10m FT8

At about 0925z I QSYed (ever hopeful!) to 10m FT8. Initially I called CQ (2.5W), but now I am RX only. So far no spots on RX or TX.

The peak summer Es "season" is only a few weeks away. Bands like 10m and 6m should provide Europeans most days. Often DX from much further way also comes in too. My theory is this is often some sort of chordal hop Es or Es linking with F2 further south. Certainly May-September can prove very productive on 10m and 6m at any point in the solar cycle.

UPDATE 1304z:  No spots so far.

UPDATE 1652z: Just one G spotted on 10m all day. G0KUC (87km) is the only spot all day. I guess for now, people are, by and large, looking elsewhere. Another month and they will all be back for the Es fun! Back to 630m WSPR shortly.

160m FT8 RX overnight

So 160m FT8 RX is still crossing the Atlantic. Last night, 10 North Americans and 1 Caribbean station spotted out of the 350 stations using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground with best DX spotted being KI5BLU (7636km) in Texas.

160m FT8 RX here overnight

Solar data published

The solar data I follow has been updated for March 2019. This particular source is still predicting that we have just passed the solar minimum. Certainly sunspots have returned this month and they we only missing for a few days. At the last minimum we were spotless for months. This is promising, although I have fingers, arms and legs crossed!  As said before, it is several months after the event that we can be sure.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/

For the latest forecast showing the upward trend is at http://www.solen.info/solar/images/cycles23_24.png

Sunspots - Tuesday April 2nd 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the sunspot number 17. A=8 and K=1.

160m FT8

As 10m FT8 was so poor, I QSYed to 160m FT8 a few hours ago, calling CQ initially but RX only for most of the time. No spots of my CQ (2.5W), but plenty of Europeans spotted on RX. As before, using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I shall be on 160m FT8 RX until after breakfast.

UPDATE 2004z: 153 stations spotted tonight so far on 160m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2130z: 212 stations spotted so far this evening on 160m FT8 RX. Best DX is RO9O (5145km).

Horse chestnut trees - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday I posted a photo of the 2 ancient horse chestnut trees in our churchyard. This is a view of the same trees in the other direction.

Springtime - NOT amateur radio

Most of the spring daffodils are now dying, some weeks before Easter. Tulips tend to be short-lived but nice whilst they last. Many of the UK fields are sown with yellow rapeseed. To some the smell of these is off-putting.

Unless I am mistaken, next weekend is the US Masters golf from Augusta, Georgia, USA. They always seem to have plenty of colourful flowers for the TV cameras. Another year gone - where did it fly?

Awaiting updated solar data

My favourite place for solar data has yet to be updated fully. This usually happens in the first few days of the month. I am interested to see it they are still forecasting that we have actually passed through the minimum or still have some way to go. There were some tentative signs earlier last month, although these could just have been blips.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/

10m FT8

All night I stayed on 10m FT8.Only 1 spot of me (yesterday evening) by G4CJC (74km) 20 hours ago. This morning the only spot so far is of 2E0VDS (30km).

UPDATE 1738z: Totally dire! Nothing further here at all on 10m FT8 since the 2E0 around breakfast. This is one of the worst ever days here on 10m FT8. Soon be time to QSY, probably 160m FT8 RX.

Sunspots - Monday April 1st 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=11 and K=1.