Sunspots - Tuesday November 6th 2018

Solar flux is 68 and the sunspot number zero. A=35 and K=4.

10m FT8

As usual in the daytime and early evening, I am on 10m FT8. A promising start with spots on 10m FT8 received from eastern Europe and Russia with best DX RG7F (3080km).

UPDATE 1450z: One 3B9 and 2 South Africans spotted and loads of Europeans. I wonder if we'll see South America on 10m FT8 later?

UPDATE  1929z: 2 South Africans, 3B9 and later best DX VP8LP (12273km) in the Falkland Is spotted on 10m FT8 RX.

2m activity contest this evening (UKAC)

If you are in Europe, the RSGB organised UKAC 2m session for November takes place this evening at 8pm UK clock time (2000z). Even if you do not enter the contest then activity is usually good, so plenty of stations to try and work. I normally go on for the first 30-60 minutes running 5W to the omni antenna.

UPDATE 2140z: 7 contacts with the best 116km with 5W and the omni antenna. Not great, but fun. As usual , very restricted on-air time because of poor voice.

Stations worked on 2m in UKAC this evening

472kHz WSPR

After the East Cambs net on 144.575MHz FM, I QSYed to 472kHz WSPR. At the moment IW4DXW (1190km) is the best DX on 472kHz WSPR RX. On TX (10mW ERP) just the usual suspects.

CB radio

When CB was first legalised in the UK (1981?) I gave it a try and it was very busy. Since then, I have not really used it.

Somewhere (just found them!) I have a pair of CB handhelds. These are crystal controlled, single channel, radios. I seem to recall a 2-way QSO over about 1km with these back-to-back on their whips. This was a very long time ago!

In recent years I believe one can now legally use AM and SSB in the UK on CB. Like repeaters, I suspect 27MHz CB is much quieter now.

My question is does any reader use CB these days? 

At one time it was quite popular with farmers on tractors locally. I suspect with licence free 446MHz gear (and the equivalent in other countries) use of CB channels has nose-dived.

Gear is low cost, so maybe I should give it another try sometime. At one time there were plenty of UK FM CB radios converted to 10m FM. This was popular with many. At one time 10m FM was quite busy locally.

Iran - NOT amateur radio

OK, I am sure Iran has plenty of faults, but then so have the USA, UK and many other western nations. The best way to win "hearts and minds" is by dialogue and not by imposing sanctions in my view.

Perhaps President Trump is thinking more of the mid-term elections tomorrow in the USA? Mind you, he is a genius (he told us so), so perhaps he is so wise, just like on climate change.

Sadly, I cannot remember one USA president who has been so ridiculed across the planet. What amazes me is that he is so popular in the USA. Of course, a rich billionaire is very in touch with the common man.

Said with lots of sarcasm!

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-46094489 .

Fallen tree - NOT amateur radio

Last week, we went for a walk at Brandon Country Park in Suffolk. On our walk, we passed this tree. I think it came down in high winds.

Overnight on 472kHz WSPR

Just 6 UK spots of my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. On RX 19 different stations spotted from across western Europe. Average.

Sunspots - Monday November 5th 2018

Solar flux is 67 (low) and the SSN still zero. A=16 and K=5. So, conditions are far from good.

10m FT8 again

Yesterday was a real surprise, with lots of Europeans and a South American spotted on 10m FT8 RX. So, today I am again on 10m. After a very brief CQ (2.5W QRP), I am again on 10m FT8 RX. Unsurprisingly, no spots on TX or RX.

UPDATE 1029z: 4 eastern Europeans spotted so far with YO3FGO (2081km) as best DX.

UPDATE 1104z: 3B9FR (10041km) on Rodriguez Is in the Indian Ocean is currently the best DX. I am wondering if we are seeing E layer linking with F layer further south? I am seeing lots of Europeans on 10m FT8. Certainly this mode is proving 10m is often "open" when in the past it would have been missed. I have said many times, never give up on 10m. Even at sunspot minimum there is still DX on the band.

UPDATE 1453z: Plenty of Europeans spotted. Apart from the 3B8 and FR4OO (9722km) on Reunion Is, no "real" DX spotted today on 10m FT8.

UPDATE 1820z: No South Americans yet, but this is sunspot minimum!

UPDATE 2120z: I had to QSY to the East Cambs 2m FM net at 2000z so went QRT on 10m FT8 at that time. No sign of South Americans here. I then came back on MF WSPR.