How it all started

Back in 1961, my dad bought me a Heathkit Electronics Workshop one Christmas. That was the start of a hobby and a career in telecommunications design.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/elwk .

Sunspots - Friday August 23rd 2019

Solar flux is 66 and the SSN 0. A=4
6 and K=2.  The bottom.

Back to 2m FT8

After yet another good Es day on 6m FT8 (some OHs were copying my 10W at a staggering +8dB S/N), I have now returned to 2m FT8.

My initial 2m FT8 CQ was copied by 9 stations with G4ELI (449km) as the best DX spot of my 10W. He is in Cornwall.

On 2m FT8 RX plenty of stations again spotted with DF6DW (562km) as the best DX spotted.

UPDATE  1947z: 10 stations spotted so far on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2102z:  Now 25 stations spotted this evening on 2m FT8 RX in 4 countries. Most reports are in the -12dB to -18dB S/N region. This suggests "flat band" tropo as the most likely propagation.

Rallies this weekend

24 & 25 AUGUST : MONTROSE AIR STATION OPEN DAY & RADIO RALLY

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre, Waldron Road, Broomfield, Montrose DD10 9BD. Indoor event and tables available to sell your own junk. Open to the public from 10am, disabled access and minor catering available. Details from Ewan, MM0BIX on 01674 676 740.


Sunday 25 AUGUST : TORBAY ANNUAL COMMUNICATIONS FAIR

Newton Abbot Racecourse Devon TQ12 3AF. Doors open at 10am with disabled visitors gaining access at 9.30am. Indoor event with plenty of free parking on site. There will be a Bring & Buy as well as an RSGB bookstall. Catering will be available on site. To book tables call Pete, G4VTO on 01803864528 or Mike, G1TUU on 01803557941 email rally team at rally@tars.org.uk.


Sunday 25 AUGUST : MILTON KEYNES ARS RALLY

MKARS, Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Watling Street, Bletchley MK2 2HX. Entrance £3 per person. Various trader options available with extra indoor pitches available for 2019. Free parking and on-site catering. Open to traders 7am, Public from 9am. Additional information at www.mkars.org.uk/rally or contact Francis Hennigan, M0UKF rally@mkars.org.uk or 07563 498 156.


Monday 26 AUGUST : HARS ANNUAL RALLY (BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY)

Ernulf Academy, St Neots PE19 2SH. Gates open for Traders at 7am and 9am for the public. Entry is £3. There is Free car parking, an RSGB Bookstall, Bring & Buy with indoor and outdoor stands available. Catering provided on site. Talk in will be on 145.550MHz on GX0HSR. Contact Malcolm, M0OLG on events@hunts-hams.co.uk for details or phone 01480 214282.


A list of rallies can be found at http://rsgb.org/main/news/rallies/

Es yet again on 6m FT8

It seems every time I venture on to 6m FT8 there is Es. An early 10W 6m FT8 CQ using the V2000 vertical omni brought QSOs with Lithuania and Italy. On 6m FT8 RX the best DX so far spotted is CN8LI (2114km) in North Africa. 6m dead did someone say?

UPDATE 1806z:  Plenty of SMs and OHs worked after calling CQ on 6m FT8 TX this evening. Loads more spotted me too. 7 people have spotted my 10W FT8 in just the last 15 minutes! Most of these were in Finland by, what I assume is, Es.

2m FT8 early

Overnight I stayed on 2m FT8, around breakfast time there were lots of stations spotted with the best again being Germany. On TX my 2mFT8 CQ was copied by 4 stations with the best being a spot by EI2FG (565km). Not bad for 10W and a big-wheel omni antenna.

Sundial at Peterborough Cathedral - NOT amateur radio

On the west wall at Peterborough Cathedral is this fine, and very old, sundial. The date says 1762, but it looks like it has been repainted.

See http://sundialsoc.org.uk/dials/peterborough-cathedral0589/

LF and VLF ideas

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in amateur VLF work. You may find some ideas on my webpage.

Although big antennas and high power help on TX, this is not so on RX where some very compact antennas can be really effective. E-field probes are very small yet are very effective VLF RX antennas. They are every bit as effective as much larger antennas.

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

Sunspots - Thursday August 22nd 2019

Solar flux is 66 today and the SSN 0. A=5 and K=1.

2m FT8

Well, I thought something was wrong! Then I found that my UHF adaptor was not in properly. My recent 2m FT8 CQ was widely spotted, but no QSOs resulted. Best TX (10W to the big-wheel) DX was EI2FG (565km) in southern Eire. Also spotting me were 3 Cornish stations as well as a French station and a Belgian station.

On 2m FT8 RX DF6PW (562km) is the best DX.

2m FT8 certainly works!

UPDATE 1930z:  My last 2m FT8 CQ was copied by 6 stations, although no QSOs resulted.

UPDATE 2025z: 5 stations spotted my 10W FT8 2m CQ just now, including one station in Cornwall. No QSOs resulted.

UPDATE 2054z: 26 stations spotted this evening on 2m FT8 RX with the best DX being DJ6AG (689km) deep into Germany. All this on the big-wheel omni.