10m WSPR TX (500mW)

Before breakfast, I turned in the 10m WSPR beacon. Very early on I was spotted by DK6UG (633km), but nothing since.

As I said yesterday, I think there are far more people on 10m FT8 than 10m WSPR. I use 10m WSPR as this is "stand alone" and does not tie up a PC or rig. If I want to go on 10m FT8 I need the FT817ND and PC.

Sunspots - Tuesday August 14th 2018

Firstly, an apology for a "senior moment" yesterday. I had the wrong date until this was pointed out to me by an old work colleague, Andrew. As soon as it was pointed out, it was corrected. I just wonder how many have crept through in the past unnoticed. Anyway, I hope the date today is right!

Solar flux is 66 (very low) today and the sunspot number 0. Not exactly startling!  A=5 and K=2.

Back on 10m WSPR TX and 6m FT8 RX

After calling on the 2m East Cambs FM net (144.575MHz, 1900z, Mondays) and getting no takers, I returned to 10m WSPR TX (500mW) and 6m FT8 RX. Still plenty of Es about on both bands. My brief 6m FT8 CQ was widely copied in southern Europe despite running 2.5W to an omni vertical.

UPDATE 2026z: QRT on all bands.

Temporary QRT

We had storms quite close (2 miles), so I went QRT on all bands.

As the storms seem to have moved on, everything is now reconnected (6m FT8 RX and 10m WSPR TX). On 6m I am getting Es from Italy although it usually takes 20 minutes for things to settle on my 10m WSPR beacon.

We need the rain, so I am not complaining.

Car insurance fiasco - NOT amateur radio

Well, I  have been with my current car insurer for ages. Most years I have to ring up to tell them it is too much and get a better quote. This morning I did this again and they dropped a very little. So I told them to let their policy lapse and I'd look around. I have got the same cover for very much less, even allowing for introductory offers.

Now, wouldn't you think they would want to keep a loyal customer who has never made a claim? No, they have lost me now, probably for ever. Crass stupidity!! Their loss - not being able to see this.

In my view, the insurance industry is mad. Surely, they should give loyal, good customers a good deal to prevent them going elsewhere. Instead I get an idiot in a call-centre who couldn't care a jot. As I said, their loss, not mine. They deserve to lose all my business in future years, and they probably will now.

Storm threat?

The Met Office has put out a yellow warning of thunderstorms in East Anglia after 11am today. Looking at the storm maps, it looks like the risk is decreasing. Nonetheless, I shall keep looking (and listening!) ready to disconnect gear if the risk is too high.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/#m=oss;t=2;s=200;o=0;b=0.00;ts=0;d=2;dl=2;dc=0;

See https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings#?date=2018-08-13&lat=52.27453&lon=0.32891

2m FT8

When the Es season is finally over (today there are still Es spots on 10m and 6m), I shall probably return to 2m FT8, which seems to be the mode of the moment. Unheard of DX (for me) seems to be spotted here almost every day, even with my simple omni antenna! Many of these signals come in via aircraft reflections. The 15 second periods help. FT8 works with signals much weaker than SSB or CW.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/2m-ft8

Norwegien amateur radio rules

There are rule changes in Norway according to Southgate News. It looks like they can use 1000W on their primary allocations.

See https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&sl=no&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2009-11-05-1340&xid=17259,15700023,15700124,15700149,15700168,15700186,15700190,15700201&usg=ALkJrhhYzEJKBi_urMj2QBqeNoGzZxIShA

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

Yet again my only spot today so far has come from EA8BFK (2880km) in the Canary Islands. As yet, no signs of Es spots from Europe.

UPDATE 2000z: Just 4 spots in 3 countries all day. I get the impression there is far more 10m FT8 activity than 10m WSPR.

Sunspots - Monday August 13th 2018

Solar flux is 67 today and the SSN still firmly zero. A=5 and K=2.