Cricket - NOT amateur radio

Usually cricket can be quite boring, but the last ashes test against Australia was extremely tense until the very last ball. It could have gone either way.  In the end England won with a superb last wicket stand that will go down in history as one of the very best ever. The photo shows me with my son and grandson watching the match.

6m FT8 - no Es yet today (but it came later!)

In the last hour, I switched to 6m FT8. As yet, just Gs spotted here apart from DF4UE (756km). On TX (10W to the V2000 omni vertical) just 6 G spots so far today.

UPDATE 1050z: Later there was, again, plenty of 6m Es. I have, so far, spotted 20 stations (many probably Es) and I have been spotted, and worked, in Eastern Europe. Many were in response to my 6m FT8 CQ.

UPDATE 1114z: Plenty of Eastern Europeans spotted and several worked on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 2004z:  137 stations spotted on 6m FT8 today as the map shows. It seems still that there is 6m Es there for the taking. Another good day. Best DX spotted was EA8AQV (2989km).

2m FT8 - still a lift?

There still seems to be a lift on 2m FT8 with EA1SA (1034km) being spotted. Although I called him, I was not successful. He was the best DX spotted this morning.

2m Fredbox

Many years ago, I designed this 2m QRP AM transceiver. This was in the days when 2m AM was very popular. For its day, it was very small!

I do not recommend you copy this design nowadays, but you may find some useful ideas here.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/vuhf/fredbox

Sunspots - Sunday August 25th 2019

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

Overnight on 2m FT8

After calling CQ, I am now on 2m FT8 RX overnight. On TX just a single QSO with a fairly local station, although 9 stations spotted me with EI2FG (565km) the best DX spot. On RX the best so far is PA0O (437km).

Miracle Whip? - NO

It is years since I last used my Miracle Whip, so I thought now was a good time to try this on 10m FT8. Sadly I can't find it anywhere! The last time I used it must have been 6 years ago. I shall have to try it out another time.

10m

Since buying my FT991A, I have not been on 10m as my antenna blew down. Then it occurred to me that I had a Whiz Whip antenna that although small and indoors would at least tune on 10m.

So, I connected this to the back of the rig (it is a loop about 0.5m diameter) and went on 10m FT8. On 10m FT8 RX I have already spotted stations all over Europe (37 so far at 1312z) and on 10m FT8 TX my 4W has been spotted by several stations (6) with best DX spot by IK8YFU (1963km).

6m Es .....again

Why do so many desert 6m when it is so good?

On and off I have been on 6m FT8 again this morning with 10W and the V2000 vertical omni. Already  (1118z) 78 stations spotted from all over Europe. There was an SM0 coming through at an incredible +17dB S//N. When I called CQ I was spotted all over Europe and worked an Italian.

Honestly, I don't think there has been a single daytime time this month when there has not been 6m Es. It seems every time I look there is Es propagation. In the past I know I have worked Scandinavians in September with QRP SSB on 6m.

Stations that spotted my 6m 10W 

FT8 to the V2000 vertical to 1838z.

UPDATE  1833z:  With 261 stations spotted and 68 people spotting my 10W to the V2000 vertical, this is one of my best days on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 2130z: Still 261 stations spotted today on 6m FT8. I think that is it.

Crab apples - NOT amateur radio

We have one crab apple tree. Two years ago we had about 500 fruits and made crab apple jelly which is delicious with some meats. Last year we had just 15!  This year we have a bumper crop as the photo shows. Someone once told me these are good every other year.

See https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7661/crab-apple-jelly