Sunspots - Tuesday January 7th 2020

Solar flux is 71 and the SSN 11. A=9 and K=2.

160m FT8

At about 2200z I switched to 160m FT8. My 10W CQ  (to the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground) was spotted by 32 stations in 10 countries with best DX being SM0MDG (1364km).

UPDATE 2232z: 38 stations in 11 countries have now spotted my 10W FT8 CQ, but no QSOs resulted.  On 160m FT8 RX, the first North Americans are coming through.

Early days

When I first started in amateur radio as a G8 back in the late 1960s I used to operate the station of Bill Honeywill G4PJ (Salcombe) under supervision. One of the stations we regularly worked was G3SCW.

Southgate News has a piece on a BBC archive film that includes a bit on his stations (railway and amateur radio!).

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/amateur-radio-at-a-railway-station-with-no-trains.htm#.XhOAofKTLnE

Rummy - NOT amateur radio

Yesterday the last of our grandchildren went home. On the final morning we played the card game "rummy" as the photo shows.

2m FT8

Stations spotted on 2m
FT8 today until 1916z

All day I have been on 2m FT8. On TX (10W to the big-wheel omni) both G8OFA and GI6ATZ  (479km) worked. On RX 73 stations in 9 countries spotted.

UPDATE 1910z: 83 stations in 8 countries spotted today on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1955z: A recent CQ resulted in 1 QSO and 14 spots in 3 countries on 2m FT8 TX.

Sunspots - Monday January 6th 2020

Solar flux is 72 and the SSN 11. A=9 and K=0.

Going home - NOT amateur radio

After a busy week with grandchildren, they have all returned home. The last 2 were picked up this afternoon, so our house is quiet (and tidy!) again.

We took down all the Christmas decorations earlier. In many ways we prefer it when they are here, but I was exhausted by the end.  They are harder work than a few years ago.

Amazing tropo DX on 70cm

If I work 200km on 70cm I am amazed. So how about working 4644km? That amazing DX was worked recently by G4KUX according to a piece picked up by Southgate News.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/g4kux-extends-432-mhz-tropo-record-to-4-644kms.htm#.XhImC-iTLnE. This has links to EI7GL's blog.

160m FT8 overnight

In terms of the number of DX stations spotted (797), this was perhaps the best session this season. Again, I lost count of the North Americans spotted on 160m FT8 RX with the earth-electrode "antenna" in the ground.  2 Caribbeans and 2 South Americans also spotted with best DX spotted being LU8DPM (11432km).

Stations spotted on 160m FT8 RX overnight

2m FT8

Recently I QSYed to 2m FT8. My initial CQ (10W to the big-wheel omni) was spotted by 12 stations and 1 QSO). My best spot was by EA1UR (1195km) in northern Spain. On 2m FT8 RX 4 stations in 3 countries so far spotted.

UPDATE 1217z: 42 stations in 9 countries spotted this morning on 2m FT8 RX. On 2m FT8 TX (10W) 17 stations in 3 countries spotted me.

UPDATE 1351z:  Now 60 stations in 9 countries spotted today on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE  1807z:  Now 113 stations in 8 countries spotted today on 2m FT8.  A recent 2m FT8 CQ  (10W) was spotted by 35 stations and resulted in 2 G QSOs.

UPDATE 1905z: Now 126 stations in 10 countries spotted today on 2m FT8 RX.

Stations spotted on 2m FT8 today 

UPDATE 2005z:  A recent 2m FT8 10W CQ was spotted by 15 stations in 4 countries. 142 stations spotted today so far on 2m FT8 RX.

UPDATE 2255z: 161 stations in 10 countries spotted today on 2m FT8 RX and 48 stations in 6 countries spotted my 10W FT8 to the omni antenna today on 2m FT8 TX. A good 2m day. Off to bed now, but 2m FT8 RX still running overnight.