2m FT8

As I am (for now) unable to operate the FT817ND in "split" mode I am again on 2m FT8 (2.5W to the big-wheel omni antenna).

An initial FT8 CQ was spotted by 8 stations in 3 countries with the best again being GI6ATZ (479km). This never seems to fail. If he is active, irrespective of conditions, he spots me! On 2m FT8 RX 4 stations in 3 countries spotted with best DX spotted being DJ9IE (515km).

UPDATE 1710z:  15 stations in 6 countries spotted this afternoon on 2m FT8.

OFCOM and 5G spectrum

Today OFCOM announced that it was freeing up spectrum for 5G at 700MHz and around 3.6GHz.

It still insists on using the term "airwaves", suggesting to me that this quango is being run by a bunch of school kids who actually know very little about RF and spectrum. Perhaps I am being a grumpy old man. For this I apologise.

South Devon - NOT amateur radio

 

When I was young I lived in South Devon. The photo shows where I lived. We owned some land near here in 1427! Many of my ancestors lived at Hope Cove and we have a direct line back to William of  Hope in the mid 1500s.

Sunspots - Monday October 28th 2019

Solar flux is 69 and the SSN 0. A=15 and K=3.

FT817ND issue?

This evening I intended to go on 472kHz WSPR RX and TX, but I noticed the antenna current was zero. On closer examination, I noticed that the "split" function on the FT817ND had disappeared. With my brain fog as a result of my 2013 stroke I attempted to reset the "split" memory function.

I struggled for 30 minutes without success. I am sure I was doing things correctly. Even the micro-processor was reset, following the instructions in the manual. Again, no success.

Maybe leaving it until the morning, just in case I am doing something wrong might help. I am just a bit suspicious that the "split" function just disappeared.

Unless I can get "split" working again I can only RX on 472kHz WSPR. Tonight I am not on any band.

Horse chestnut tree - NOT amateur radio

In our local churchyard are two large horse chestnut trees that were planted (19th century?) to commemorate the battle of Waterloo in 1815. The photo shows our elder grandson standing under it.

Crabapple jelly - NOT amateur radio

We have just one crabapple tree but a friend has already made three jars of crabapple jelly. There are several hundred crabapples left, so I may have a go myself.

Moan time: cookies - NOT amateur radio

In recent months every website I visit asks me to OK cookies. I think this must be some new EU directive.

As with most such things, it is counter-productive. If you read the terms and conditions they can be pages of legal mumbo-jumbo, so most people will just "accept" without reading the terms. In fact this pop-up about accepting cookies becomes a real pain.

Surely I am not alone.

Return to 2m FT8

A short while ago I returned to 2m FT8. Initially I called CQ (2.5W to the big wheel) and now I am RX only. Although my CQ got no QSOs, I received 8 spots with the best again being N. Ireland GI6ATZ (479km). On RX 10 spots in 5 countries.

UPDATE 1708z: So far today on 2m FT8 RX 49 stations in 8 countries spotted. Best DX spotted on 2m FT8 today is DL3TW (655km).

472kHz WSPR overnight

My 10mW ERP was spotted by more stations overnight than ever before. In all, my tiny signal was spotted by 20 receiving stations including Norway, weakly, just once. Quite decent results. The table shows the stations that spotted me in distance order.

On 472kHz WSPR RX, just 10 stations were spotted.