Sunspots - Thursday October 4th 2018

Solar flux is 67 today and the SSN 12. A=6 and K=0.

PR gone mad? - NOT amateur radio

Apparently one university (Manchester) has banned clapping as it can cause distress to some people. Whilst I understand this at one level, I think we are all getting a little stupid.

What next? Ban all cars because some people don't like them? Ban planes as some get frightened in them? In my view, this is PR gone mad.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45729031

MF WSPR again

Rather earlier than previous evenings, I have QSYed to 630m WSPR (10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground). G1GKN (54km) was spotted. I am pretty sure this is a new station, certainly this season. G4KPX (14km) has been quite active and widely received, yet I have still not spotted him! Even if my antenna was very directional, I am surprised not to have spotted him at all.

Sputnik Days

This came in from Oleg RX3G:

Reminder, tomorrow Oct 4 "Sputnik" QRPp Activity Days still begin.
Keep your ears open for Sputnik's "beep-beep-beep" and Vanguard's "V V
V..."  before  Oct  17.  See  detailed  rules  on  the Club 72 page -
club72.su  -  "Sputnik  Days"  in  menu.  Also you can see last years
results with a lot of pictures. See you on "orbit"!

72! Oleg "Mr. 72" RX3G
Duty operator of the Deep Space Communication Center :-)

Some years ago, G6ALB built a QRP 15m CW TX using old Sputnik valves. Our first CQ call resulted in a stateside QSO.  Great fun.

Bad back - NOT amateur radio

This occasionally happens, but things usually get back to normal in a few days. For the last day I have been in agony at times when moving as I must have strained a back muscle.  Taking Paracetamol seemed to do nothing, but 1 ibuprofen seems to have done the trick. I shall take more later. I have no idea how this happened.

10m FT8

Yet again, I have returned to 10m FT8. I have only been on for a few minutes, but already I have spotted OK1AVV (1029km).

UPDATE 1537z: 3 stations in 3 countries spotted so far on 10m FT8 RX. All EU.

UPDATE 1648z: First South American spotted. PU5WMA (10042km) spotted at 1543z. For 3 days in a row I have copied South America on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1730z: LU5HA (11096km) spotted on 10m FT8 RX. 10m dead?

UPDATE 1838z: No more South American spots. I shall stay on a bit longer, but think that is it for this evening.

Conservative Party Conference - NOT amateur radio

For those readers on Mars or outside the UK, the Conservative Party is the party in government, supported by a Northern Ireland party, to give a slim majority. It is led by Theresa May who is Prime Minister.

At the moment the Conservative Party Conference is drawing to a close and Theresa May is due to speak. By the time you read, or skip, this she may have spoken. Her speech last year was a PR disaster with a bad cough and signs falling off the wall behind her.

She could also face a leadership challenge. It is not an enviable position with many in her own party against her over BREXIT. The trouble is who would replace her? We have plenty of people keen, but no-one that stands out as a great leader.  All the people "in the wings" come over as weasels - career politicians with them as their main focus, not the good of the UK.

If there was a General Election it is quite possible Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn, would be elected on a very left wing ticket. Personally, I am more centralist and wish centralists on all sides would try to form a new party

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45725615

UPDATE 1320z: It happened and passed off without a hitch. Bet she was pleased!

MF WSPR last night

Last night I was on 472kHz WSPR again with 10mW ERP and the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

An average night with a new station (at least for this season) spotting me. GM4OAS (653km) and 3 others spotted me. On RX 7 different stations with the best DX again being LA8AV(1035km).

Autumn coming - NOT amateur radio

Already there are signs that autumn is here. Some of the trees in our garden have started to lose leaves and by the end of the month many will be bare. The photo shows an avenue at Anglesey Abbey already showing signs.

2m FT8

When in the home, but out of the shack, I tend to go on 2m FT8 often. This is true at the moment. So far today, 8 stations spotted in 4 countries. Not sure if these are aircraft reflections or tropo. Judging by the strengths, I suspect some were tropo and some were off aircraft.

Later this afternoon I shall probably switch to 10m FT8 to see if South Americans are, yet again, spotted.

A few CQ calls were not spotted at all, which is quite unusual. Perhaps there are less people monitoring 2m FT8?

UPDATE 1126z: A CQ on 2m FT8 (2.5W) was spotted again by no-one. On 2m FT8 RX 18 stations in 5 countries spotted so far.

UPDATE 1316z: Mystery solved!! After several CQ calls on 2m FT8, I was wondering why no-one was spotting me. I went into the shack, called CQ and monitored the power - nothing! In the end I discovered the FT817ND was set to USB and not DIG so it was looking for audio via the mic rather than data lead. After changing the setting both modulation and power appeared and 3 spots immediately followed. Doh! Best DX on 2m FT8 TX (2.5W to the omni antenna) is G4RRA (334km) in Devon.

UPDATE 1330z: Best DX on 2m FT8 RX is DJ6AG (689km) in Lower Saxony, Germany. So far today, 22 stations in 6 countries on 2m FT8 RX.