Stones hidden - NOT amateur radio

Over a year on, the craze in our village for hiding painted stones or pebbles, which are found, then photographed and posted on social media, then rehidden, is still going on. Only today we found one which we photographed. We left it where it was so someone else can find it.

472kHz WSPR RX

About 5 minutes ago I QSYed to 472kHz WSPR RX. Already 3 stations spotted with best DX  LA8AV (1035km). It is still quite light here.

UPDATE 1608z: Now 4 different stations spotted on this band this afternoon.

UPDATE 2053z: 11 different stations spotted this evening on 472kHz WSPR RX.

10m FT8

As is usual, I am on 10m FT8 mainly RX. So far, no spots.

UPDATE 1535z: No spots yet. Soon be time to QSY, probably 472kHz WSPR RX at least until bedtime.

Rally

Sunday 27 JANUARY : HORNCASTLE AMATEUR RADIO & ELECTRONICS RALLY

Horncastle Youth Centre, Cagthorpe Buildings, Willow Row, Horncastle LN9 6DZ. 

Doors open 10am and entry is £2. Traders tables are £5 per 6ft table. There is free parking at the venue. The usual traders will be there. Catering is available onsite. Details from Tony, G3PZU, 01507 527 835, tony.nightingale@yahoo.co.uk.

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

160m FT8 RX overnight

Quite a decent night on 160m FT8 RX with 8 North Americans, 3 Caribbean and 3 South American stations spotted with best DX PY4AZ (9012km) in Brazil. All received using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. This does work remarkably well at 160m and exceeds my expectations. At the moment 160m FT8 is brilliant, helped by the S0 noise floor with this "antenna".

FT8 is very impressive! In most 15 second periods there are about 10 stations in a 2kHz chunk of the 160m band.

Stations spotted here overnight on 160m FT8

Sunspots - Thursday January 24th 2019

Solar flux is 72 and the sunspot number 18. A=3 and K=3.

160m FT8 RX

A few moments ago (1608z) I QSYed to 160m FT8 RX. So far just 9A4T (1343km) spotted.

UPDATE 1830z: Now loads and loads of Europeans spotted on 160m FT8 this evening. North Americans later? Yes, I expect so.

UPDATE 2300z: 300 stations so far spotted this evening on 160m (yes 160m!) FT8 RX. Nothing yet from "across the pond".

Joining the dots - NOT amateur radio

Maybe this is another after-effect of my stroke 5 years ago. Perhaps it is another artefact of getting older!

Yesterday we had tree surgeons in and I could have sworn blind that one said tea with one sugar and the other tea with 2 sugars, My wife said they both wanted one sugar. The simple fact is I cannot rely on my memory. It is almost as if my brain fills in the dots and sometimes this is wrong.

Flowers - NOT amateur radio

Sometimes our friends joke that our house looks like a florist shop! Indeed my wife likes flowers around the house. As well as lots of orchids we have others such as these carnations and gypsophila.

10m FT8 RX

Again I am now back on 10m FT8, mostly RX. The more active region of the Sun seems to be facing our way, but will this bring in any DX? As of 1035z, no spots.

UPDATE 1610z: Still no spots here on 10m FT8. today. Now QSYing to 160m FT8.