BREXIT deal? - NOT amateur radio

Like most in the UK and the rest of Europe, I am fed up with BREXIT. Whether you voted "remain" or "leave" in the 2016 UK referendum, agreeing a deal seems illusive.

Both the UK and the rest of the EU want a deal, but no-one seems to want to compromise or lose face. Certainly most in the UK parliament and in the country seem angrier than even a few years ago. I do hope a deal in which no-one loses face can be agreed in the next few weeks. Whilst there is a lot of brinkmanship, time is rapidly running out.

I'd have more faith if the current Prime Minister was not a liar. Quite recently, he had an encounter with a man in a hospital. The PM claimed the press were not there when they clearly were! It looked like a press event to me. Sometimes I fear he believes what he wants to believe. Does this remind you of anyone?

MLS weekend offers

As usual, MLS is offering some deals for the weekend. This is to attract buyers at the UK Hamfest, but these apply to other sales as well. I don't know if these are good deals or not, but if you are going to buy one of the sale items it is worth taking a look.

See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/

Weather forecasts - NOT amateur radio

As a matter of habit, I check the weather forecasts. Usually I look on the BBC weather forecast and the Met Office weather forecast. Rarely do these agree.

As an example, the Met Office forecast shows the risk of thunder at tea time. The BBC forecast has no mention of this.

Now, I know forecasting the weather in the UK is not a precise science, but I would have expected more agreement just a few hours ahead!

10m FT8

Today I am trying 10m FT8 using the tiny indoor loop. A quick couple of (5W) 10m FT8 CQs was spotted by a couple of Gs, but nothing further yet. Earlier I spotted a G0 finishing a QSO with a YO station, but this did not get reported to PSKreporter maps. I am monitoring 28.074MHz FT8. Like 6m, I think many have migrated to lower frequencies thinking the band is dead.

UPDATE 1030z: DK9CX (937km) and S55OO (1233km) spotted on 10m FT8 RX. G0PQO (50km) also spotted. This was the station I spotted earlier.

UPDATE 1113z: DK9CX replied to my 5W 10m FT8 CQ, but in the end I lost him sadly before completing. In all, 5 stations spotted my 5W FT8 10m CQ with the best being a spot by 9A4ZM (1289km). My regret now is not trying this indoor tiny loop back in the Es season! On 10m FT8 RX 9 spots so far with best DX spotted being IK7XLU (1708km).

UPDATE 1225z: 18 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX so far.

UPDATE 1314z: A recent 5W 10m FT8 CQ (using the tiny indoor loop) was spotted by 3 stations with the best being HB9CRE (795km). Now 19 stations spotted on 10m FT8 RX today so far. There are probably fewer people monitoring and TXing on 10m FT8 compared with 20m.

15m FT8 RX

On the tiny indoor loop, I am trying 15m FT8 RX. Although I have not been on long, no spots so far this morning. I am looking on 21.074MHz, which I think is the 15m FT8 frequency.

UPDATED 1022z: Although I have QSYed to 10m FT8, there were plenty of Europeans being spotted on 15m FT8. Yes 21.074MHz seems to be the 15m FT8 frequency.

Ferrite rod transmitting antennas

This has been posted before, but results may surprise many.

Perhaps I should repeat these tests with FT8 from this QTH. FT8 is not as good as WSPR with weak signals but it is better than CW.

These tests were done at least 6 years ago and I have not tried since.  It must be used with QRP or the ferrite may saturate.

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

Sunspots - Friday September 27th 2019

Solar flux is 67 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=1.

20m FT8

On the tiny indoor loop 614 stations spotted in the last day on 20m FT8 RX, well exceeding all expectations.  Already on 20m FT8 RX with the loop lots of stations spotted. This is far from a great loop as the wire is not exactly thick. Quite amazing.

Today I might try a higher HF band.

Trump Impeachment - NOT amateur radio

Whilst I fully accept that the good people of the USA are free to elect whoever they wish as their president, I personally have problems with President Trump and PM Johnson.

Both men seem to me (personal view and others are free to hold different views) to be right wing and rather poor in their roles. President Trump seems to me to be out of step with many e.g. over climate change and Iran to name just 2. His actions seem to fall short of what I'd expect from a true statesman. PM Johnson seems to be in a similar vein.

We'll see what the impeachment enquiry into the activities of President Trump reveal.

All I ever wish is that leaders of the western nations act as true statesmen, thinking long-term and not about their own careers. I struggle to think of any leaders who are more focussed on the long-term good of the planet rather than their own short-term well beings.

20m FT8 RX

As I have no antennas outside for 20m I am using the tiny loop on the back of the rig indoors. At a guess this is about 0.5m across. In the first 2 hours no less than 97 stations spotted with best DX EA8AT (2843km) in the Canaries. This antenna is so small and indoors.

UPDATE 1533z: Quite amazing. 373 stations in 4 continents spotted today on 20m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop. Best DX spotted is JF8QNF (8763km).

UPDATE 1542z: As an experiment, I tried a quick 20m FT8 CQ (10W) using the indoor loop, but was spotted by no-one. I may try again as there is a high chance I was being clobbered by another station on the same frequency.

UPDATE 1727z: For some reason, my 20m dial had moved to 14.000 rather than 14.074MHz. I called FT8 CQ again (this time on the correct frequency) and was spotted in southern Italy by 3 stations and 1 in France. On RX 465 stations spotted on 20m FT8 with the tiny indoor loop today.

UPDATE 2140z:  584 stations spotted today on 20m FT8 RX with the tiny indoor loop. I have to say that results with this tiny antenna have far exceeded my expectations.

20m FT8 RX - stations spotted to 

1717z today with the tiny indoor loop