More Italian food - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I mentioned that my wife and I met 51 years ago in 1968 and that we celebrated by eating out at an Italian restaurant in a nearby village. The first photo shows our main courses. My wife had cod and I had chicken. Both were on the very good fixed price menu. The second photo shows our desserts.

160m FT8 RX

Yet again, I was on 160m FT8 overnight, but only spotted 2 North Americans that got reported (by me) to PSKreporter maps. Best DX spotted here was AB4GE (6903km). The internet was flaky here overnight, so some stations spotted may not have been reported. I shall have to see if more 160m North Americans were received and not reported.

Either the season is coming to an end, last night was a bad one or the internet was off.

This morning just DL9BBE (476km) spotted on 160m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Saturday March 2nd 2019

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number still zero. A=24 and K=3.

Still forecasting we've passed the solar minimum

According to the latest data I have, the forecast is still that we have passed the solar minimum and have started climb to the next maximum. The start is slow at first but gathers pace. Of course you cannot be certain until after the event!

Certainly looking just at sunspot numbers, you could be forgiven for thinking we are right at sunspot minimum at the moment. The sun is still spotless.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/ .

160m FT8 RX

Within 30 seconds I spotted more stations on 160m FT8 than all day on 10m FT8. At the moment, 45 stations spotted this evening on 160m FT8 with best DX 4K6FO (3964km).

UPDATE 1956z:  Now 106 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX this evening.

UPDATE 2204z: I think I have just spotted a pirate on 160m FT8. Strange that a station purporting to be Japanese is widely copied in Europe, but gets not a single spot from Japan!! Also, the idiot decides to operate on 1.84kHz which the Japanese are not allowed to TX on. So far this evening 233 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.

BREXIT - NOT amateur radio

It is true that I have mixed feelings about BREXIT, the UK's departure from the EU at the end of the month (maybe).

There is no doubt being in the EU is good for trade. Also, the EU exports more to the UK than we export to the EU. There is little doubt in my mind that the EU is bureaucratic. The EU will miss our money in the pot. There is a danger the EU will fall apart.

Nonetheless, I voted "remain" in the referendum. It was a close thing though. What appalled me was the information on both sides leading up to the referendum and the time it has taken to not reach an agreement that suits the EU and the UK.  Personally, I think the UK and the EU have made a right "dog's dinner"  of the negotiations.  The EU is scared of the UK being better off outside the club and the UK Prime Minister is afraid of fragmenting her party.

Personally I have little time for President Trump and I had little time for Mrs Thatcher, but I bet both would have given Mr Junker a run for his money.

The UK wants to leave the EU honourably.  It seems, to me at least, that the EU is running scared and wants to punish the UK for having the audacity to leave. What would have been far far better would have been for the UK to have had a loose link with the EU, but still be master of its own fate.

Anniversary - NOT amateur radio

My wife and I met 51 years ago at university. Men had still to land on the moon! This was 1968 and we wonder where the years have flown.

Milk every moment.

This was at an Italian restaurant in a nearby village that does an excellent fixed price menu. As always, the service was perfect.

See http://www.ilpiccolomondo.co.uk/

Solar report - still awaiting update

As mentioned yesterday (I think) I am awaiting the latest solar forecast updates with interest. The one below is usually updated within a couple of days of the start of a new month, so accurate February data should be available imminently.

When I last looked (March 1st 1115z) it had not been updated. It will be interesting to see what Jan makes of the solar minimum data.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/ .

Earth-electrode "antennas"

As you may know, I have had great success on VLF to beyond 160m with this structure. DK7FC has used such antennas down to ELF! A copy of my blog, which shows quite a bit about my experiments, is available as a .pdf. I think you have to join this Facebook group first, although the blog is also available here.

These experiments were at the old QTH, although I use this here too on 472kHz and 1.84MHz. At 137kHz it worked pretty well last year here. It has even been used on higher frequencies, although if my "loop" theory is correct it should be far less effective as the frequency is increased.

Sunspots - Friday March 1st 2019

Solar flux is 70 today and the SSN 0 still. A=26 and K=5.