6m FT8

After a night off (PC and rigs off) this morning I have returned to 6m FT8, mostly RX. So far 4 Gs spotted.

UPDATE 0926z: 9 Gs spotted so far today.

UPDATE 1140z: 30 stations spotted so far with best DX SP7EXY (1454km). Looks like we are seeing some Es.

UPDATE 1414z: Now 37 stations spotted on 6m FT8 today.

UPDATE  1559z: Now 39 stations spotted today in 7 countries on 6m FT8 RX.

Stations spotted so far today on 6m FT8 RX

UPDATE 1815z: Time to QSY to 472kHz WSPR, but 41 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today.

International Marconi Day - Saturday April 27th 2019

Next weekend is International Marconi Day. There will be plenty of special event stations active.

Sunspots - Monday April 22nd 2019

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 11. A=4 and K=1.

Grandchildren - NOT amateur radio

As usual over Easter, we have been busy with grandchildren.

Our local museum has just (today) reopened, so we went across there earlier.

The photo shows one of the grandchildren in the museum next to an Austin 7.


See http://www.burwellmuseum.org.uk/

Good news on the BBC - NOT amateur radio

We seem to be fed lots of bad news (I guess this makes papers sell) but tend to not hear about good news often. So, we end up thinking the world is all gloom and doom. In actual fact the good news far outweighs the bad. So let me bring you some good news for a change!

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47974844

6m FT8 RX

You can tell there is a contest on! In the last day a total (so far) of 66 stations spotted (mostly Gs) in 7 countries with best DX spotted F4IAA (802km).

UPDATE 1252z:  Now 85 stations spotted in 10 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX in the last day. Best DX is IZ5YFU (1222km).

UPDATE 1610z: 76 stations spotted in the last day on 6m FT8 RX in 10 countries. Mostly tropo I think. The photo shows those received, although missing is the station in N.Ireland. One station spotted my CQ recently (2.5W). This was M0TXS (56km).

6m MGM contest: stations 

received on vertical co-linear antenna.

Simple AM radio

Southgate News carries a report of someone's first steps into RF by building a simple TRF circuit. It uses a TA7642 TRF IC, which is like a ZN414 that some may remember. These form the basis of very simple TRF receivers. I recall making a similar circuit years ago for Medium Wave. As I recall, mine was fix tuned to Radio Cambridgeshire. I guess these ICs could be used for a simple RX in a 160m AM rig.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2019/april/making-a-simple-am-radio.htm#.XLuJ7fZFy00

Sunspots - Sunday April 21st 2019

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 11. A=4 and K=1.

Like busses? - NOT amateur radio

The same thing happened last year. One day I saw my first swallow (bird) then the next day I saw more!  Today, I saw 2 more swallows. Next week, they should be common.

Easter Egg Hunt - NOT amateur radio

Our grandchildren are still young enough to enjoy hunting for chocolate Easter eggs hidden in the garden as the photo shows.