Blossom - NOT amateur radio

The garden next door has several apple and plum trees. At the moment, they look great as they are in blossom. In a few weeks this will all be gone.

Oscar 100 - still very quiet

Just a few moments ago there was an OE6 calling CQ via the satellite and getting absolutely no response. At most there were perhaps 3 SSB signals. There was one PA on Hellscreiber, so you could read the callsign and QTH locator by looking at the waterfall.

By now, with more people building gear, I was expecting it to be very busy. If anything, I suspect there are fewer users than a few weeks ago.

OK, this is a weekday. Perhaps people are tired of working the same people and telling them about their dishes and LNB? Maybe the challenge was getting that first QSO and now the interest is waning? Maybe just talking through a geosynchronous satellite is no challenge? Perhaps every QSO is just like another?

Perhaps this is all too premature. Having DX QSOs and local QSOs with no QSB at any time day or night takes some getting used to?

Lightning

At this time of year and in the summer, I regularly check on the possibility of nearby storms. If there is a chance of danger, I disconnect antennas and power sockets "just in case". Years ago one of my work colleagues house, on a very ordinary housing estate, was struck by lightning and he suffered great damage. Ever since, I have been a bit paranoid. OK a direct strike is rare, but power surges can and do occur.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/europe/index.php?lang=en

Heron - NOT amateur radio

For about a week now, we have had a heron in our area. I suspect it is circling around looking for a quick fish meal from garden ponds. They are big birds that are unmistakable in the air.

See https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/grey-heron/

OFCOM

OFCOM has published its Communications Monthly update for March. See their website.

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).