70cm FT8 RX

Ever hopeful, I am on 432MHz FT8 RX for the first time. I am monitoring 432.174MHz USB with WSJT-X. I shall be on all day using the 2m big wheel which matched well on 70cm and is omni-directional (well it is on 2m!).

Using this antenna I can usually work stations over 100km away with 5W SSB on 70cms. First 70cm switch-on was 0921z. A brief 2.5W CQ at around 1000z got no spots.

UPDATE 1529z: Still no 70cm FT8 RX spots. From the PSKreporter map it looks like 70cm FT8 is quite popular in Japan.

UPDATE 1544z: Unless I get any 70cm FT8 RX spots in the next 20 minutes or so, I am giving up and QSYing somewhere else. I knew it would be hard, but nothing at all. This is sad, as I suspect 70cms would be a good aircraft reflection band and good tropo band. FT8 with its concentration of activity and 15 second periods would be ideal.

UPDATE 1604z: Total failure, with not a single 70cm FT8 spot all day. Now QSYing to 144.174MHz FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Saturday March 9th 2019

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 11.  A=5 and K=0

160m FT8 RX

For a few hours, I have been on 160m FT8 RX.  So far, 158 stations spotted here with the first North American being WU1ITU (4831km).

70cm FT8 in Western Europe (including UK)?

Although I have tried FT8 on 160, 80, 60, 10, 6 and 2m I have never tried this mode on 70cm. I have no idea at all about activity levels or frequencies. I can imagine this band is pretty good for aircraft scatter and probably quite good on tropo. I'd hazard a guess that 70cm FT8  might be as good as 2m (or even better) given decent levels of activity. In reality, I expect 70cm is much, much quieter than 2m FT8.

If you know anything about this mode on 70cm please let me know. I am happy to sit on 70cms FT8 all day and all evening, mostly RX. For antennas I'd either have to use my 2m big-wheel horizontal omni (not ma bad match on 70cm) or my V2000 vertical. For aircraft reflection, the V2000 is proably better, although not for tropo.

Newmarket - NOT amateur radio

This is our "local" town where we do most of our food shopping. Considering it is world famous as the home of racing, it is actually quite an average sort of place that could do far more to make it look better.

There are lots of short people (jockeys) and drivers of "Chelsea Tractors" who own studs or racehorses or train these.

Considering the wealth some of these people must have, I am quite surprised Newmarket isn't a really splendid town. The photo shows Newmarket High Street on an average weekday.

10m FT8 RX

For about 30 minutes now, I have been on 10m FT8 RX. Not unexpectedly, no spots.

UPDATE 1232z: 3 spots so far. 2 are UK spots and 1 from Germany. Best DX spotted so far today is DO4SH (533km).

Overnight on 160m FT8 RX

In all, 456 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX here in the last day. Although I can hardly believe I am saying this, last night was "average" with just 3 North Americans and 2 Caribbean stations spotted here with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Best DX spotted here was KV4FZ (6764km) in the US Virgin Islands.

Stations spotted on the earth-electrode "antenna" 

in the ground on 160m FT8 RX in the last 24 hours

Sunspots - Friday March 8th 2019

Solar flux is 70 today and the sunspot number 14. A=8 and K=2. So far this month the SSN has been better than last month which was dire.

160m FT8 RX

For about an hour, I have been on 160m FT8 RX. As usual loads of Europeans already spotted.

UPDATE 2158z: Absolutely loads of Europeans on 160m FT8 RX this evening. Best DX spotted is 4F6FO (3964km) in Azerbaijan.

UPDATE 2218z: 215 stations spotted so far this evening on 160m FT8 RX.

10m FT8

For the last hour or so I have been on 10m FT8. After a brief CQ (2.5W) I have been RX only, but only G4XYT (93km) spotted. No spots of my CQ call.