2m FT8

Overnight I remained on 2m FT8 RX although it was breakfast time before stations appeared. There is really no benefit in monitoring through the night. Maybe if there was a significant MS shower I might catch a few early risers).

As of 0938z, 46 stations spotted overnight and last evening. In the last 3 hours, 8 stations spotted on 2m. It appears that DX ranges are possible irrespective of conditions on 2m FT8. Best DX this morning on 2m FT8 RX is  DF6PW (562km).

Stations spotted on 2m FT8 RX in the last day

UPDATE  1238z: About 45 minutes ago I called 2m CQ (2.5W FT8 to the big-wheel omni) and was spotted by EI3KD (583km) and DF6PW (562km).

Sunspots - Thursday November 28th 2019

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0.  A=11 and K=1.

2m FT8

For some hours now, I have been on 2m FT8, which is much more productive than 10m FT8!

UPDATE 1947z: At the moment 38 stations in 8 countries spotted. My own 2m FT8 CQ a few hours ago (2.5W to the big-wheel omni) was spotted by 8 stations in 2 countries.

UPDATE 2228z:  Now 39 stations spotted on 2m FT8 this evening. I shall leave the RX running overnight although it is normally quiet until breakfast time. One QSO with local M0BXF.

New 2m node in Burwell, Cambs

MB7IBW is now live, though currently with a compromise antenna. It’s an AllStar node on 145.2375MHz 94.8Hz.

10m FT8 again

For the daylight hours I am, again, on 10m FT8. An initial 2.5W FT8 CQ was spotted by no-one and no-one yet copied on RX.

UPDATE 1519z: What a pits of a day on 10m!  Nothing at all spotted on 10m FT8 all day. A couple of CQ calls have been spotted by no-one. I'll give it a little longer then return to 2m FT8 I think.

Old friends - NOT amateur radio

About 10 years ago some old friends in our village moved to the Cotswolds. We see them a few times each year.

When we meet it is as if we have never been apart.

The photo show the husband helping me with some VLF tests many years ago.

Overnight on 2m FT8

My own 2.5W to the big-wheel omni was spotted by 7 stations with the best being Germany. On 2m FT8 RX 22 stations were spotted (see map).

Sunspots - Wednesday November 27th 2019

Solar flux is 70 and the SSN 0. A=3 and K=1.

Yaesu FT7 HF transceiver

This product was around in the late 1970s  and was a 10W rig intended for mobile use. By modern standards it was big. From memory it was about 6 times bigger than the FT817. It covered all the non WARC bands from 80-10m. On the latter band it only covered 500kHz. The later FT7B was 50W and had 4 switched bands to cover 10m. In those days there was no 6m in Europe and the WARC bands had not been allocated.

It was one of the quietest receivers I have ever owned. It was before the days of synthesisers. I liked mine and worked the world with it from home with simple 10m antennas and 10W SSB.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ft7

2m FT8

For a change, I am on 2m FT8 calling CQ (2.5W to the big-wheel omni) initially.

On RX just a single spot of a station in the Netherlands.

My own QRP has been spotted by 3 stations in 3 countries with my best spot (again) being by GI6ATZ (479km). This rarely fails. The others were in France and Belgium.

UPDATE 2043z: So far this evening my 2.5W 2m FT8 has been spotted by 7 stations in 4 countries with best DX being DF6PW (562km). On 2m FT8 RX 16 stations in 5 countries spotted so far.