The next few years

We are entering the sunspot minimum. Some expect this to happen in 2020. What is certain is the higher HF bands will seem very quiet as people look to lower frequencies to work DX.

Even at the quietest of times 10m can open on N-S paths, so never give up. With FT8 it is even more probable that openings will be found. Es is good in the spring and summer (northern hemisphere) and often real DX can be spotted. FT8 will be invaluable.

As for the next peak, this is anyone's guess. Some say it will be similar to the last cycle. Earlier predictions talked about a very weak cycle with no real peak. Conditions rapidly improve after the minimum, but just what will happen is hard to know.

My recommendation is stick with 10m FT8 and put out the odd CQ. Someone, somewhere may spot you!

Cape Verde Is worked on 2m from Eire!

It had to happen, but this is a mighty long way! Southgate News reports on this record breaking IARU region 1 contact.

At some point it will happen on 432 and 1296MHz. Even 10GHz would not be out of the question. Hawaii to California has been spanned many times on bands up to 1296MHz, I believe.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/august/ei3kd-sets-new-144-mhz-dx-record.htm#.W2hHq_ZFzIU

Es season ending?

Although in the past I have worked 6m Es with QRP SSB way into September, we are reaching the point now when Es openings start be become less frequent. FT8 may be transformative and it is worth using FT8 to probe for those elusive openings. Nonetheless, it is probable that Es openings will become less frequent in the northern hemisphere. For reasons I don't know there is a smaller peak near Christmas.

6m FT8 RX

There seems to be Es about with spots mainly from a south west direction so far. I was on TX very briefly before breakfast on 6m FT8 (2.5W), but only G spots.

UPDATE 1042z: Es seems to have moved with plenty of Balkan stations now being spotted on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1220z: Best DX today on 6m FT8 RX remains S01WS (3075km) in Western Sahara. Funny, I'd have thought Ukraine was further, but it isn't. Must be the map projection.

UPDATE 1233z: 13 countries spotted so far today on 6m FT8 RX. Too many stations to count!

UPDATE 2100z: QRT. Quite a decent day on 6m FT8 RX although no "real" DX spotted here. I guess Es is going to become less frequent. Also, the level of activity is likely to drop off too.

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

Since before breakfast I have been on 10m WSPR TX. No spots so far today.

UPDATE 1731z: Still no spots yet today.

UPDATE 2005z: 10m WSPR sprung into life after tea, with more northerly stations favoured. 7 unique stations spotted with best DX OY1OF (1164km) in the Faroe Is..

UPDATE 2100z: Now QRT. OK in the end, although I had to wait!

Old windmill - NOT amateur radio

At one time there were several windmills in our village. The "intact" one is next door. The base of another one still exists, but a thatched roof now replaces the mill body.

More network radio

Up to now I have just used my Inrico T320 network radio on Wi-Fi. Somewhere I have a Virgin "pay as you go" SIM with some credit, I think. Maybe I should put this in. If I remember correctly this lasts until the credit expires, which could be some while in my case! I need to check what Virgin charge for data on "pay as you go".

Harvest home - NOT amateur radio

Generally farmers in the UK have been busy cutting the corn making the most of the dry, hot weather. This is a field not far from me in our village.

Sunspots - Monday August 6th 2018

Solar flux is 68 today and the sunspot number zero. A=4 and K=1.

Tomorrow

All being well, I think I'll go back to 10m WSPR TX (500mW) and 6m FT8 RX tomorrow. The last time I was on 10m WSPR TX, 17 different stations spotted me. Today I was on 10m FT8 RX and there was Es but no "real" DX spotted here. The furthest spotted was Bahrain.