QSX rig and the G1KQH blog

There is more data and a video link on Steve G1KQH's blog about the QSX HF rig from Hans Summers.

See http://g1kqh.blogspot.com/

Dreams and giddiness - NOT amateur radio

Twice recently I dreamed that my giddiness had gone. For about 5 years since my stroke, I have felt giddy. Outwardly I look well with a healthy tan. Most people think I am fully recovered. How wrong they are! Inside I am always giddy on my feet, frequently exhausted, and living in a sort of confused fog. I feel a shadow of how I was. My voice is poor and some drinks are very hard.

Sadly, after these dreams I awake and realise these were just dreams and nothing has changed.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/stroke

Sunspots - Tuesday August 28th 2018

Solar flux is 68 today and the SSN 12. A=26 and K=3.

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

Although I have been on 10m WSPR TX since well before breakfast, not a single spot so far. I know this is early. Tomorrow I might try 10m FT8. Yesterday was excellent.

UPDATE 0946z: Still no spots on 10m WSPR TX.

UPDATE 1249z: Just a couple of spots by IU1DZZ (973km) today so far.

What a difference - 6m FT8 today

As if to confirm that the days when 6m is open daily by Es are over, today has started off very quietly. Yesterday was excellent but, so far today, just a couple of G spots on 6m FT8. An earlier CQ call (2.5W) was seen by just G0OQK (99km).

UPDATE 1328z: So far today 20 different stations in 10 countries on 6m FT8 with best DX EA8BFK (2883km).

UPDATE 1512z: Now 25 stations in 10 countries so far.

East Cambridgeshire 2m FM Net

Surprisingly, considering it was a Bank Holiday, there was a good turn-out this evening for the East Cambridgeshire FM net on 144.575MHz. After the net closed G3TFX/A joined us. The net meets Mondays at 1900z.

Later still, I had a G QSO on 50MHz FT8.

Grandsons - NOT amateur radio

Our two grandsons playing outside our house this weekend.

10m WSPR TX (500mW)

Already I have received 20 unique spots on 10m WSPR TX. One report was an excellent +4dB S/N. Unless I am mistaken, this is the best day this year so far, proving that Es is far from over!

As far as I came tell Es varies (see comment below) from day to day. As we move further from the peak months (May, June, July in northern hemisphere) it will get more infrequent.

6m FT8

Today is already excellent with lots of 6m FT8 Es spots. At this stage it seems at least as good as any day earlier in the season. Earlier I had a very solid FT8 QSO with G1IDZ (182km) when running 2.5W to the V2000 vertical omni antenna.

Sunspots - Monday August 27th 2018

Solar flux is 69 today and the sunspot number 26. A=76 and K=2.