At about 0918z, I put out a brief CQ (2.5W) on 10m FT8 which was copied just by local G4WSZ. Now I am RX only again.
Yesterday was better than it has been here on 10m with 8 stations spotted in 4 countries, albeit all Europeans.
UPDATE 1124z: No spots so far today on 10m FT8 RX here. As this is the weekend, I would have expected more activity than in the week.
UPDATE 1306z: M0NPT (125km) and 2E0XXO (121km) spotted.
UPDATE 1617z: 4 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today. All are Gs.
16 Mar 2019
160m conditions changing
Overnight, I was again on 160m FT8 RX. Just one North American spotted which is very poor. I am more convinced than ever that conditions are getting worse on 160m.
In all, even though I was late getting on the band last evening, just 183 stations spotted. This is far worse than I have seen earlier in the winter. As I said, I am not a 160m expert, but with fewer North Americans each night, there looks like a trend.
In all, even though I was late getting on the band last evening, just 183 stations spotted. This is far worse than I have seen earlier in the winter. As I said, I am not a 160m expert, but with fewer North Americans each night, there looks like a trend.
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| Spots here overnight on 160m FT8 RX |
ARE we at the solar minimum?
Opinions vary.
In the last few weeks we have seen a few sunspots (now gone out of view again), but as they say, "one swallow does not make a summer". Indeed, it could be the year-end before we know if this was just a blip or the start of an upward trend. Last month was dire.
See http://www.solen.info/solar/
In the last few weeks we have seen a few sunspots (now gone out of view again), but as they say, "one swallow does not make a summer". Indeed, it could be the year-end before we know if this was just a blip or the start of an upward trend. Last month was dire.
See http://www.solen.info/solar/
15 Mar 2019
Wine tasting - NOT amateur radio
160m FT8 RX
Having just switched to 160m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground 38 stations spotted so far with best DX spotted UA0SE (6370km) in Asiatic Russia.
UPDATE 2315z: Now 68 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX this evening.
UPDATE 2315z: Now 68 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX this evening.
472kHz WSPR overnight
Average!
In all, my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was spotted by 5 stations with the best being a spot by DL/PA0EHG (493km). On RX only 7 stations spotted with best DX again LA2XPA (1310km).
In all, my 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground was spotted by 5 stations with the best being a spot by DL/PA0EHG (493km). On RX only 7 stations spotted with best DX again LA2XPA (1310km).
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| 472kHz WSPR overnight |
10m FT8 today
Since early morning I been on 10m FT8. A brief CQ call earlier was spotted by local G4WSZ (12km). On 10m FT8 RX I have spotted 5 stations with best DX LA7DFA (1311km).
Spelling - NOT amateur radio
This must be another after-effect of my 2013 stroke. These days I find spelling harder. It is as if my brain does not do the "auto-correct" it used to do. It is almost a sort of word blindness and that obvious errors are not spotted. In the last few days alone I made 3 mistakes. This could just be old age, but it feels like something else. I just need to check things more carefully in future.
Whatever our situation, we have to make the best of it. We are what we are now.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/stroke
Whatever our situation, we have to make the best of it. We are what we are now.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/stroke
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