Sunspots - Monday September 23rd 2019

Solar flux is 68 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=0.

2m FT8 again

It is getting dark and I have switched to 2m FT8. On RX 3 stations spotted including 2 in Germany. On 2m FT8 TX (10W to the big-wheel omni) 14 spots so far with the best DX report coming from G4LOH (455km) in Cornwall.

UPDATE 2009z: A recent 10W 2m FT8 CQ was again copied by GI6ATZ (479km). The antenna was still the big-wheel omni so the ERP was maybe 20W? FT8 is pretty remarkable.

Climate change facts - NOT amateur radio

Unlike President Trump of the USA who allegedly thinks climate change is a Chinese hoax, I prefer to believe in evidence as presented by people that have studied the real data. Sorry that means reading, which President Trump allegedly does not do that often.  A true statesman looks at the facts.

People of the USA, when you vote next year look at the evidence, please. This is a global emergency which requires us to think beyond the votes and lobby groups active in the next few years. The whole future of our planet is at stake, not who is US president in 2020 November.

Just look at the fiercer hurricanes and the Bahamas. It is happening now!!

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49773869

Time flies - NOT amateur radio

It seems hard to remember that we were abroad on holiday just a few weeks ago. We seem to have packed in a lot since. On the whole the weather here has been mild and sunny. Yet again we went on a Saga holiday, which was very good. The holiday rep who looked after everything was local and very good. I kept a blog.

See https://roses2019.blogspot.com/

Inconsiderate parking - NOT amateur radio

Most times we love living next door to a restored windmill and museum. However, today is a special day with music and dance, so there are more people than normal. What I do not like is people who park without consideration for local residents, blocking driveways by parking badly. In future, if we need to go out in the car on such days, we need to park on the road and not on our driveway.

6m FT8

According to the weather forecast and the storm maps, the worst storms seem to be further west in the UK and here looks OK. So, I have reconnected everything and gone on 6m FT8 calling CQ (10W) initially. No spots received and nothing spotted yet on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 0929z: Still no spots. Many are still asleep in the UK or have deserted 6m.

UPDATE 1045z: A recent 10W FT8 6m CQ resulted in 2 G spots, but no QSOs. Still no spots on 6m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1250z: Just 2 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX so far (G and GD).

UPDATE 1315z: 3 stations spotted so far on 6m FT8 RX (G and GD). In answer to my own 10W 6m FT8 CQ call just now, just a couple of Gs spotted me. No QSOs resulted.

UPDATE 1608z: A recent 6m 10W FT8 CQ was spotted by one G station. At first I was puzzled as it said I was spotted 6 minutes ago, but there was nothing on the 6m PSKreporter map. Switching to "all bands" revealed that G4RDC (127km) was incorrectly reporting me as on 2m. He had obviously forgotten to change his band setting. Just 4 stations spotted on 6m FT8 RX with best DX being HB9DVZ (870km) in eastern Switzerland.

Early 2m FT8 RX

Overnight, I stayed on 2m FT8 RX. Around breakfast time I was again spotting lots of stations including 3 Germans. Then the weather was forecasting storms, so everything was switched off and disconnected.

70cm Moxon antenna

Many years ago, I raided my wife's cupboard to make a 70cm Moxon antenna from a coat-hanger. If I remember correctly, the whole thing took about 30 minutes to make. It was used out portable with my FT817 and worked well.

Never say you don't have a 70cm antenna!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/antennas/70cm_moxon

Oscar 100 update

Periodically I check the web SDR at Goonhilly to see what the activity level is on the narrowband transponder of this geosynchronous satellite.

My own view is activity levels are similar to a month ago. Certainly the band is far from crowded. There is room for many more stations.

See https://eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/

Very simple 28MHz WSPR, FT8 or PSK RX

My trouble is I cannot remember where I've posted things!

So, if this has appeared here recently please accept my apologies. It is a simple, low cost, circuit and worth sticking on 10m WSPR when you have an antenna free. Most days you will copy something. As you can see it uses an oscillator running at half frequency and a Polyakov mixer.

I used a cheap GQRP 14.060MHz crystal, pulled. It worked well on 10m WSPR. The same idea would work on FT8 and PSK as long as you can find cheap crystals!