QSYed to 2m FT8 (2.5W to big-wheel)

About 10 minutes ago I QSYed to 2m FT8. So far, a couple of spots of me and a couple of spots of others.

UPDATE 1751z:  11 stations in 5 countries spotted so far today.

UPDATE 1904z: A recent 2.5W CQ on 2m FT8 was spotted by 5 stations in 4 countries with best DX being EI2FG (565km). On 2m FT8 RX 20 stations spotted in 5 countries so far.

UPDATE 2205z:  So far 26 stations in 6 countries spotted on 2m FT8 RX today.

UPDATE 2230z:  QRT.

OFCOM and broadband

OFCOM has some new data about broadband and mobile phone coverage in the UK. See their website.

Another good session on 472kHz WSPR TX (10mW ERP)

Last evening and overnight I was again on 472kHz WSPR TX with 10mW ERP from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. I was spotted in Norway 23 times.

Spots of me on 472kHz WSPR (10mW ERP)

Double yolker - NOT amateur radio

At breakfast, as usual, I made myself a cooked breakfast.

For only the second time in a great many years I found the egg (supermarket free range) was a double yolker as the photo shows.

Sunspots - Friday December 20th 2019

Solar flux is 70 and the sunspot number 0.  A=13 and K=1.  Still no sunspots. It still looks like we are at, or very close to, the absolute sunspot minimum. Today's date is December 20th 2019. I wonder what the sunspot number will be on December 20th 2020?

More on the IC-705

Southgate News relays some more on the ICOM IC-705 QRP transceiver. The price (in the UK) less VAT is about £1000 according to this news from ICOM. With VAT at the current rate this makes the price similar to the IC-7300. This sounds quite expensive to me. If it was sub £1000 I expect they would sell a lot. At this price I am less sure.

I still think they should include an auto-ATU, especially at this price.  I suspect they are trying to get early adopters to pay the full price. The IC-7300 is still a high price because people are prepared to pay the current price. If people were not prepared the price would fall, probably to less than £1000.

See also Todd's comment on the post yesterday.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/december/ic-705-qrp-sdr-transceiver-update.htm#.XfvoZeiTLnF

WSPRnet

This seems more reliable these days. Has something changed?

Whenever I go on WSPR on any band I look at WSPRnet to see who I am spotting and who is spotting me. The great advantage is this can be done on any PC (even in the lounge whilst watching TV) or even on a phone on a bus. When TXing, I can turn things off within seconds. WSPR is some 10dB better than FT8 with weak signals. With fleeting signals the 15 second overs with FT8 compared with the 2 minutes for WSPR can be an advantage though. With FT8 you can easily have 2-way QSOs, if basic.

See http://wsprnet.org/drupal/wsprnet/spots

Hidden disabilities....yet again - NOT amateur radio

Sorry to go on and on about this.

All my waking time I feel giddy and exhausted and I've been this way for 6.5 years since my stroke in 2013. My voice is very bad and I often have to repeat myself as I find it hard to be understood. There must be millions of people who are walking around with disabilities that others cannot see.

What I am concerned about is judging people by what you think they are like. How people appear is often not a guide to how they really are. Yes, a few may be faking it, but the vast majority are genuine.

All I am urging, yet again, is do not judge people by what you see. If you are physically disabled and use a wheelchair it is pretty obvious, likewise if you are blind. If you are like me or have a mental illness it is often far from obvious to other people.

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

Ely - NOT amateur radio

Ely is a pleasant town (actually a city) surrounding its cathedral. We went there yesterday and explored some of its quiet back streets. The photo shows one of these with the cathedral's famous octagon in the background.

Average session on 472kHz WSPR TX

Last night there were no spots from Norway of my 10mW ERP 472kHz WSPR from the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. This may have been conditions or nobody active who could detect my signal. At the moment, I am still on 472kHz WSPR TX, but may QSY to another band later.

Stations spotting my 10mW ERP
472kHz WSPR overnight

UPDATE 1304z:  There was another explanation: after 12 hours without 472kHz WSPR spots I noticed that Windose had closed the program, probably do an update. This really annoys me. Having re-opened the program, I am, again, getting 472kHz WSPR spots. Darn Windows!

UPDATE 1606z: I see my shack PC is telling me the PC needs to "restart after active hours". Does this mean it will turn off things overnight again? Maybe I should turn it off soon before the evening starts?

UPDATE 1736z: At about 1630z, I restarted the PC. It successfully installed and configured Windows updates, so hopefully it will run WSJT-X overnight without interruption. In the last hour 13 different stations spotted my 10mW ERP with best DX on 472kHz WSPR TX PA3FNY (330km).


UPDATE 2019z: So far today 16 stations have spotted my 10mW ERP with the  best DX being  DL/PA0EHG (493km).