Windmill - NOT amateur radio

Before, I have mentioned that we live next door to a windmill that is about 200 years old. It was fully restored a few years ago thanks to a Heritage Lottery grant. When we have breakfast, we look at the windmill. The photo just shows our hedge. I guess the windmill is about 10m away.

10m FT8 RX

Most of the day I have been on 10m FT8 RX. As yet, no spots here, although I expect to be monitoring until dark.

UPDATE 1645z: Still no spots here.

Overnight on 472kHz WSPR

Overnight, I stopped on 472kHz WSPR using 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I was on TX 20% of the time with the rest on TX.

In all 6 stations spotted  me with best DX a spot by PA0O (440km).

472kHz WSPR TX spots overnight

On RX, 12 stations spotted with best DX LA2XPA (1310km).

472kHz WSPR RX spots overnight

Sunspots - Saturday January 26th 2019

Solar flux is 76 and the SSN is 27. These are higher numbers than we have seen for a long time. A=13 and K=2.

472kHz WSPR TX (10mW ERP)

For the first time in a while, I am on 472kHz TX (20%)  with 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Usually, the crystal in the transverter has to settle and this takes about 20 minutes. During this time, there are a few Hertz of drift. Then it settles and there is no drift.

UPDATE 1805z:  A couple of UK spots of my 472kHz QRPP from G8LCO and G0MRF. Oh, it helps if you enable TX! For the first 30 minutes or so, I had forgotten to click this and wondering why no-one had spotted me!

UPDATE 2320z So far this evening,12 different stations have been spotted here and my 10mW ERP has been spotted by 5 stations with best DX PA3ABK (306km). I shall be staying on 472kHz WSPR overnight.

Older houses - NOT amateur radio

In our village are some quite old houses. I think the oldest dates back to the 1100s and is supposed to have a secret tunnel (now blocked off) going to the nearby church. We were told about this by someone who lived there, so it is probably correct.

A quite old house (17th century) is Tunbridge Farm shown in the photo. This photo was taken on a very dull day.

reCAPTCHA issue?

Certainly, every time I have tried to add a comment to the blog the "I am not a robot" thing has not been working: it just hangs and then gives up. I think there is a fault with linking to the reCAPTCHA thing. Other things seem to work OK and I can reach blogs and other sites OK.

UPDATE 1532z: At the moment it is working.

10m FT8 RX

Most of the day I have been on 10m FT8 RX. So far, just a couple of spots: 1 UK and 1 German. At the moment 10m seems dead!

UPDATE 1627z: One word will summarise 10m here today: CRAP!! In all just 3 spots and 2 of these were UK in the London area. Time to QSY to 630m WSPR.

160m FT8 RX

Not a bad night, although I have seen better. In all, 2 North Americans, 2 Caribbean and 1 South Americans spotted. Best 160m FT8 DX spotted was PY4AZ (9012km) in Brazil.

Stations spotted here overnight on 160m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Friday January 25th 2019

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 19. A=19 and K=3.

Getting better? Maybe.