Debuginnovations - NOT amateur radio (mostly)

My rally information comes via a member of the Cambridge Radio Club. I am not a member these days as I detest night driving.  I post on (and read) their Facebook page most weeks. At one time I was on the CDARC committee.

I think the member must work at  http://www.debuginnovations.com/company_info.htm 
which is in Swavesey, near Cambridge, UK. I think this must be a start-up company, but I have no connections.

USA Microwave Meeting

11-14 OCTOBER : MICROWAVE UPDATE 2018

Holiday Inn Dayton, Fairborn, Ohio (near Dayton), USA. 

An international conference dedicated to microwave equipment design, construction, and operation. Hosted by The Midwest VHF/UHF Society, go to www.microwaveupdate.org/ for more information.

A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

2m FT8

Yes, this is 2m!! It seems hard to believe that this is 2m. Already 9 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX this morning and dozens and dozens of stations spotted. Best DX is DF5VAE (902km).

Yet again my 2.5W CQ on FT8 to an omni was spotted in Cornwall as well as in lots of other places.

2m FT8 works!

Stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX today at 1622z

Sunspots - Tuesday October 9th 2018

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN is zero. A=21 and K=3

472kHz WSPR

The DX on 10m FT8 seems to have stopped, so I have QSYed to MF WSPR (10mW ERP from earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground).

So far, just a spot from M0XDK (80km).

African migrant birds - NOT amateur radio

The African migrant birds seem to have gone. Swifts went several weeks ago and house martins and swallows seem to have largely gone. There may be the odd straggler. It is just possible that one or two might try to stay over the winter near the coast. 

It is some weeks now since I last saw a swallow. Come next April, they will be back. In the meantime, safe journeys! 

Soon we might see migrants from the north, who think it is mild here!

Village Walk - NOT amateur radio

At the weekend, we did a walk in the village and my wife made this collage. Despite the size, it still feels like a village.

Overnight on 472kHz WSPR

Not a bad night.

Best DX on RX was EA7HPM (1726km) who was one of 11 different stations spotted. On TX (10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground) I was spotted by 9 different stations.

10m FT8

This morning, I decided to go on 10m FT8. An earlier CQ was spotted by no-one, but on RX I have spotted 3 stations in 2 countries. Although these could be tropo, I suspect some are aircraft reflections.

UPDATE 0936z: Looks like I caught some 10m Es! A CQ (2.5W) on 10m FT8 was spotted in 3 southern European nations and EA1UY (1306km) was worked. In all 11 different stations spotted so far on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1152z:  52 stations in 13 countries already spotted on 10m FT8 RX. Best DX is ZS6WB (9094km). Dead band?

UPDATE 1455z: CE5AUC (12196km) in Chile, South America now being spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1720z: VP8LP (12773km) in the Falkland Islands now being spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1930z: Pinch me! This really is sunspot minimum? So many DX stations on 10m FT8 RX today that I can hardly believe it.

Sunspots - Monday October 8th 2018

Solar flux is 69 today and the sunspot number back to zero. A=26 and K=5.