160m FT8 - quite good

Overnight I was on 160m FT8 RX. Quite a few North Americans (40?) spotted, 2 Caribbeans and 1 South American spotted. In all, 409 stations spotted.

Sunspots - Wednesday January 1st 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 0. A=4 and K=0.

160m FT8 TX

Earlier this evening I called CQ (10W) FT8 using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground. Amazingly this was spotted in Finland by OG2A (1693km). Every day the distances amaze me.

Solar forecasts

As you know, I keep an eye on the solar data. According to a piece in Southgate News, the next solar peak is expected around July 2025 and it is expected to be around the same level as the last cycle, so no Maunder minimum as some had been saying.

The next solar minimum is expected around next April. These latter figures contradict the figures I saw for forecasts produced by NOAA/NASA which predicted a later minimum.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2019/december/two-solar-cycle-25-sunspots-appear.htm

Lighter evenings - NOT amateur radio

From December 22nd the days start to get a bit longer again here. The mornings get darker until next week, but already the evenings are a little better. By the end of January it is much better. It is funny how we adapt to the changing seasons.

Snowdrops - NOT amateur radio

A few days ago we went for a walk at Anglesey Abbey. Much to our surprise, the snowdrops were only just on the point of coming out. Snowdrops are a January/ February flower really. Usually we see snowdops then daffodils.

160m - getting worse?

Overnight, using the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground, fewer stations outside Europe were spotted than on the previous nights on 160m FT8 RX.  Not being a serious topband person, I have no idea if this is always so at the end of December or whether it is just conditions and things will get better again.  Overnight, 4 North Americans and 2 Caribbean stations spotted.  426 stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX in total in the last 12 hours (see map).

Stations spotted overnight on 160m FT8 RX

Sunspots - Tuesday December 31st 2019

Solar flux is 71 and the sunspot number 0.  A=2 and K=2.

Will we see an upturn in 2020?

Family gathering - NOT amateur radio

Our son and his family are here for New Year. The photo was taken just before tea today.

160m FT8 TX

Although my recent 160m FT8 (10W to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground) CQ resulted in no 2-way QSOs it was spotted by 31 stations. My best DX was I8QJU (1650km). Pretty sure this is my furthermost on 160m so far.