x80 antenna

A few days ago I mentioned that my HF antenna (a Par end-fed) had blown down. Sadly these days I need help with antennas as my ladder skills (even on to a flat garage roof) are probably beyond me safely.

In the garage I have an almost mint x80 antenna fed with a 9:1 un-un. Reports of these vary with some saying they can break in winds. For now, when I have got a suitable support, I shall probably erect one as it should give reasonable performance on the higher HF bands. At the old QTH, albeit higher, it worked quite well.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/x80

That solar minimum - or is it?

We have had several weeks now with no sunspots. As I mentioned before the "experts" seem divided about when the solar minimum will be. One forecast thinks we have already passed the minimum whereas another thinks we have several years to go still! Only time will tell. In another year we will be able to discern a trend. Luckily bands like 10m are being livened up with Es propagation.

Frustration - NOT amateur radio

"Mustn't grumble".

Since my 2013 stroke physically most people think I am fully recovered. On the whole this is a good thing and I am grateful: things could have been so much worse. My main disabilities are my poor voice and feeling giddy all the time when on my feet.

The poor voice is a real drawback. Often I have to repeat myself several times and this is exhausting. I get really frustrated when I need to explain myself, but know the energy to be expended is too much. In casual conversations it is easier to remain quiet. I miss just joining in to casual chats.

What few understand is how much energy I use just to appear normal. Walking and driving are exhausting. To most I look just fine, yet I am clumsy and nearly always exhausted. Life is tougher than it once was, but "mustn't grumble".

As I have said before, do not judge a book by its cover. Often people who look or behave "normally" may be suffering in silence.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/stroke

6m FT8

There is Es about already on 6m FT8 RX with 10 stations spotted including 2 from Spain even though it is just 0820z. Yesterday there were loads of stations on 6m FT8, although nothing exotic.

UPDATE 1620z: Now 56 stations in 12 countries on 6m FT8 RX today.  At the moment things don't look as good as yesterday on 6m.

UPDATE 1646z:  Now 81 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX with CU3AK (2585km) in the Azores spotted just now.

UPDATE 1825z: "Real 6m DX!!" with KP4EIT (6834km) in Puerto Rico copied. As he has been

6m FT8 RX spots this here to 1825z

widely reported in North America and Europe I am pretty sure he is genuine. Also spotted was Israel and right across Europe on 6m FT8 RX with 135 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX so far today.

UPDATE 1945z: Now 147 stations in 30 countries on 6m FT8 RX. It seems it has got better later in the day.

UPDATE 2010z: Now FG8OJ (6834km) on Guadaloupe coming through on 6m FT8 RX. This is the second Caribbean station spotted on 6m this evening. 149 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today so far.

UPDATE 2053z: Now 4 Caribbean stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX this evening. 153 stations now spotted.

Sunspots - Sunday June 9th 2019

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN still zero. A=18 and K=4.

Angry sky

Today is our church fete. Traditionally, it never rained on this June Saturday, so much so that people used to ring up the vicar and ask him the date of the church fete and book that day for a wedding!

In recent years we have had a few wet days and today they had most of the stalls inside the church.

The rain held off, but the sky looked angry. The photos show an angry sky behind my antennas (V2000 vertical omni and 2m big-wheel horizontal omni).

6m FT8

Although it is only 1001z, already good Es on 6m FT8 with  43 stations in 14 countries spotted on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1212z: Now 78 stations in 23 countries so far today on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1438z: Now 174 stations spotted including Egypt and Israel on 6m FT8 RX today.

Stations spotted today on 

6m FT8 RX to 1448z

UPDATE 1453z: Current total is 180 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today. With loads of Europeans and 3 continents logged on 6m today things are pretty good. Just need some "real DX" to round things off. 😏

UPDATE 1920z: 218 stations spotted today on 6m FT8 RX. Still no "real DX" spotted here.

Sunspots - Saturday June 8th 2019

Still the pits I am afraid.

Solar flux is 68 and the sunspot number still 0. A=4 and K=1.

Storms moving our way?

At the moment we are storm free, but it looks like there are storms moving up from the west of the UK. They may miss us by miles, but I have turned things off and unplugged things as a precaution.

See https://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/europe/index.php?bo_page=map&bo_showmap=6

HF antenna

A few weeks ago my HF wire antenna fell down. At some point soon I need to re-erect it or a suitable alternative. There are several possibilities. Unfortunately, since my 2013 stroke I am always giddy on my feet, so even climbing a few feet up a ladder to my flat garage roof is now a real challenge. Darn!