stations spotted in 6 countries.

UPDATE 1722z: Now 36 uniques in 6 countries with best RX DX DL0HOL (619km).

UPDATE 1930z: Now 54 uniques in 6 countres, so far on 2n FT8 RX today.

Lyrids meteor shower

April 22nd sees the Lyrids meteor shower. I shall probably monitor this on either 6m or 2m, although I am unsure which mode to use. Traditionally, MSK144 has been good, but maybe now I should try FT8?

Advice sought!

Lack of faith - NOT amateur radio

Our local church is now very "happy clappy". My wife got me to go today as it is Easter Sunday.

Although I used to be a regular attender at our church, these days I hardly ever go. In some ways I feel more spiritual, but I now feel no religion "cuts it".

This last 12 months has seen the death of two young sons of friends in very sad circumstances. Life seems cruel.

In many ways I envy the simple faith of many, but I am finding it harder and harder to feel that I fit in. To me, all religions fail to provide me the answers I need.

As I have said many times before, I feel all religions hint at a deeper truth and are, maybe, attempts to come to terms with our finality.

Sunspots - Sunday April 1st 2018

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number 12. A=7 and K=1.

70cm FT8

This is no April 1st joke.

As an experiment today. I am monitoring 432.174MHz FT8 using my VERTICAL V2000 omni stick antenna. If you want to try TXing on this UHF band, then I am looking! If there is any aircraft scatter and activity, then there is a chance.

Go on, try it.

UPDATE 1310z: No spots so far.

630m WSPR RX

As there was clearly no "real" DX on 10m FT8, I have now moved to MF WSPR RX. So far this evening, 3 uniques: 1 Spanish and 2 Norwegians.

UPDATE 2101z: Now 8 uniques spotted.

70cm FT8?

Does anyone know if there is any FT8 activity on 70cm in the EU? On the face of it, it should be similar to 2m, but I don't know if anyone is active.

See https://www.essexham.co.uk/ft8-basics-explained

6m DX in the Es season - which mode?

We are in the run-up to the Es season in the Northern Hemisphere. The best months are May-July although Es can occur at other times too.

Last Es season I kept a watching brief using JT65 and spotted some amazing 6m DX including a whole string of Japanese stations early one morning on 6m. Of course, this was before FT8 appeared on the scene.

This season I am not sure of the mode to try. Probably FT8 as the take-up on this mode has been so great.

Considering I just use a vertical V2000 omni antenna, I was very excited with the results last year.