Sunspots - Monday September 2nd 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 0. A=45 and K=5.

2m FT8

As there is so little on 6m FT8 today, I think I shall QSY to 2m FT8 to see what that produces. Although no QSOs resulted my 2m FT8 CQ (10W to the big-wheel omni) was spotted by 11 stations in 3 countries with the best DX being a spot by EI2FG (565km). On RX so far just one spot of M0NPT (125km). Most people seem to be just RX only.

Imagine - with 2m FT8 southern Eire and Isle of Man any time with 10W to the omni!!

UPDATE 1553z: 9 stations in 3 countries spotted so far on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1745z: Now 19 stations in 6 countries spotted today on 2m FT8 RX.

2m FT8 spots of my 10W today

UPDATE 1922z: Now 26 stations spotted today on 2m FT8 RX. A recent 2m FT8 CQ (again 10W to the big-wheel) was copied by 14 stations with my best DX spots by DF6PW (562km) and EI2FG (565km). It's great not having to turn a beam. Mind you, with a beam I could perhaps gain 6dB in the most favourable directions. The RX log on 2m FT8 since mid-afternoon is shown below.

UPDATE 2130z: Now 35 stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX since mid-afternoon today.

Passed the minimum?

The figures for last month have been added to the solar forecast. Much to my surprise, this is still forecasting that we have passed the solar minimum. Let us hope they are right!

See http://www.solen.info/solar/images/cycles23_24.png

6m FT8

Presently, I am on 6m FT8 RX. 3 stations have been spotted so far (at 0816z) with the best DX spotted HB9SHD (761km) in northern Switzerland.

UPDATE 0827z: A brief 6m FT8 CQ call (10W) was copied by no-one at all!

UPDATE 0954z: A recent  6m FT8 CQ was spotted by G0GLS (171km) and resulted in a QSO with G6NNS (26km). John G6NNS is fairly local to me. No Es evident. So far, just 4 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 1122z: Apart from the French and Swiss stations spotted much earlier, just 4 G stations spotted this morning on 6m FT8 RX. A pretty poor session.

UPDATE 1150z: A recent 6m FT8 CQ was spotted by 3 stations with the best DX being a spot by GM8IEM (753km) in the north of Scotland.

UPDATE 1500z: What a difference a day makes! Just 12 6m FT8 RX spots all day with the best DX being SQ9KFZ (1305km).

Overnight on 2m FT8 RX

Overnight, I left 2m FT8 RX running. In all 8 stations spotted in the last 6 hours with the best DX spotted being DL2AKT (761km).

Results published for RSGB's 70cm activity contest

The results for the latest 70cm UKAC have just been published. Although I missed a few sessions in recent months, I appear to have improved my position in the AL (low power) section.

See https://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfresults.pl?Contest=432MHz%20UKAC&year=2019

Granddaughters - NOT amateur radio

Earlier in the last week we had all our grandchildren here. The photo shows our 2 granddaughters together.

Sunspots - Sunday September 1st 2019

Solar flux is 66 today and the sunspot number still zero. A=38 and K=5. For those who read August 1st my apologies!! I have just noticed this error and corrected it.

Solar numbers

Usually very early each month my favourite source of solar data updates its information. This usually happens either late on the first day or on the second day of the month. As last month, one wonders what the forecast for sunspots looks like later this year. As far as I know, we have been pretty spotless in August.

Homemade recordings - NOT amateur radio

When still at school, i.e. a very long time ago, a friend and I made some homemade records using a big horn, lots of shouting and the plastic lids of coffee jars.

Looking back, these were very exciting days. Although I still have a record, I no longer have a means of playing it.

As we have moved increasingly to digital and streaming, analogue decks are fewer, although some still swear by vinyl records. As I recall there was nothing too profound recorded.

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